Trouble is mounting for the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity at West Virginia University.
WVU has placed the fraternity under interim suspension amid hazing allegations, adding to a growing list of fraternity-related controversies at colleges across the country.
The Morgantown university announced the suspension Oct. 9, three days after campus police issued a warning in response to anonymous hazing reports, according to UVA Today.
Under the federal Clery Act, a campus warning is issued when a reported crime is believed to pose a “serious or continuing” threat to the campus community.
University officials said they are taking a firm stance against hazing.
“WVU has zero tolerance for hazing or any dangerous activities that threaten student safety or well-being. The University is committed to providing a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff,” the university said on its website.
Under WVU policy, hazing allegations are investigated and referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for review.
The university’s Campus Student Code prohibits hazing by individuals and recognized student organizations. It specifically bars potentially dangerous rituals involving “beatings, branding and forced consumption of alcohol, food or drugs which could be deemed to adversely affect physical health and safety of the person or persons so treated.”
The allegations at WVU come as other universities face fraternity-related controversies, including Cornell University, where a woman alleges she was gang-raped by seven fraternity members, as well as Arizona State University and Penn State, where authorities busted a drug ring operating out of a fraternity house in August.
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National data indicate that hazing reports extend far beyond individual campuses.
A Sept. 16 report from HazingInfo, which analyzed data from July 2025 through August 2026, documented at least 556 reported hazing incidents during that period.
About one in six U.S. colleges and universities reported at least one hazing incident during that timeframe.
“Students and families can now see there are hundreds of hazing incidents documented on campuses each year,” said Jolayne Houtz, founder of HazingInfo. “That likely means thousands of hazing victims.”
Houtz’s 19-year-old son died after being hazed at Washington State University in 2019. She has since called on universities to confront the problem, warning that hazing can have deadly consequences.
“Hazing is not an isolated issue for a handful of fraternities or campuses. It is a public health crisis and a national disgrace,” she said.
Lambda Chi Alpha will remain under interim suspension as WVU reviews the allegations.
WVU Communications Director Shauna Johnson told The Post, “We have no additional information to provide at this time.”
Lambda Chi Alpha did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
