A William & Mary sorority was suspended and lost its privileges as a student organization this month for hazing new members.
The Beta Delta chapter of sorority Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc violated William & Mary’s hazing policy by limiting new members’ contact with non-sorority members, socially isolating them and forcing them to eat food, according to a suspension notice shared with the William & Mary Fraternity/Sorority community.
College spokeswoman Suzanne Seurattan said the hazing was reported at the beginning of the fall semester, prompting an investigation.
The sorority was suspended Nov. 22 after a hearing by an administrative hearing board.
“William & Mary’s policies and the work of its Hazing Prevention Coalition emphasize that hazing has no place in our university life, either on or off campus,” Seurattan said. “Our policies clearly state that organizations that allow or condone such behavior may face sanctions ranging from a warning to a loss of status as a recognized student organization.”
Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha is a service-based Latina sorority that was chartered in 2013, according to William & Mary’s student newspaper, the Flat Hat. The chapter is a member of the National Association for Latino Fraternal Organizations.
Seurattan confirmed no students were injured during the hazing.
The suspension means the sorority will not be able to use college facilities and resources for the sorority’s activities, or participate in or sponsor any sorority events on campus, according to the suspension notice.
Sigma Iota Alpha also is no longer recognized as a student organization, but can go through the process to return in fall 2018 “at the earliest,” Seurattan said.
Sigma Iota Alpha is also a member the Multicultural Greek Council, which will cease operations until Sigma Iota Alpha is recognized again as a student organization or a different organization joins. The council was formed in April 2017 and consisted of Sigma Iota Alpha and one other organization.
Seurattan said the most recent Greek organization to be suspended for hazing was the Epsilon Alpha chapter of the fraternity Lambda Chi Alpha in 2013.
Pi Kappa Alpha – or PiKA – has been put on probation for not complying with a sanction stemming from a party last spring, Seurattan said.
Probation is different than suspension, because PiKA has not lost its recognition as a student organization.
PiKA lost the privilege of having a fraternity house after being put on probation, but can work with the Student Leadership Office to regain privileges
The college also has an anonymous reporting system for hazing.
Update: The original version of this article said Seurattan declined to provide more information on whether students were injured during the hazing. The article has been updated to include Seurattan’s information that no students were injured.
