Many fraternities all over the country have been under investigation recently. Countless fraternities have been in the news due to their disagreeable actions.

Fraternities are supposed to be a symbol of brotherhood and support of one another but recently fraternities have gained a negative connotation. Fraternities are now linked to excessive drinking and partying, rape, and racism.

Many fraternity members over the past year have been accused of rape. Rape happens at almost all colleges in the U.S. Recently, a Columbia student reported being raped by a fraternity student that reportedly raped 3 other girls. He was able to remain on the campus and the fraternity, did not receive any punishment. This caused a protest from the female student in which she carried a mattress to all of her classes. A different chapter of the same fraternity in Duke was suspended due to a rape allegation. The fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi, is currently suspended as police investigate the allegation. Statistics show that 1 in 5 girls will be raped at college. In the past 5 years reports of sexual assault have more than doubled.

In the past couple of weeks, members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Oklahoma were recorded repeating a racist chant. This caused the expulsion of two students and the fraternity was later disbanded. The student that lead the chant and who was expelled made a public apology for his actions.

Some fraternities have lost the original meaning of a fraternity and are now excuses for students to party. Most recently, at Rutgers University in NJ, a fraternity was shut down after an incident with underage drinking. One of the members of  Sigma Phi Epsilon became severely intoxicated and was taken to the hospital where he later recovered. The fraternity was suspended and over the weekend Rutgers was notified that Sigma Phi Epsilon’s national headquarters decided to shut down that chapter.

Sources:

http://www.nj.com/education/2015/03/rutgers_fraternity_suspended_facing_review_after_d.html

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/03/columbia-student-i-didn-t-rape-her.html

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/us/oklahoma-levi-pettit-apology/