Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Ole Miss Suspends Pikes

 Ole Miss suspended the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity today. The suspension ends on May 1, 2025. The University issued the following statement:

 November 10, 2021
 
Dear Students,
 
The leadership of the Gamma Iota Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity was notified today by the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity headquarters (the Fraternity) of the joint decision reached between the Fraternity and the University to suspend the Gamma Iota Chapter at the University of Mississippi from today through May 1, 2025. 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 University will not tolerate hazing or any behavior that places the health and safety of our students at risk. As new and returning members of the chapter during for the Fall 2021 semester, it was incumbent on your chapter's leadership to communicate to you the urgency of the Administrative Agreement and that the chapter had no margin for error regarding violations of University policy. In light of this, I hope this message and the notification from The Fraternity do not come as a surprise to you. Regardless, I understand this news can be upsetting. Further, I understand you may have questions about how to proceed at this point. To that end, I am reaching out to offer support to you as valued members of the University community.
 
Members Living in the Chapter Facility
For those of you who currently live in the chapter facility, you will be allowed to reside in the facility until December 11, 2021, at which time you must vacate the residence. I regret the disruption in housing plans this causes for you. In an effort to help you identify alternative living arrangements for the Spring 2022 semester, the University has identified potential spaces in campus housing facilities that might be of interest. If you would like to pursue on-campus options, please visit https://studenthousing.olemiss.edu/ for the online application form and contact information for the Student Housing office should you have questions. Although I cannot speak to the availability of space in any particular off-campus housing communities, it is my understanding that many do have units available. The following resource might be a helpful starting point for you: https://offcampus.housing.olemiss.edu/.
 
Meal Service through the Chapter Facility
Students who live in the chapter facility may continue to receive meal service in the residential dining area through December 11, 2021 or earlier based on your contract with your house corporation. Non-residents of the chapter facility may only receive meal service via curbside pick-up. Non-residents may not enter the chapter facility from this point forward.
 
Services of the University Counseling Center
The suspension of a chapter can be a stressful experience for all involved. For those of you who may want to visit with someone as you process this situation, I hope you will take advantage of the services provided by the University Counseling Center. Please call 662-915-3784 during regular business hours if you would like to make an appointment to visit with a counselor -- whether now or as the Spring semester gets underway.
 
Please know that I am deeply disappointed with the circumstances under which I must send this letter, and hope that everyone can use this as an opportunity for learning and growth. If Pi Kappa Alpha chooses to return to the University of Mississippi in the future, I am hopeful it will strive to uphold its mission to develop men of integrity, intellect, success, and high moral character.
 
Sincerely,
   
Brent A. Marsh, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
& Dean of Students
 
The suspension is related to the legal hazing that took place a year ago. 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. 

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
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:
 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.

Higgins' bond was set at $50,000.  He is a resident of Florida. 

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

It took them a year to make this decision. I guess that was to receive another year's worth of endowment$ from alumni parents.

Anonymous said...

I am commenting only to say who gives a rats ass about this other than the chump who got hazed. They will all still be rich turds who will go on to be Dem lawyers . In other words...scum. Puck Frats and Puck Ole Piss.

Anonymous said...

It only takes one idiot to ruin it for everybody

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Animal House

Anonymous said...

If only mommies, daddies, and little babies knew that hazing is and has always been part of it. Frat life is not for everyone. Especially the pike house at ole miss!

Anonymous said...

Within 4 months the findings should have been found out and they not allowed back on campus this Fall. That's the universities fault for not being swift. I know for a fact they are not punishing hazing when they see it. Hazing is making someone do something you would not make a member do such as come pick me up, clean my room, go get me beer at a store. You may think it's trivial but lawyers and suing caused these things to happen. Not saying this was trivial just saying that little things such as cleaning the house is hazing.

Anonymous said...

@2:50, I have never been a fan of frats and sororities, but, after reading your comment, there is less than a hair’s difference between your mentality and that of a rich frat kid.

