Georgia university opens hazing investigation into fraternity, sororities

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — A local university has launched an investigation into three separate cases where students violated school alcohol and hazing policies.

Channel 2's Dave Huddleston went to the University of North Georgia where students told him

Thursday they were surprised that two sororities were under investigation.

"It's mean. It's bad. You could really hurt someone," freshman student Caleb Longenecker said.

Longenecker said the university sent out an email, saying a fraternity and two sororities are under investigation for hazing and alcohol violations.

"You see like in 'Animal House,' people doing this and it looks funny, but if you're doing it in real life it's
not cool," Longenecker said.

Kaitlin Lowe told Huddleston that North Georgia is normally a quiet school.

"It really did surprise me that it came about here, because it's such a smaller school," Lowe said.

University officials told Huddleston that in January and February, they received three separate complaints that Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Mu and Kappa Delta had violated the school's hazing and alcohol policies.

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They wouldn't go into detail about the incidents because it is an on-going investigation.

Senior Jacob Sullivan told Huddleston he's not endorsing what happened, but he wonders if it's as bad as it sounds.

"Hazing is such a broad term these days, it encompasses things you wouldn't think of as being bad," Sullivan said.

Zhanik Brock said you can't even enroll at North Georgia until you take and pass an online course about the school's hazing and alcohol policy.

"It was very detailed. They asked a lot of anonymous questions like, 'How do you feel about this? What would you do in this situation?'" Brock said.

Even though the university wouldn't give me specifics, Huddleston did receive a call from a student who said he was a member of the fraternity and said their violation was alcohol-related.

A university representative said the organizations are suspended until the investigation is complete.

Cox Media Group