Ole Miss Students and Bar Workers Allege Underage Drinking, Fake ID and Frat Culture Problems

Reagan Fiser, a local bartender who has spent nearly seven years working in Oxford’s nightlife scene, says the number of underage Ole Miss students getting into bars around “The Square” is overwhelming.

The bustling college-town entertainment district, located about a mile from the University of Mississippi, is lined with historic storefronts, packed balconies and high-volume bars.

An extensive News Outlet investigation, based on interviews with more than 30 students, bartenders and venue employees, found that underage drinking remains widespread around The Square. Students and nightlife workers described fake IDs, shared identification and other simple tactics used to evade age restrictions.

Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill and Police Chief Jeff McCutchen said, in response to News Outlet’s reporting, that the city takes underage drinking, fraudulent identification, illegal drug use and the safety of students, residents and visitors seriously.

“We are not suggesting that underage drinking, fake identification, illegal drugs or other safety concerns do not exist in Oxford. Our own enforcement numbers demonstrate that these challenges are real,” Tannehill and McCutchen said in a joint statement.

According to Oxford Police, those figures include 759 confiscated false identification cards, 378 violations for alcohol possession by a minor and 98 fake-ID citations during the calendar-year reporting period.

PART I: PREVALENCE & LOOPHOLES

‘EVERY STUDENT, EVERY BAR’: Underage drinking grips ‘The Square’

Underage drinking in Oxford is not concealed or confined to a small group.

A sophomore student said obtaining a fake ID often relies on basic word-of-mouth connections, suggesting the practice reaches across campus. “I think it’s everyone, it’s everyone … like every student no matter if you’re in a sorority or fraternity,” the student said.

“Depending on what year you are depends on what bar you go to,” another female freshman said.

Fiser said some bars are known as “upperclassmen bars” that draw older patrons, while venues operating under Mississippi’s 18-plus model tend to attract younger students.

THE FRAT OMERTÀ: WHISTLEBLOWER WARNS OF ‘CODE OF SILENCE’ AFTER OLE MISS DEATHS, ALLEGED PENN STATE COKE RING

Although venues use stamps to identify minors and wristbands for patrons over 21, industry insiders said those safeguards can break down inside crowded rooms.

One bartender pointed to an establishment that serves patrons under 21 “all the time.”

Fiser said inexpensive drink promotions at 18-plus venues can add to the risk. “Their whole concept is like cheap drinks … That feels a little sticky,” she said.

‘PASSING AROUND THE SAME FAKE’: Bouncers battle ID sharing

Getting through door security often requires little sophistication, with patrons routinely passing IDs to one another or sharing them while waiting in line.

“I’ve heard stories of people passing around the same fake, just… back to the person behind them, and it working because people don’t pay attention,” Fiser told News Outlet. “And a lot of people don’t [try to hide it] because they know they’ll get away with it.”

Local bouncer Haj Bah confirmed catching ID-sharers in real time outside the bar where he works, denying entry to three underage patrons Friday evening — including a pair caught sharing an ID in line.

It all happened just moments before his interview with News Outlet.

A security officer outside flagged a patron handing an ID to another person waiting behind him.

“As soon as they came up I said, ‘No.’ And for that person who passed the ID over, we asked that person to leave too,” Bah said.

He went on to say, “giving that fake ID is the same as a bartender giving alcohol to the child. In my eyes, that is the same thing.”

While bouncers work to intercept hand-offs, freshman student Drew Ferra noted “how easy” it can be to get served under 21, but argued that venue owners shouldn’t bear full blame when patrons present “fakes.”

“The bars here are very strict, but if you have a fake ID, I feel like you can’t blame the bar,” Ferra said. “You’re presenting them something that proves you’re 21. In my opinion, should you do it? No. It’s gonna happen though, right?”

Meanwhile, some long-standing Oxford establishments were praised by sources for aggressive vetting.

“Their bouncers are very trained on what to look for,” Fiser noted. “There is a reason why I feel like those places have lasted.”

PART II: BEYOND THE BARS

Students, industry workers point to illicit drug use

News Outlet’s investigation also found concerns about illicit drug use extend beyond The Square and into campus Greek life.

Three students, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told News Outlet they had witnessed cocaine use at fraternity houses and parties.

One bartender interviewed by News Outlet separately corroborated the students’ accounts, saying illicit drug use at fraternity houses can spill over into the late-night bar scene.

PART III: OFFICIAL ENFORCEMENT DATA

‘THESE CHALLENGES ARE REAL’: City data confirms hundreds of fake IDs, arrests

Following News Outlet’s investigation, Mayor Tannehill and Chief McCutchen issued a joint statement addressing safety concerns, alcohol enforcement, and fake IDs on The Square.

“We take concerns involving underage drinking, fraudulent identification, illegal drug use, drink tampering and the safety of our students, residents and visitors seriously,” Tannehill said.

She went on to say, “We are not suggesting that underage drinking, fake identification, illegal drugs or other safety concerns do not exist in Oxford. Our own enforcement numbers demonstrate that these challenges are real.”

McCutchen said that over the calendar-year reporting period, Oxford Police reported:

• Approximately 2,800 restaurant and alcohol-establishment checks
• 759 false identification cards confiscated
• 673 public intoxication arrests
• 378 alcohol-possession-by-a-minor violations
• 98 fake-ID citations
• 43 open-container violations
• 38 violations for furnishing beer or wine to a minor
• 10 violations issued to establishments for violations of Oxford’s alcohol ordinance

“Our responsibility is to evaluate concerns based on reported incidents, current trends, investigations, enforcement activity and the evidence available to us,” McCutchen said.

READ: Full official statement from Oxford’s mayor and police department:

News Outlet reached out to the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and various bars for comment.