Seven Ole Miss Pikes were arrested for allegedly cyber stalking a former member of their fraternity. The victim pressed charges against one of the defendants last year when a cleaning solution was poured down his throat during pledge week. The solution burned out his esophagus. The charges also include witness intimidation.
The defendants are Cole Goretski, Christian Parten, Miles Baker, Walker Holden, Peyton Newcomb, Wyatt Johnson, and Baylor Reynolds. The victim accused them of sending emails and text messages in retaliation for the prosecution of fellow Pike Jimmy Higgins.
Ole Miss suspended the fraternity last month. The University issued the following statement to students on November 10:
This outcome is a result of the chapter violating University Student Conduct Rules and Regulations, specifically, hazing. The Gamma Iota chapter was already subject to an Administrative Agreement with the Office of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct which took effect January 21, 2021 based on hazing violations committed by the chapter during the Fall 2020 semester.
The charges were filed on November 2. Thus, it appears the expulsion is due to the harassment of the victim. The suspension ends in 2025.
The harassment stems from another prosecution. JJ reported on April 5:
Unable to eat, an Ole Miss student fights to save his esophagus after a Pike fraternity member (allegedly) sprayed bleach into his throat during a hazing incident six months ago.
The Lafayette County grand jury indicted Jimmy Higgins for aggravated assault in June after Oxford police arrested Higgins on November 17, 2020 for aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon. The police report's brief narrative states:Jackson Yerger (the victim's name was changed at the time of the post) and a hardy group of of Pike pledges survived Rush and anxiously awaited receiving their coveted pledge pins. Finally, the fraternity sent out the call: Be at the Pike House on October 11 to get pinned. Such events are anticipated milestones in many a college student's life and this ceremony was no exception.
A night of hazing began. The frat tested the pledges on the personal information of other pledges in their group. Failure of the test meant the flunkie had to be the designated driver. After the test, the pledges were blindfolded with neck ties, directed to yell the preamble "owe to a pledge" as Pikes threw beer on them as they were moving through the pinning process. The pledges had to eat some type of garbage. Typical harmless college fun.
The pledges were asked if they wanted water. Several said yes. Frat members allegedly sprayed bleach in the faces of several pledges and mouth of the 20 year-old Yerger. His mother, Robyn Yerger, said the Pike Chapter President was present during the hazing. Her son began vomiting. Another pledge member was taken to the Baptist Hospital in Oxford due to injury to his eyes. The extent of his injury is not known.
What should have been a night of fun turned into a life of hell began for young Yerger. He was diagnosed with Severe Erosive Esohpagitis Grade 4 due to chemical ingestion. The injury was classified as an alkaline burn.... Earlier post
XXX also updated me on a recent incident that occurred on Sunday, October 11, 2020, located at house. During this time, the anonymous reporting party stated at this meeting along with previous Sunday meetings he and other members started pledge tests, change into khakis, a blazer, button up shirt, and tie. The anonymous reporting party stated once they changed into their attire, they were led up the stairs where they were blindfolded with their ties and were asked to sit in the hallway. The anonymous reporting stated the actives yelled, screamed, threw liquids, and things on the pledges. The reporting party stated the pledges had to do wall squats or "90" against the wall while reciting phrases. The anonymous reporting party stated at this particular Sunday meeting, while everyone was blindfolded, an active grabbed a bottle of bleach or surface cleaner and started spraying it on a few pledges. During this time, one of the pledges threw up from inhaling some of the substances in his mouth, and another one had to go to the hospital because the bleach got into his eyes. The anonymous reporting party was asked how was he aware of the acts that took place. The anonymous reporting party stated he became aware of the incident because he was in the hallway and witnessed the act(s) when it occurred.
Stay tuned.
55 comments:
Fraternities should be a thing of the past. Anytime a group of young males form a gang, there is an extremely high chance of destructive behavior.
Why in the world do those Ole Miss “frat boys” think they are all powerful? It Is a myth they have been living for generations.
12:01 Really? You HAVE to be a "progressive."
When a conservative doesn't like something, the conservative doesn't do it. On the other hand, when a progressive doesn't like something, the progressive doesn't do it AND the progressive tries to ban anyone else from doing it.
