University of South Florida fraternity suspended pending investigation into allegations of a hazing ritual involving a swastika.
A University of South Florida (USF) fraternity has been suspended pending an investigation into allegations of an antisemitic hazing ritual.
According to campus newspaper The Crow’s Nest, last week the claims against the USF chapter of Pi Kappa Phi began appearing online.
A letter of suspension was issued in which USF’s director of student conduct and ethical development, Melissa Graham, expanded on what allegedly occurred at a February 11 off-campus fraternity party.
Graham wrote that at the party, fraternity pledges had to wear white T-shirts on which guests were told to draw words and images, and that some pledges had offensive images drawn on their shirts, including at least one case of a swastika.
Pi Kappa Phi was given an interim suspension based upon violating two sections of the USF Student Code of Conduct.
The suspension will be reviewed at a March 1 meeting between the fraternity’s president and university administration.
In a Thursday Instagram statement, Pi Kappa Phi condemned the “reprehensible antisemitic action” and said it was done by a guest at the party who was not a member of the fraternity. It added that it was cooperating with the investigation.
“Reports of fraternity pledges forced to have swastikas drawn on their bodies as a means of initiation… is obscene,” they said.
“This behavior not only harms the Jewish community on campus but also undermines the foundational values of the university.”
Source: Arutz 7