Frat stripped of duties

Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity was summarily suspended Wednesday for alleged violations of University alcohol policies, said Dean of Students Richard McKaig. The summary suspension is the most severe action that can be taken without formal review by the campus judicial system.\nThe suspension comes days after a sophomore pledge was admitted to Bloomington Hospital with a .375 blood alcohol level.\nTentative scheduling for a hearing within a 14-day period of the suspension began on Wednesday.\nUnder the suspension, the fraternity is no longer a student organization and cannot participate in or host any social or philanthropic functions, or in campus intramural programs and other campus events such as Homecoming, Dance Marathon, IU Sing and Little 500.\nPreliminary information suggested that alcohol was served to students below the legal drinking age following a chapter event Sunday. The "father and son" ceremony ended briefly, after which fathers and sons in the house went off to do things on their own, McKaig said.\nDuring this time, McKaig said the pledge consumed whiskey. After some time, individuals believed to be members of the house, took the student to Bloomington Hospital. McKaig said the pledge told him he was not pressured to drink. \nThe suspension stems after McKaig received the information Monday. McKaig said the student's parents said their son was recovering after having his stomach pumped. The parents also told McKaig they were angry at the fraternity for putting their son's life in danger.\n"They professed that they were an alcohol-free house, and that they had changed … but clearly it's still there," McKaig said. "When their actions don't follow their words, it's pretty disconcerting."\nMcKaig said he hopes this incident reinforces to groups that if they don't follow University policy, there will be severe consequences.\nPi Kappa Alpha is the first fraternity to be suspended this academic year.\nBen Schmidt, senior and president of IFC, said the University has to go forward and try to uncover what happened.\n"There is no reason why those members of legal age can't have a good time when they are out with friends," he said. "In the past, the alcohol issue has overshadowed every issue of fraternity life we're trying to promote, which are academic involvement and leadership."\nThe fraternity was not under any current sanctions by the University, but have a prior history with alcohol violations -- the most serious occurring in December 1999, which involved the death of a then-sophomore pledge Joseph Bisanz.\nThe Interfraternity Council banned alcohol from all houses on campus May 2000. The policy strictly limits social functions and requires alcohol at off-campus functions be served by a third-party vendor.\nMembers of the Pi Kappa Alpha did not return IDS attempts to contact them.\nFeatures editor Rachel Kipp contributed to this story.