Sigma Nu: NC State fraternity closed indefinitely after hazing probes

Sigma Nu Fraternity suspended the charter of its Beta Tau Chapter at North Carolina State University effective immediately, halting all operations. The national organization made the decision in consultation with university officials. The chapter, founded in 1895, will remain closed until further notice. This action follows allegations of hazing and the discovery of graphic videos during law enforcement searches last month.

Sigma Nu Executive Director and CEO Brad Beacham stated that hazing contradicts the group's mission to develop ethical leaders. He emphasized that those responsible must face accountability from the fraternity, the university, and potentially the criminal justice system. The national body suspended the membership of all collegiate initiates pending individual disciplinary procedures. The chapter had 77 members as of last spring.

The timeline of events began in early September when university police responded to a fire alarm at the fraternity house. Officers found a lower-level activity room heavy with smoke, a water-soaked floor, and a fire pit with unburned kindling. They observed two men moving a grill with a propane tank from the room. Members told police they did not know how the fire started. Between September 14 and 22, the university received five anonymous tips regarding member safety. Several tips claimed members were hospitalized and that pledges were forced to consume vomit, cigarettes, dip, expired milk, and large quantities of alcohol.

North Carolina State University revoked the fraternity's recognition on Friday, listing it as an unrecognized organization. The group will not be considered for reopening for at least four years. The university placed the chapter on interim suspension after receiving the initial reports. The Campus Hazing Transparency Report lists Sigma Nu as one of 10 fraternities currently under sanctions for violating the student code of conduct.

Law enforcement executed six search warrants related to the fraternity last month. Warrants revealed videos from the spring semester showing members using drugs, inhaling laughing gas, and vomiting on one another. Two videos showed members, including one in a pointed shoe, kicking pledges. Wake District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told WRAL News last week that criminal charges could result. Incoming District Attorney Wiley Nickel said he expects a briefing on the case within two weeks. Nickel stated that he intends to take hazing seriously as the next district attorney.

NC State Student Body President Knox Trask and the National Pan-Hellenic Council declined to comment. The university maintains that it does not tolerate hazing and that student safety is a priority. It requires all new students to complete a 30-minute online module on hazing prevention. Fraternity and Sorority Life staff also conduct in-person training for leaders and members annually.