An anonymous accusation against a University of Pittsburgh fraternity, made in December, claimed new members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, or SAE, were made to eat dog food and crawl around on their hands, and were berated by older members.
Nine months prior, SAE was accused of forcing new members, known as pledges, to participate in lineups, in which they faced verbal assaults and other forms of harassment from established “brothers.”
These are among the 15 allegations of hazing activity reported at Pitt during the last academic year, which include forced fights, excessive food and alcohol consumption and other humiliations. In December, Congress passed the Stop Campus Hazing Act, mandating that higher education institutions publish biannual reports on hazing incidents, charges and resolutions. In Pennsylvania, conversations around how universities approach the subject have been bubbling since 2018, when the General Assembly passed the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law, which also requires reporting of hazing accusations.
At Pitt, where 12% of students are involved in Greek life, there have been 91 hazing reports since the 2017-18 academic year. Compare that to 224 reported hazing accusations statewide from 2018 through February 2025.
The reports list accounts of the incidents as well as the investigations launched. The reports from campuses in Allegheny County include two accusations against sororities between 2021-2025.
At Pitt, the number of hazing accusations increased from the 2022-23 academic year to the 2023-24 year.
At Pitt, the number of hazing accusations increased from the 2022-23 academic year to the 2023-24 year.
“The university regularly reviews its policies and practices in this area, and particularly in light of recent changes to federal law, the university is currently considering a more streamlined Hazing Policy that will centralize guidance related to various aspects of hazing and prevention,” Pitt spokesperson Jared Stonesifer wrote in an email response to questions from Public Source.
The majority of the Pitt fraternities accused in the hazing reports, made public by the university, are repeat offenders. Pitt fraternities Mu Kappa Upsilon, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Epsilon did not respond substantively to requests for comment.
At Carnegie Mellon University, about one-fifth of undergraduates participate in Greek life. Reported accusations, though, are few.
CMU “takes every hazing report seriously,” said Josh Centor, CMU’s associate vice president of student affairs, and staff members “work hard to ensure students understand our expectations from their first days on campus.”
Experts say that most hazing incidents go unreported due to a culture of secrecy.
What is hazing?
Fraternities have historically been about promoting deep friendships and networks that support members’ professional and personal lives. Many members, such as Isaias Ortiz, stress these values remain the foundation of modern Greek life.
“It was a networking thing, being a first gen kid, being able to expand my network and meet new people just overall,” said Ortiz, a first generation college student and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Pitt. “Just [to] get out of any bubble that I was in and enter a new network with a new group of people and perspectives, that was definitely a priority for me.”
Asked about hazing accusations against his fraternity, Ortiz said: “Pitt has a pretty non-stereotypical Greek life, pretty much just average guys doing average things. Not the crazy stereotypes.”
Hazing, though not ubiquitous in Greek life, can take on many forms, said Elizabeth Allan, principal of StopHazing and a professor at the University of Maine.
“The students who are experiencing intimidation harassment hazing have a 10 times higher likelihood of experiencing the physical violence hazing.”
“Hazing can look like intimidation. It can involve harassment and physical violence, but all of those things are hazing,” said Allan. “The recognition of physical violence as hazing is much higher — but that doesn’t mean the other forms are less harmful.”
Todd Shelton, CEO and executive director of the Hazing Prevention Network, described hazing as a “different kind of isolation.” The network is a nonprofit organization that strives to educate and empower people to stand up against hazing.
“Unlike bullying, which is exclusionary, hazing is inclusionary,” Shelton said, “it’s about what you’re willing to do to fit in. And in some cases, those shared hardships create the illusion of brotherhood.”
Hazing can include mundane demands such as doing older members’ laundry or recording TikTok videos, though Allan cautions that dismissing those smaller issues can be a “slippery slope.” A next level can be “intimidation harassment” hazing, involving peer pressure and mental manipulation.
“The students who are experiencing intimidation harassment hazing have a 10 times higher likelihood of experiencing the physical violence hazing.”
Although hazing was long swept under the rug, Shelton said it has been a perennial feature of Greek life, which through the generations has known notable members such as Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy and even Thomas Jefferson.
“I think hazing is something that has occurred in society for centuries,” Shelton added.
At Pitt, a handful of fraternities see bulk of reports
Pitt documented 17 hazing complaints in the academic year 2023-24.
One fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, was reported four times that year. The accusations included:
- Physical fights staged in wooded areas
- Punitive consumption of inedible or degrading items including chewing tobacco and vomit
- Social isolation tactics, such as being ordered to wash dishes and forced into a closet.
Sigma Phi Epsilon and Pi Kappa Phi have both been accused of compelling new members to consume excessive amounts of the candy Skittles.
Pitt policy defines hazing as intentional acts of initiation to an organization that cause “unreasonable risk of physical or psychological injury,” either on campus or off, excluding athletic practices.
Pitt spokesperson Stonesifer wrote, “We continue to offer education and training to all current and new members.”
This includes, “Fraternity and Sorority Life 101,” a mandatory session for students interested in joining Greek life in which they are informed of ways to report any concerning behavior during recruitment, intake and new-member education, according to Stonesifer.
Pitt’s Office of Compliance, Investigations, and Ethics [CIE] investigates any complaints filed by students. Reports show that 87 of the 91 public accusations ended without the removal of the chapter. Other consequences can include social probation, loss of on-campus housing or a bar on recruitment.
The reports show that some hazing accusations are referred to the Office of Student Conduct or the University Police Department for further review, especially when alleged behaviors overlap with other policy violations.
Since reporting began in 2018, Pitt has suspended four organizations, barring those chapters from campus for a minimum of four years.
