UConn suspends fraternity after former chapter president arrested on hazing allegations – NBC Connecticut

UConn suspended the campus chapter of Lambda Theta Phi fraternity on Thursday, less than a week after the chapter’s former president was arrested in connection with a hazing incident.

The first incident occurred in early February, but was reported to state police on March 23 by a student who participated in the fraternity’s formation process.

According to the student, he was attacked during the admission process by the 23-year-old head pledge master and former president of the fraternity.

The fraternity’s former president was arrested by state police on May 3 and charged with disorderly conduct, assault, strangulation and unlawful restraint. He was released on $30,000 bail.

According to the arrest warrant, the fraternity’s former president brought the pledges to a home in Willington on Feb. 8. The gatekeepers were reportedly forced to do push-ups while reciting what the gatekeepers said, and if one fell, they all had to start over.

The former president of the student association is said to have been annoyed with the student and thrown him across the room against a wall. When the student stood up, the arrest warrant states that the former fraternity president used his arm and pressed it into the back of his neck while he screamed.

The next day, pledges went back to the same house in Willington and had to recite the information as they did the day before while learning new information.

When the pledges didn’t accurately reflect the new information, the warrant said the former fraternity president got everyone back into the push-up position, but this time the student fell down much earlier because he was tired the night before.

The arrest warrant said the student returned to a push-up position to recite the information again when the former fraternity president pushed him against a wall and choked him with his forearm.

The next day, the student left the fraternity. On March 21, he returned his uniform and the arrest warrant said the student was again attacked by the former fraternity president. The student said the assault was reported to UConn police because it happened on campus.

The former fraternity president was arrested by UConn police on Tuesday and charged with third-degree assault, third-degree strangulation and disorderly conduct in connection with the campus incident.

He is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on May 21 on both counts.

According to UConn, Lambda Theta Phi has operated a campus chapter in Storrs since 1991. The suspension is effective immediately while the university investigates the hazing allegations.