Delaware State University is currently investigating the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity for potential hazing after four of its students were seriously injured in a car crash.
The university announced the investigation after the parents and girlfriend of student Marlon Jackson alleged the fraternity of hazing, sleep deprivation and sending Jackson on “missions” at all hours of the day.
“He would get hit with paddles, canes. They would give him body shots, make him eat raw onions. I had to scrub hot candle wax off his back,” Jackson’s girlfriend, Kyarie Burt, told Fox 29.
According to Jackson’s family, he has been declared brain dead by the doctors and is currently on life support.
“He’s physically on a ventilator. He doesn’t have any response. They’re telling us he’s brain dead,” Courtney Jackson, Marlon’s stepmother, told Fox 29.
The university has banned the fraternity from holding any activities on campus until it concludes its investigation.
“We are wholly committed to creating a campus that is welcoming to all students and supporting them in their academic and student life throughout their college years. Any action to the contrary will not be tolerated. To be clear, the University does not condone hazing or abusive conduct in any fashion, at any time,” university president Wilma Mishoe and executive vice president Tony Allen said in a statement.
“While completing this investigation, we have placed a hold on all activities for this organization in particular, and are also issuing an unequivocal statement to the entire campus community.”
Last week, the parents of an Ohio University student Collin Wiant, who died while pledging the Epsilon chapter of Sigma Pi in 2018, filed a lawsuit against fraternity members for severely hazing and forcing Wiant to ingest nitrous oxide which led to his death.