It's all Fun and Games until... said...

This suspension will serve notice to all frat houses across America that hazing will not be tolerated, and thus will never happen again, right?

Ps, hazing is supported and encouraged by the fathers of current fraternity members.

Anonymous said...

Call me whatever you want, but I guess I just have too much self-pride to have subjected myself to all that frat hazing bullshit. The first time somebody told me to do something that I didn't want to do, I would have handed them a big fat FU. I didn't need so-called friends that bad back in my college days.

Anonymous said...

3:00 p.m., it sounds to me as if you're supporting hazing. Is that the case? Why do you think it's a good idea? Enlighten us, please.

Anonymous said...

Bleach spritzer. That's an awfully high price to rent-a-friend.

Anonymous said...

Pike is for the roided up DB's who aren't real southern fraternity types, but want to pretend they are. Jacked up trucks with black rims, speakers, roids, tats, beat up their roomates(that happened at MS State by a Pike), short tempers, etc. You know the type, still think they are in high school on Friday night, but they are in college. Most don't have family money, but they pretend. They give the whole IFC system a bad name literally at every school they have a charter.

Anonymous said...

Hazing is one thing. Force feeding someone bleach is aggravated assault.

Anonymous said...

Kingfish, you may have your facts wrong. My understanding is they were on probation for the bleach incident and that there was a new incident this fall which prompted the current expulsion from campus.

Unknown said...

Why would anyone pay money to be harassed and tortured? I have never been of fan of fraternities.

Anonymous said...

3:51, hazing is part of the ritual and we all know that. That was enough for me to say no thanks. I was fortunate enough to have a family member let me get a behind the scenes peek when I was in high school. If your getting bleach in the mouth than you probably should have not been rushing in the first place. Yes, the guy spraying should be punished, but let’s not forget what rushing for certain frats is all about. It’s all about certain types of people who are already accepted and those few that will do anything to be accepted.

Dean Wormer said...

Bigger question: why haven’t they been kicked off campus? Double secret probation obviously hasn’t worked.

Anonymous said...

@ 3:00

Let's see you down a big cup of Clorox and prove to the world you got what it takes to be a frat boy.

Anonymous said...

You critics obviously were not members of a fraternity. I was a Pike at OM. My senior year we had the highest GPA of all fraternities. We did several community service projects. So don’t generalize.


Anonymous said...

Your Delta Tau Chi name is Flounder.

Anonymous said...

Can’t even afford word press to report on this?

All I need to know. People generalize more now than ever, virtuism? Or 1984? Political certainly - what does that make you all? To find more interest in a few college freshmen than you have in the entirety of your lives? Worthless.

I was a pike at ole miss. If you guys want to burn down the Greek system have at it, it’s jealously - not virtuous.

Anonymous said...

The generalization and blanket statements about “all Pikes are…” is ignorant. The generalizations that “all fraternity guys are rich…” is ignorant. The generalization that “…you buy a friend…” if you’re in Greek life is ignorant. If you’re going to come on here and say anything - say something to support the healing of the individual that was hurt, say something to support the family of not only the young man injured, but also the families facing the possibility they may only see their son or sons behind bars in the years to come. For God sakes a lot of you sound like that kid who was picked last for the team during PE and are manifesting all your inferiority issues by smack talking this chapter and fraternities in general. This is not the first fraternity that’s been suspended at Ole Miss. SAE just went through this and there’s been others on this campus and nationwide. Stop embarrassing yourselves with idiotic statements like those previously mentioned!

Anonymous said...

@9:26, I was a member of a fraternity. I believe they should be abolished.

Anonymous said...

Though not at OM, I was also a Pike at another southern university. This is a tragic incident, but shouldn't reflect all Pike chapters or all fraternities. The Greek system has many benefits and offers opportunities for students to excel. Pikes will be back at Ole Miss, just as we returned to FSU.

