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MSU investigating Theta Chi fraternity for alleged act of hazing
Michigan State University is investigating an alleged act of hazing at the Beta Zeta chapter of the Theta Chi fraternity, MSU spokesperson Mark Bullion confirmed Monday.
Yesterday, the Office of Student Support and Accountability met to determine whether “interim disciplinary action” against the fraternity is “warranted” in connection to the alleged hazing, Bullion said in a statement.
MSU’s investigation was spurred by “multiple reports that have come in,” Bullion said.
Last week, a video appearing to show a portion of the alleged act of hazing was circulated online, along with captions and comments linking the conduct in question to Theta Chi. The original account that shared the video is unclear.
The video circulating online, which was reviewed by The State News, shows a phone screen displaying what appears to be the original video. That video was apparently recorded using a Snapchat filter that simultaneously captures videos using the front-facing camera and back-facing camera while displaying both side-by-side on the screen.
The action captured by the back-facing camera shows four people on their hands and knees with their faces held just above the ground. After a person not in the frame shouts “go,” the people appear to start voraciously eating something off the ground.
There also appear to be at least six people sitting outside of the circle and looking down.
The action captured by the front-facing camera appears to show a person smiling and laughing in reaction.
After circulating online, the video was referenced in a post last Thursday by the popular instagram account “msuchicks,” an affiliate of Barstool Sports, which posts MSU-related content geared toward students and has about 35,200 followers.
Though fraternities and sororities are technically located off-campus, MSU has the authority to take disciplinary action against them, as most, including Theta Chi, have the designation of Registered Student Organization. Eleven are currently under some form of disciplinary action, according to the university’s “fraternity and sorority life” webpage.
A conservative campus group is calling on Michigan State University to conduct a disciplinary review of a professor who openly criticized those who voted for President-elect Donald Trump.
Behavioral neuroscience professor Alexa Veenema wrote to students after the election that it was “unbelievable” that “so many Americans are so utterly naïve and would fall for this and support misogyny, racism, xenophobia, hate and violence.”
Alexa encouraged students to support each other and share their feelings with others. She added that anyone who showed up to her lecture that day would get free bonus points on an in-class activity.
The message violated university policies regarding professionalism and speech, the MSU chapter of Turning Point USA argued.
Alex Bitzan, the group’s president, wrote in a press release that Alexa failed to treat students with “civility and respect,” improperly spoke on a subject that didn’t relate to her course and compromised MSU’s grading system by offering bonus points.
The group is calling for “an immediate disciplinary review of her actions.”
MSU spokesperson Emily Guerrant said the provost’s office has spoken to Alexa and the leadership of her college about the faculty code of ethics.
MSU faculty have had difficulty addressing an election that has distressed some students without ostracizing those who feel differently, sometimes coming into conflict with the university.
After a professor in the College of Arts and Letters canceled class to “grieve” the election results, a university administrator told deans and other top faculty that they are responsible for holding class regularly and that they don’t need to share their views on the election when canceling class.
“When people in a position of power, like professors, are really being somewhat insulting in the way that they express themselves, it’s detrimental to that effort,” Alex said.
Based on original reporting by Owen McCarthy and Theo Scheer.