What happened at this fraternity was horrendous, and people have been, and should have been, punished. However, the overwhelming majority of fraternities don't act like this.
The only thing I can assume from your comment is that you were once denied a pledge offer from a fraternity or sorority, and being a progressive, you don't want anyone else to be able to be a part of them.
These guys are enough to give privileged, white guy frats a bad name.
I never had these sorts of problems when I went to college. But then again, I never had anything to do with fraternities.
How many more chances are the Pikes going to get. Ban them forever, they have always been a problem ever since I was a student
No soul....no conscience......basic clinical sociopaths.......GEN Z. We created these monsters folks and these monsters will make all other generations seem like cute little puppies. Sure, not all are this way but way more are than not.
I can’t figure out how being “hazed” equates to brotherhood. I know there is a whole lotta psychology associated with this stuff, but if your paying 3,4, 500 a month to be part of a club, they need YOU. YOU don’t need them. If your writing the check you outta get to haze them. Not hating on the frat life, just seems like they would figure out in today’s modern society to stop doing this type of shtuff.
There are stupid people everywhere including in fraternities, not in fraternities, at OM, at MSU, posting on this blog, etc.
So these losers (not the victim) pay to be each others' friends and then poor bleach down their throats? Now they get caught harassing and intimidating the victim? Burn the whole system down, all the frats.
These stories are all too common today.
And for the morons who say "he must of been rejected from a frat", you're wrong. I had enough common sense to realize that the greek shit was for the birds, for kids with no character who couldnt hack it on their own. Most of these dipshits skate by on their daddy's name and pocket book. They never actually "earn" anything, ie the friends they paid for in college.
Attn 1:18 I hate to inform you, the is an “Ole Miss” problem. Leave Ms. State out of your diatribe!
Those names could not sound any more Ole Miss. Only thing missing is a Beauregard.
@1:38, you are wrong. SAE chapter at State was kicked off campus several years ago.
Hazing goes on all over ...even Boy Scouts etc....the difference is cleaning fluid down throat !!!! This ain't a soggy bisquit folks ! To me, it's felony assault.
@ 1:38
You are aware that MS State has fraternities that drink alcohol and party too aren’t you? USM, J State, Alcorn millssps on and on. It’s called being young!!
Couldn’t come up with a more stereotypical list of frat-boy names than Cole, Christian, Miles, Walker, Peyton, Wyatt, and Baylor if you were writing a Animal House sequel.
I was in a fraternity while in college and some of my fraternity brothers are still some of my closest friends. I will say that there was no hazing done while I was there, and I will go further that there is no place in them today. Most of the national fraternities I am aware of have taken a hard stance against hazing. But there is virtually no way to totally eliminate it, and those that still do need to pay the price for still doing so. And to the ones that terrible things happen to as a result of this, there is no amount of sorrow that can be offered.
1:38 Your school and others have had their fair share of historical stupidity by students. That said, these turds need to be kicked out of school asap and the fraternity needs to be disbanded for good.
How many Pikes are there ? Might as well get em all.
12:33 pm
You need to re read your comments. You are dead wrong.
Think.
So when a conservative doesn’t like abortions they just don’t do it?
When conservatives don’t like racial history they just don’t do it?
When conservatives don’t like marijuana or racy books they just don’t do it?
Conservatives want to restrict everything they don’t agree with…..period.
What is most shocking, is that these young "adults" show no remorse. Even after the fact, they are intimidating the victim in an attempt to protect their "own" misguided fraternity brother. They have learned NOTHING from this.
"My daddy's a judge, my daddy's a lawyer, my daddy's on the council/commission/board, etc. My daddy knows ________, Ain't nothing gonna happen. Just watch."
They can rape/rob/brutalize others, and yes they will all skate while others are sitting in prison for over a decade for bringing a cell phone into a jail, or a weed related charge that they violated probation.
This has been taught directly to teen boys AND girls throughout Mississippi since the Great Surrender. Yes, it is the myth that is perpetuated, and taunted in everyone's face that isn't connected.
It's the Mississippi Way. You either acknowledge it, or it hasn't hurt you yet.