Anonymous said...

This would never happen with a group of Kappa Alphas. All they did was dress up in Confederate uniforms, plaster on black-face, swill cheap beer and sing Hot Nuts for hours on end. So you see...It's not all Greeks who act asses.

Anonymous said...

5:17 am—excellent post. Informed and accurate.

Anonymous said...

It being Veterans Day I feel free in posting that neither Mississippi State University as a whole of the student body and fraternities in particular gave a GGD about returning vets in 1969. The frat boys developed a grand system of determining and categorizing instructors and classes that were the least demanding and even acquired and provided exams to members when possible. As a student on the GI Bill who worked part time I found myself and fellow veterans were second class citizens expected to keep our complaints to ourselves.

BTW, with just a minor mention of a possible confrontation 2 frats provided me with all the weekly Gen Bio tests with answers for the semester. They really offered a grand education at MSU back in the Good Ole Days.

You Reckon? said...

'Pikes will be back at Ole Miss, just as we returned to FSU'

It ain't about *coming back*. It's about behavioral choices that cause you to be kicked off campus for five years in the first place.

Anonymous said...

They need to tighten down on a lot of behavior at the Pike house and take it seriously. One of their actives failed out of school in the spring. I see him in the house every time I visit the Pike house. He is allowed to stay there, rent free, and he participates in hazing as well. It’s a pig stye and needs to be shut down, fumigated, and opened back up in a few years. The alumni that care need to hold these boys more accountable. Other frats do this.

Anonymous said...

I was a very active member of “ I TAPPA Keg” back in the day! Great fraternity.

Anonymous said...

It is interesting that Ole Miss jumps to this conclusion for the Pikes, but not other fraternities. I quote, "The University will not tolerate hazing or any behavior that places the health and safety of our students at risk" Wow, I guess burning (branding) Greek letters onto the arms of young men, does not meet the Ole Miss standard of "health and safety" to be fair Miss State and Southern Miss allow the same branding (burning) to occur and say nothing of it. Guess they don't care about the "health and safety" of those people.

Anonymous said...


From Brent A. Marsh, Ph.D.
(Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
& Dean of Students) letter:

"The suspension of a chapter can be a stressful experience for all
involved. For those of you who may want to visit with someone as you
process this situation, I hope you will take advantage of the
services provided by the University Counseling Center."

WTF ???

"Counseling" for a few kids that have to move out of a damn Frat
House ?












Anonymous said...

Wheat barley alfalfa give ‘em hell kappa alpha

Anonymous said...

To November 11 at 6:52 PM
As some SAEs once yelled to the KAs at LSU after someone (we know not who) stole the artillery piece from in front of the KA house and dropped it off the Mississippi River bridge: " Wheat, Barley, Chicken Liver, Now your cannon's in the River!"
Geaux Tigers

Anonymous said...

This Would Never Happen To A Sigma Chi !

Anonymous said...

Stand aside, children. Some of us big-boys are here for the panty-raid.

Anonymous said...

if institutions of higher learning spent a tenth as much time getting rid of radical, communist-leaning professors as they do policing and controlling the behavior of children, LORD what a great education system we would have.

Anonymous said...

I'm a Pike. Was not an active at Ole Miss.

If the fraternity was illegally hazing, caught, and then too stupid to change and got caught again... Bye Felicia.

Once a chapter gets off the rails, a pause is a good thing. I look forward to Pike rechartering and rebuilding at Ole Miss.

Yes, I'd let my son pledge Pike after rechartering. Those "new" chapters are some of the strongest.

Anonymous said...

I was in a fraternity for 4 years. It was fine. And then I put away childish things. They should be abolished.

Anonymous said...

12:52 - Greek-life ain't all that. Tell your freshman son to be smart and go for a 'walk on' position on the football team. At least he'll get to duck-walk, nekkid across the gym floor with a molasses-coated olive clinched tightly between his ass-cheeks.



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