Recent cases illustrate the range of allegations and outcomes:
Fraternity Timeframe Accuser Accusation Outcome Delta Chi Oct. 30, 2021 Anonymous source Forced physical exercise, yelling and slapping of new members. Allegations were corroborated following a full investigation. Individual members and the chapter were found responsible. The Office of Student Conduct closed the chapter. Pi Kappa Alpha Oct. 17, 2024 Anonymous witness Witnesses reported overhearing two prospective members discussing engaging in an “elephant walk” and other acts, including holding their genitals between elevator doors and allowing the doors to close. The prospective members used fictitious names and could not be identified. Sigma Phi Epsilon April 18, 2024 Anonymous parent Parent called the fraternity’s national office to report that their son had been forced to eat items not meant for human consumption and to perform errands and tasks for members, and was screamed at and ridiculed. CIE conducted a full investigation and was unable to corroborate the allegations. Mu Kappa Upsilon March 28, 2024 Anonymous reporter Accuser alleged that a new member was sleep deprived as a result of fraternity activities. Did not meet the university’s definition of hazing.
Looking for ‘one big family’
Nolan Mikesell, a junior and vice president of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Pitt, said preconceived notions about fraternities almost kept him from joining one.
“One of the stereotypes is that fraternities are dangerous — drinking too much, you hear about people dying from hazing,” Nolan said. “That’s actually why I didn’t rush at first.”
But in spring 2024, urged by friends, he attended a rush event. “Honestly, just for the free food,” he joked.
“I sat down at a table, talked with a couple guys in the frat, and just kept getting invited back. I realized I really liked the group of guys I was with. They had the same humor, same lifestyle … a really big, diverse group all in one big family. I got a bid and accepted it because I really wanted to be a part of this.”
Now in a leadership role, Mikesell said most outsiders never see the philanthropy, community service and nonprofit work his chapter does.
Patrick Lopresti, a member of Delta Sigma Phi, said fraternities can bring a valuable sense of belonging. “The reason that I rushed is because I wanted more friends, more things to do on weekends, and also alumni connections,” said Lopresti.
“I was against [it] at first, but a few of my friends and I checked it out and really just enjoyed it. I enjoyed the process. Enjoyed the guys we met and just ran with it.”
Cam James, now a nationally known critic of the fraternity system, was also searching for a community as a freshman at Georgia Tech. He was a self-described “military kid” and had accumulated a number of temporary friendships over his life.
“I was already popular. I didn’t need that. I needed a community of people that I could stick around and would be there for life,” he said.
Instead, it became a test of how much humiliation and exhaustion he could withstand.
“When I pledged, it wasn’t about friendship. It was about control,” James recalled. “We were kept awake for days, forced to do workouts until we couldn’t stand, and told this was the only way to prove we belonged.”
James said he was told this was a way to “keep tradition alive,” and he endured it, then later imposed the same “abuse” on newcomers.
“You start to think this is normal. They tell you it’s all for bonding, but really, it’s about breaking you down so you’ll follow whatever they say. It’s abuse disguised as brotherhood.”
Today, James works to educate his viewers through a series of video essays on his Youtube channel.
New laws leave much with schools
In 2017, Pennsylvania became a touchpoint for the conversation around hazing prevention.
Timothy Piazza, a Penn State student and Beta Theta Pi pledge, was “forced” into drinking enough beer to raise his blood alcohol content four times beyond the legal limit, according to grand jury testimony. He fell down a flight of stairs and was later found unconscious by other members.
To wake him, the members slapped him and poured water on his face. One was recorded hitting him in the stomach, where he had a ruptured spleen. When Piazza did not wake up, they left him alone upstairs for a time.
From 3 to 7 a.m., Piazza repeatedly fell, hitting his head one time on an iron railing. At 10:48 a.m. — nearly 12 hours after his initial fall — members called an ambulance, and he later died in the hospital.
According to medical experts, Piazza’s death could have been prevented had fraternity members called an ambulance earlier.
“Every major university and college in the United States has an anti-hazing policy, but it doesn’t mean much if you’re not willing to enforce it.”
State lawmakers introduced the Piazza law to address and curb hazing. The law:
- Classifies types of hazing
- Establishes a tiered penalty system with stricter punishments for hazing
- Protects from prosecution someone involved in a hazing incident if they are seeking assistance for someone in need of help
- Protects those who seek help from others.
David Bianchi, a lawyer who specializes in hazing suits, helped pass the very similar Danny’s Law in Missouri, named for Danny Santulli, who suffered severe physical injuries as a result of hazing at the University of Missouri.
Bianchi said witnesses to hazing will not be charged criminally if they call 911 and stay on the scene while help arrives.
“Every major university and college in the United States has an anti-hazing policy, but it doesn’t mean much if you’re not willing to enforce it. So some universities are very strict about enforcing it, and some are not. And it depends on the mentality of the university leadership,” Bianchi said.
Even with laws on the books, schools still rely on cooperation from students and Greek life members to effectively enforce anti-hazing policies, he said. This allows many harmful incidents to go unreported.
Other times, the problem lies with the university not taking sufficient steps, said Shelton, of the Hazing Prevention Network.
“When they [universities] get an anonymous report … they feel like their hands are tied,” Allan said. “There’s just only so much they can do if there’s no cooperation because they need to have some kind of statement.”
Allan believes addressing the issues starts with educating students before they pledge, and letting them know if they do witness hazing they can report what they see without disclosing their personal details.
James said he hopes the many chapters across the country that don’t engage in hazing become models for the future.
“Chapters have processes that don’t involve psychological abuse, they don’t involve physical abuse, and they’re just as close, if not closer, because in my case, I was driven further away.”
Ayla Saeed is an editorial intern at PublicSource and can be reached at azs47@pitt.edu.
This story was fact-checked by Femi Horrall.
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