While at a football game in the early 90s, a frat boy tried to push a young lady down the stadium steps (all parties were drunk). I intervened and put and and to the foolishness. Later I learned I was on the "hit list" of the fraternity. I challenged them, none had the balls to set up. Sometimes you have to meet violence with violence, in this case I knew none of the penciled necked "greeks" were going to make a stand.
To the non-frats ---- 1201, 1250, and 121 ---- just because there is one bad apple doesn't equate to your solution of burn the whole system down.
Yes, this bunch of PIKEs at OM are atrocious. And there are other examples of groups, frats, etc at other institutions that are as well. But there are thousands of others that are fine social institutions.
If you don't want to participate, that's fine. Don't do it. If you think those who do participate are idioits, think that way. That's fine as well. But just as in all of life, don't decide that because this group is bad the whole entire system should be disbanded as a solution.
I don't ride motorcycles. And I regularly see a bunch of idiots riding their crotch rockets down I55 nightly endangering themselves and more importantly several others. And I think they should be arrested for violating multiple laws. But I don't think all motorcycles should be banned because there are several reasonable riders who enjoy the trip and do it reasonably.
There are plenty such examples; but as a good conservative I choose to elect to not participate in activities that I don't believe to be productive. Or enjoyable. Or safe. Or any of the three. But as long as those that are doing activities that are endangering others, it is my opinion that those rogues should be stopped, but that the entire set doesn't require elimination.
It's been said before, but OF COURSE it's the Pikes.
12:40 if you were like me there was no "social media" back in my days
to get you in trouble
Bunch of spoiled dumb-ass brats
Ladies and gentlemen, I'll be brief. The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or took a few liberties with our female party guests....we did.
[winks at Chancellor Boyce]
But you can't hold a whole fraternity responsible for the behavior of a few, sick perverted individuals. For if you do, then shouldn't we blame the whole fraternity system? And if the whole fraternity system is guilty, then isn't this an indictment of our educational institutions in general?
I put it to you, Greg....isn't this an indictment of our entire American society?
Well, you can do what you you want to us, but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen!
Smug rich kid progressive style, this time. Ya'll are all circling the bowl with all this OM MSU worship while your kids are ...... actually who cares......
My Ole Miss SAE,s have behaved for the last several years. Of course they were kicked out about 3 years ago. Why do Ole Miss students and alums think it is something to be proud of when punished for this kind of stuff?
Doesn't matter what campus the Pikes have always been and always will be a collective of massive douche bags. Even at Delta State they were know for their Freshwater-ness.
4:06, your typing is so scary!
They aren’t Pikes at Ole Miss. Those don’t exist any more.
Knowledge Is Good
I understand the criticism of fraternities. I understand the criticism of fraternities at Ole Miss. But much of that criticism is misplaced. I graduated 40 years ago and my observation and experience is that for each bad apple frat guy there are many examples of good character and leadership. I can name numerous fraternities now at Ole Miss I’d be glad to recommend to my friends’ children and grandchildren, including my own.
These boys need to concentrate on their Christmas wish lists. New tires for those trucks run about $388 per each with rims. It's been fifty years since I had an engraved flask so I'm not sure what those run. It won't matter to mom and dad, though.
So 18-21 year old males get together and make bad decisions as a group.
doesn't matter if they are in a fraternity or not, they are still going to make those decisions.
not the fraternity's problem..
for the record-I was in one in college. made great friends, memories--some of the best times I've ever had.
Wow 4:06. You against one whole fraternity.
You are like a superhero, or something….
I bet you have a lot of cool stories like that.
So let's be clear...A crime is committed. Then individuals harass the victim in in an effort to persuade him not to cooperate with criminal charges. When this happens in places like Jackson, we say it's a cultural problem. We says those young men are thugs. When it happens at Ole Miss, we call them privileged frat boys. When it happens in Jackson, we say its a community problem. When it happens at Ole Miss, we say you cant blame the whole fraternity system.
Interesting double standard.
Four words: Lord of the Flies. If adults were in the room, the undergraduates would still be on campus and the 82% of young men who are good people would have the experience they signed up for. Step up alumni (of other chapters as it is too late for UM Pikes).
6:24 - 'Freshwaterness'? Is that something out of the KA handbook, or what?
No don't send them to jail. Just force them to join the Army and let some drill sergeant put the fear of life into these guys, and maybe they'll grow up. They should serve for at least 10 years. Just my opinion so don't send me hate mail.
