This article originally appeared in the Rough Draft print issue, in stands August 2025. It has not been updated and some information may be out of date.
A redacted university investigation report from the University of Utah’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life revealed a nearly semester-long investigation into hazing allegations. The primary evidence of hazing came from a single unnamed fraternity member who allegedly provided photographic and video evidence of his claims.
Timeline
An unnamed Sigma Nu (SNU) brother detailed his experience as a pledge in the fall 2024 rush cycle, where he and fellow pledges allegedly experienced a variety of hazing, including the forced consumption of alcohol and marijuana, and week-long captivity and food deprivation in the fraternity’s basement. The report also indicated SNU alumni were permitted to enter the fraternity house and haze pledges to varying degrees of severity based on their seniority.
In January of 2025, the former pledge, then active brother, provided the above information to the university’s anti-hazing task force within the Office of the Dean of Students. After months of investigation, the office met with Sigma Nu leadership in early May before sending the chapter their final decision May 19.
In the decision letter, Lori K. McDonald, vice president for student affairs, stated, “I do not have confidence the Sigma Nu chapter will follow the University’s directions, policies, or the terms of a suspension, and therefore, termination of the University’s recognition of the chapter is warranted.”
Campus reaction
While the university pointed to several student and fraternity conduct code violations as the basis for Sigma Nu’s expulsion, student reactions were mixed. Following the general release of the hazing report, U students took to the social media platform, Yik Yak. The site allows students to anonymously post, upvote and comment on short public messages from those within a 5-mile radius. The majority of posts related to Sigma Nu centered around disbelief and dissatisfaction at the U’s response.
“Why is everyone so mind blown over seeing what a frat does during pledgeship,” one poster wrote. “It’s a f***ing frat, what’d you expect?”
“SNU’s hazing is like a SNL skit,” another wrote, receiving over 150 upvotes.
In an interview with The Chronicle, a former Sigma Nu brother spoke about hazing as a largely positive contribution to his college experience.
“One thing that pledging taught me, which set me up for college, was time management … I was always busy and felt like I never had time, but … I ended up doing everything correctly, and I ended with a good GPA,” said the former Sigma Nu brother.
He then discussed a negative aspect of the hazing.
“We did morning tests, which I think was kind of stupid. That was one of the things I hated the most during pledging … Everything else was manageable,” said the SNU brother.
The former SNU member also commented on his stance regarding the frat’s six-year ban.
“I think it’s kind of stupid that other fraternities at our school do much worse hazing, and they get away with it because they have money,” said the former brother. “I think we were just like, done wrong, I guess in the end … I don’t think it’s fair that we were kicked off for six years.”
Greek life aftermath
Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) Director Matthew Phister spoke on the U’s response to hazing allegations ahead of the 2025 fall rush in an email statement to The Chronicle.
“The university takes hazing very seriously,” Phister said. “We encourage those interested in joining the Greek community to participate in the recruitment process, share their concerns and ask questions of current members and FSL staff.”
U students can report hazing directly to Phister’s office. Credible allegations will trigger the notification of the chapter president, chapter advisor and national headquarters staff.
For the remaining fraternities on campus, fall rush will continue as scheduled. Sigma Phi Epsilon third-year finance major, Jacob Steinberg, joined Greek life for the social networking opportunities during college and post-graduation. He’ll serve as Sigma Phi Epsilon’s rush chair.
Rush chairs typically schedule recruitment events, manage a budget and ultimately extend bids. Steinberg plans to extend 30-50 bids, as well as a scholarship. He saw managing the 2025-26 rush cycle as a way to ensure the fraternity’s continued development.
“The future of the chapter is extremely important to me,” Steinberg said. “There’s no better way to affect the future than [influencing] new members joining.”
For fraternities on campus that do not haze, Sigma Nu’s expulsion only means more potential recruits. When asked if news of Sigma Nu’s hazing impacted his plans for rush, Steinberg said, “Not at all, zero change to our course. I’d be pretty shocked if any rush chairs said anything independent from that.”
Beyond rush
The University of Utah liaises with external bodies such as national headquarters for respective fraternities and sororities to ensure that headquarters are aware of chapters facing hazing allegations and the outcomes of university investigations.
“Collectively, the University of Utah is committed to fostering a safe and supportive campus environment, and focused on transparency and accountability in addressing hazing incidents,” Phister said.
Fraternities typically do not consider individuals who have been previously affiliated with other fraternities, effectively barring former Sigma Nu brothers from reengaging with Greek life. When asked if Sigma Phi Epsilon would consider rushing former Sigma Nu members, Steinberg was conflicted.
“Exceptions can be made for people that have only been in [a fraternity] for two weeks or something. That’s probably not the case for this,” Steinberg said. “I would consider them. Obviously, we would need an understanding of where they fell in the position chart and how involved they were in the process, but I would consider them.”
