Tampabay.com

FEBRUARY 16, 2012

UF opens another hazing investigation

  About a week after the University of Florida suspended one of its fraternities after what it called a serious physical hazing incident, the university's police department has opened up another investigation into fraternity hazing that may have happened two years ago.

UF won't name the fraternity involved and won't say what happened. University spokeswoman Janine Sikes would only say the allegations date from April 2010 to January 2011. The information came to UF late last week.

In his letter to students letting them know about the other incident last week, UF President Bernie Machen urged students to come forward with information about that case or any other hazing cases. 

"The secretive nature of hazing can make it challenging to detect and prevent," Machen wrote. "As a result, it is important for any student who is a victim of hazing, or who learns of any abusive or dangerous conduct toward others, to step forward."

But Sikes says this new information was not the result of that. She did not say where it came from.

The issue of hazing has hung over the university system for months, ever since Florida A&M University band member Robert Champion died in November. Since then, state leaders, including the governor, have urged universities to take a close look at their anti-hazing policies to ensure they're doing everything they can to prevent it from happening.

Join the discussion: Click to view comments, add yours
Loading...

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

Meet the team

Advertisement

Advertisement

Video

THE TEAM

Rebecca Catalanello covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: rcatalanello@tampabay.com.

Cara Fitzpatrick covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: cfitzpatrick@tampabay.com.

Tony Marrero covers Hernando County schools. E-mail him: tmarrero@tampabay.com.

Marlene Sokol covers Hillsborough County schools. E-mail her: sokol@tampabay.com.

Jeffrey S. Solochek covers Pasco County schools. E-mail him: jsolochek@tampabay.com.

Kim Wilmath covers the University of South Florida. E-mail her: kwilmath@tampabay.com.

Registration FAQ

Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site.