The university has shut down its Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity chapter following hazing allegations, according to administration.

“One student, who is a member of TKE, has been expelled and two other fraternity members have been suspended from the university, as a result of a university student conduct investigation into allegations of hazing,” Vice President for Public Affairs Lynn Bushnell said in a statement.

Bushnell added that additional members of the fraternity will face consequences.

“Other TKE members have also been sanctioned as part of the investigation, and several more will face the student conduct process. In addition, the university has issued the fraternity a cease and desist order prohibiting it from operating at the university until the student conduct process is completed,” Bushnell said.

It is unknown at this time if TKE will be allowed to return to campus after the conduct process is completed. The university did not comment further on any details, including the allegations.

Ben Preller, president of the Interfraternity Council, said the IFC was disappointed to hear news about TKE.

“The Quinnipiac University Interfraternity Council has been informed of the ordered cease and desist of Tau Kappa Epsilon and is disheartened by the hazing allegations against the Kappa Psi chapter,” Preller said in a statement. “While the IFC exists to support and advocate for the fraternity organizations on campus, it does not tolerate any form of hazing. We will continue to offer our full cooperation and assist the university in any way possible.”

Following the cease and desist order, TKE has been taken off the list of student organizations on Do You QU. TKE came to campus in 1967, making it the oldest of the 17 existing Greek Life organizations, according to Associate Vice President for Public Relations John Morgan.

A spokesman for the national chapter of TKE, Alex Baker, said fraternity was working with the university to hold any members involved in the alleged hazing “accountable for their actions.”

“Tau Kappa Epsilon has been in contact with Quinnipiac University. We are assisting the university in their investigation. Tau Kappa Epsilon has a zero tolerance policy regarding hazing,” Baker said in an email to a Hartford Courant reporter.

Like the Tau Kappa Epsilon national chapter, Bushnell said the university has a zero tolerance policy for hazing.

“With the safety and security of our students being paramount, the university will simply not tolerate hazing of any kind by any group or individual and will act swiftly to remove those held responsible from the community,” Bushnell said.

Junior Cary Adams, a member of Alpha Phi Omega, which is a co-ed fraternity on campus, said he was disappointed by the news.

“As a member of a fraternity, it was disheartening to hear that another group had done something like that,” Adams said. “But I think it really falls on their leadership.”

However, he doesn’t think all the members of TKE should take the blame for the allegations.

“I had some friends in TKE,” he said. “And while I wasn’t aware of what they were doing, they weren’t all bad guys, and I hope people aren’t painting them all as the same.”

Junior and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Richard Jones was shocked to hear TKE had been told to cease and desist over winter break.

“It had no build up even though the student center and administration have been cracking down on hazing the past two years,” he said.

Jones also said Sigma Phi Epsilon has a strong policy against hazing.

“SigEp presses the importance of abiding by school and fraternal policies,” he said. “Our cooperation with the student center, as well as self respect for other brothers and the ability to hold one another accountable, provides a strong base for the prevention of hazing.”

Junior Christopher Mulé, a member of the fraternity Zeta Beta Tau said he is surprised that Tau Kappa Epsilon was hazing since they have been on campus since 1967.

“Our fraternity is nationally a non-pledging fraternity so [hazing] is against our values,” he said.
Adams said incidents like this give students and the community a false image of what Greek life represents.

“I hope we can work toward creating a positive image [of Greek life],” Adams said.

Members of Tau Kappa Epsilon did not return request for comment.