Records: Kennesaw State Fraternity Used Blindfolds, Duct Tape

Members of the Kennesaw Chapter of Delta Chi International Fraternity in September allegedly blindfolded pledges, applied duct tape to them and forced them to consume alcohol for several hours at a time, according to new documents Kennesaw State University released today.

The documents, which were obtained through an Open Records Request, also revealed that members allegedly intimidated a student they thought reported the hazing to school officials and encouraged him to change his story.

The student was so scared, he told school officials that he feared for his safety and "wanted to ensure that there were working security cameras in the parking lot where (redacted) parks in the event something would to occur."

In a Sept. 13 letter to the university's vice president of student success, the director of the student life department wrote that the student called another school official in tears.

"Apparently," Kathy Alday wrote in the email to Jerome Ratchford, "multiple men from Delta Chi came up to him and threatened him, telling him that he'd better figure something out about this situation or else.

They also told the student to go to the university's coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life and "tell him that he made it all up and nothing happened," Alday wrote in the email.

In a Sept. 14 response to Alday, Ratchford requested that "police shadow him for a while when he is on campus. Reassure (redacted) that this will happen. In the mean time, it is important to identify the assailants and put them on notice or file charges against them."

Kennesaw State originally suspended Delta Chi until Oct. 1, 2014 after the university’s Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity found evidence of misconduct. However, Kennesaw State relaxed the punishment after the fraternity appealed the decision on Oct. 8. Now, the suspension will end on Oct. 1, 2013.

On Delta Chi's Twitter page, someone typed: "See you all again fall 2013! Thank you for your continued support!"

FROM THE INCIDENT REPORT

• 9:15 a.m. Sept. 11: "File a report—(redacted) called Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. ... (Redacted) says that (redacted) is being hazed, forced to drive until 4am to pick up drunk brothers when (redacted) has an 8am class, new member meetings at 10pm, and random requests for food at 11pm. (Redacted) wants (redacted) to be part of the fraternity experience but does not want (redacted) to go through these types of elements to be accepted."
• 3:40 p.m. Sept. 11: "Associate members were asked to work a social event ... and drive members, of age and underage, from the event until 4am. On Bid Day, September 1, 2012, (redacted) and the rest of his new member class was blindfolded and duct taped then placed in multiple vehicles. (Readacted) collected all cell phones from Associate Members before the events begun then blindfolded and duct taped before specifically placing (redacted) in the (redacted). Associate members were taken to the residence of (redacted) and required to chug a beer. After several hours of drinking games, the chapter went to sleep and were awoken at 7am by (redacted) and forced to clean the house of all materials from the event."

Related content

• Official: Kennesaw State 'Found Evidence of Misconduct'
• Kennesaw State Suspends Fraternity for 2½ Years

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