Violations

Fraternity and Sorority Conduct Violations

To help you make fully informed choices about joining fraternities and sororities at the University of South Carolina Aiken, we provide a report on organizational conduct violations dating back to 2017.

In accordance with the Tucker Hipps Transparency Act, the university publishes this report on actual findings of violations involving alcohol, drugs, sexual assault, physical assault and hazing by fraternity and sorority organizations formally affiliated with the institution. The report includes the name of the responsible organizations; the dates of the incident, report, charge, investigation and resolution; and a general description of the incident and the subsequent charges, findings and sanctions placed on the organization.

Academic Year	Violation
2024/2025	Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc - Pi Theta Chapter Incident: 02/12/2025 (reported 02/13/2025) Investigation Start Date: 02/14/2025 Resolved: 04/02/2025 Description: Three members and two alumni of the sorority engaged three new members three days after their organizational Rush with the sponsoring alumni chapter in an unsanctioned education session in which potential new members were asked to perform wall sits, burpees, and jumping jacks when incorrect answers were given. Charges: Hazing (Responsible- Accepted Responsibility) Fraud or Lying (Responsible- Accepted Responsibility) Sanctions: Each student who was enrolled at USCA and a duly initiated member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc faced the following sanctions: Be placed on disciplinary probation for the remainder of their undergraduate tenure at the university Be barred form any leadership position in any registered student organization at the university Must fully disaffiliate from their membership with Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. on campus Includes wearing organization paraphernalia on campus Must adhere to the No Contact Order issued by the Dean of Students on February 14, 2025
2024/2025	No violations occurred during the Fall 2024 semester.
2023/2024	No violations occurred during the Fall 2023 semester or Spring 2024 semester.
2022/2023	No violations occurred during the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semester.
2021/2022	No violations occurred during the Spring 2022 semester.
	Tau Kappa Epsilon Incident: 11/15/2020 (reported 10/13/2021) Investigation Start Date:10/14/2021 Resolved:11/16/2021 Description: Three members and one alumni of the fraternity engaged two new members the day before initiation in a scavenger hunt that included blindfolding and zip-tying their hands, drinking alcoholic beverages, pushups, getting into the fountain on campus, and consensual touching with a female. Charges: Hazing (Responsible- Accepted Responsibility) Title IX- Sexual Assault: Touching (Not responsible) Sanctions: Raise $300 for an Ani-Hazing Organization. The organization can be chosen by TKE and submitted to the IFC Advisor to be approved by December 1. Completed by Friday, April 22. Alumni are not allowed to attend any off-campus chapter event. For alumni to attend on-campus events the IFC Advisor will need to approve. This will be in effect until January 5, 2023. A review of this sanction will occur in April 2022. The organization can’t host or co-host social events until January 5, 2023. This sanction will be reviewed in April 2022. The organization will be on Disciplinary Probation until January 5, 2023. If it is found in violation of any conduct incident, it could be immediately suspended.
2020/2021	No violations occurred during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semester.
2019/2020	No violations occurred during the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semester.
2018/2019	No violations occurred during the Fall 2018 semester or Spring 2019 semester.
2017/2018	Delta Sigma Phi - Iota Xi Chapter Incident: 9/22/17 Investigation Start Date: 9/23/17 Resolved: 10/10/17 Description: The fraternity threw an off-campus bid day party during which they provided underage students with moonshine. New fraternity members were invited to go into a room in the house where they were instructed to drink several shots of moonshine and eat moonshine cherries behind a closed door. Charges: Alcohol - Providing alcohol to a minor - Responsible (Accepted Responsibility) Hazing - Violation of University Policy - Responsible (Accepted Responsibility) Sanctions: Disciplinary Probation - No on or off-campus social events will be held with non-members (the chapter may not have any social events with or without alcohol.) until the end of the Spring semester of 2018. This includes all official social events, both on and off campus, as well as unofficial gatherings, such as tailgating. No alcohol will be permitted at any chapter event through the end of Fall semester, 2018. During Spring semester of 2019 alcohol will only be permitted at events where a university official, approved by the Associate Director of Student Life, is present. Education Sanction - The chapter will develop and implement a hazing education program for their members and the USCA Greek community in consultation with the Associate Director of Student Life. All members of the chapter will attend a Social Host liability workshop. Chapter will host the National Fraternity’s Director of Responsibility & Accountability to provide event planning and management training. Chapter will host the National Fraternity’s Director of Responsibility & Accountability to provide training on hazing and hazing prevention. The chapter’s Standards Board should request and host a Standards Board training from the Office of Judicial Affairs. The chapter will request and host two (2) workshops focused on academic success planning or related topics provided by the Academic Success Center. The chapter will request and host two (2) workshops with at least 90% attendance, one focused on alcohol and drug use and the second on bystander intervention. Chapter will collaborate with the USCA Greek Life Office, and the Peer Educator program to identify speakers and other resources. Recruitment - Chapter may not recruit new members until all education sanctions above have been completed. Meetings - Chapter president must meet with faculty advisor every other week for the duration of the probation (through the end of Spring 2019).
	Lambda Chi Alpha - Pi-Alpha Zeta Chapter Incident: 8/25/17 Investigation Started: 8/26/17 Resolved: 9/20/17 Description: The fraternity threw an off-campus party during which they provided underage students with alcohol as well as served alcohol from a common source container. Charges: Alcohol - Providing alcohol to minors - Responsible (Accepted Responsibility) Alcohol - Providing alcohol from a common source container - Responsible (Accepted Responsibility) Sanctions: Disciplinary Probation—Until the end of the spring semester of 2018, no on- or off-campus social events will be held with non-members (this includes Boswell Ball, the Steeplechase, mixers with sororities, etc.), and no alcohol will be permitted at any chapter event. Membership Review—The Associate Director of Student Life will select a panel to conduct a membership review of all current chapter members. The review will be completed by the end of October. Education Sanction - All chapter members will attend a Social Host liability workshop presented by the four chapter members who lived in the residence where the party was held. The chapter advisor must also attend the workshop. Implement a Harm Reduction Education Program to include: Guest speaker on Alcohol and Other Drugs Education; Guest speaker on the Application of Lambda Chi Alpha, FIPG, and University of South Carolina Aiken Social Policies; Chapter review of Lambda Chi Alpha's event planning process to be completed by December 1st, 2017. 100% of the chapter must complete the EVERFI AlchoholEdu course by February 26, 2018. Recruitment - The chapter may not recruit new members until the following has been completed: the chapter must host a Recruiting with Values retreat during the early Spring 2018 semester; All items listed under "Implement a Harm Reduction Education Program" have been completed; and the Social Host liability workshop has been completed. A representative from the fraternity's national office, a local founding father of the Pi-Alpha Zeta Chapter who lives within 30 miles of USCA, or the faculty advisor must be present at any recruitment event held during the 2017/2018 academic year. Meetings - The chapter president must meet with the faculty advisor every other week for the academic year.