“When a conservative doesn't like something, the conservative doesn't do it. On the other hand, when a progressive doesn't like something, the progressive doesn't do it AND the progressive tries to ban anyone else from doing it.”
Except when it comes to abortion, gay marriage, pot, or… just about anything personal liberty in the past 40 years.
Keep voting republican, though, conservative. Maybe that libertarian dream will come true one day.
Maybe one of the boys should have spend more time in his mommy’s yoga class meditating and less time harassing others.
almost to the JJ gold standard of 50 comments...........nothing gets the eternal sophomores out there ginned up, like some dirty laundry at one of their beloved SEC universities .
if the eternal sophomores spent as much time working as they do obsessing about colleges and frat boys , they wouldn't be lined up down at federal bankruptcy court as they currently are, and their kids might even get raised right.
There was a Pike at MS State back in the early 2000's who's father was a principal at one of the Jackson area High schools that came in drunk with a girl and beat the living shit out of his roommate who was asleep because he wouldn't wake up and leave so they could hook up. I'm talking orbital fractures and all. It's not a certain school thing, it's a Pike thing. Every chapter I have been around have been hot headed roided up d-bags with a short fuse. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
Mentioning the SAE’s at State, yes, they were kicked off campus. They kidnapped a pizza delivery guy and held him hostage. They tried to intimidate witnesses when the heat was turned up and got caught. They came back a few years later and still have a bad reputation. In fact, the SAEs at State and the Pikes at Ole Miss have many friends between them. You can say they attract similar guys. The Pikes are known to throw raucous parties and usually have ample drugs within the house. It is known among the college age kids. Same can be said for SAE at State. They are very similar. Parents should be aware of the reputations of each fraternity as their son chooses which one to join.
Ironically, all the parents who should be reading this thread are preparing for the trip to New Orleans, pretending to re-live 1962 (before most of them were born).
I suspect those who are trashing fraternities were not in one.
Between the 'all' and 'every' logic fails and the race-baiters trying to tie this to a 'systemic' privilege, the comments are getting ridiculous. Wide brushes and narrow minds the lot of you!
I'm glad this information is coming to light and others are being held accountable for making the situation worst. Seems like Ole Miss and Pikes did the right thing so far. Let's see how it all plays out.
This thread is a who's who of former students and nary one mentioned CLEANER DOWN THROAT. Every single one of these frat members KNEW this happened . Why ? Because it's a g- damn frat house ! Arrest them all to send the "hazing" message if you really want to curb it. These frat pu$$ie$ don't want their boody holes reemed by Bubba and Bernard.
As a member of the Greek system, fraternities and sororities, if their standards are upheld, exist to help train young adults in positive ideals and beliefs. Most fraternities hold these standards as important and do not back away from them. Some fraternities have veered away from these standards and have not been called to the carpet for ignoring their original purpose. That is very sad. It is a black eye on the Greek system and not the experience all members have. Yes, a good party is fun and should take place. There are rules in place that must be taken serious. It sounds like Pike and SAE need a reckoning by their nationals.
2:53 : Are the "nationals" older mature folks ? Breaking news ..Gen Z don't give a fug what Gen x thinks. Rich or poor my man. This particular generation has something about them that is down right scary. They don't see themselves growing old ....add in spoiled with sociopathic tendencies and good gawd.
Some hazing starts in high school. At Madison Central, a former quarterback and his center beat a smaller kid with a golf club one night. That boy was bruised all over. He took it like a man. Was probably hurt pretty bad. My thought is the two hazers had no remorse. That’s the issue with this generation. There are no consequences for any bad behavior. If it is considered, the perpetrators throw fits.
I only read about half the comments, here. I had to stop. That people who purport to have gone to college, would write as badly as most of you do, says horrible things about Mississippi and its jokeschool universities.
Why are those criminals not in jail? I never pledged because I've never been fond of organized group activities, but I had lots of friends who were in sororities and faternities. Some of them were assaulted as pledgees. I can't imagine wanting something so badly that I would allow myself to be treated so poorly. This kid wanted to be a part of this faternity. He probably didn't know that they were monsters. My heart breaks for him because this tragedy ruined his college experience.
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