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Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity suspended from Syracuse University for conduct violations

Jordan Muller | Asst. News Editor

The conduct threatened a student's safety during the fraternity's new member process, an SU spokeswoman said.

By Jordan MullerSenior Staff Writer

UPDATED: Monday, Feb. 19 at 5:42 p.m.

The Syracuse University chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi has been suspended for violations of the Student Code of Conduct and Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs policy, an SU spokeswoman confirmed on Monday.

Laura Williams-Sanders, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, said on Monday hazing was not among the conduct violations.

She declined to comment further on the suspension and referred all questions to Sarah Scalese, SU’s associate vice president for university communications. Scalese on Monday confirmed hazing was not a conduct violation related to AEPi’s suspension.

But she said in a statement Saturday that AEPi’s conduct threatened a student’s safety.



“As soon as we were made aware of conduct that threatened the safety of a student participating in the new member process, we took immediate action to halt fraternity activities at Alpha Epsilon Pi,” Scalese said in the statement.

Jonathan Pierce, a former international president of AEPi and the fraternity’s media spokesperson, said in an email an individual engaged in misconduct that violated AEPi’s own rules, SU regulations and criminal law.

The nature of the conduct violations, and the length of the suspension, are unclear.

The university ordered the suspension after a Department of Public Safety investigation, Scalese said. The University Conduct Board and Appeals Booard both concluded that AEPi was responsible for violations of the Code of Student Conduct and FASA policy, she added.

As soon as we were made aware of conduct that threatened the safety of a student participating in the new member process, we took immediate action to halt fraternity activities at Alpha Epsilon Pi.
Sarah Scalese, SU’s associate vice president for university communications

AEPi is currently among the Greek organizations “not allowed to operate” at SU, according to FASA’s website.

Zachary Townsend, who’s currently listed by SU as AEPi’s president, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this story.

Pierce said the international fraternity is “disappointed with the heavy-handed actions of the Syracuse University administration.”

“Despite repeated attempts to work collaboratively to create educational opportunities for the students, Syracuse administrators have taken this unilateral action with little regard to the facts of the case or the possible impacts on many innocent students,” Pierce said.

The international fraternity is considering “further legal actions,” he added.

The fraternity’s international office, on its website, still recognizes the SU chapter.

AEPi is the second fraternity to lose SU recognition during the 2017-18 academic year. The university suspended the Delta Tau Delta fraternity in fall 2017 for multiple conduct violations, including hazing.

SU initially intended to suspend the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity for hazing violations earlier in the academic year, said Cameron Pierro, DKE’s president, in a January email. The fraternity appealed the suspension, though, and is now on disciplinary and social probation.

The SU chapter of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity is currently under investigation for an alleged hazing incident, DPS crime logs show. The alleged hazing occured on Dec. 13, 2017, and was reported to DPS two days later, according to the crime logs.

Devin Goldstein, who is listed by SU as the Sammy fraternity’s president, did not respond to a request for comment on this story. Scalese in mid-January said the university declined to comment on the active investigation.

According to FASA’s webite, the following fraternities are on probationary status:

  • DKE is on disciplinary probation through December 2019, and social probation through December 2018, for conduct violations related to hazing.
  • The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is on disciplinary probation through March 2019, and on social probation through May 2018. The nature of the conduct violations is currently unclear.
  • The Sigma Chi fraternity is on disciplinary reprimand through September 2018. The nature of the conduct violations is currently unclear.
  • The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity is on disciplinary reprimand through December 2018. The nature of the conduct violations is currently unclear.
  • The Psi Upsilon fraternity is on disciplinary reprimand through October 2018, and social probation through May 2018. The nature of the conduct violations is currently unclear.

This post has been updated with additional reporting.





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