West Virginia University Suspends All Sororities and Fraternities After Student Found Unconscious
All Greek-letter fraternities and sororities at West Virginia University were suspended Thursday following several incidents involving dangerous behavior.
A freshman was found in a fraternity house Wednesday night unconscious and not breathing. Nolan Michael Burch, 18, was in critical condition Thursday at the intensive care unit of Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Police said they were called to the Kappa Sigma house around midnight Wednesday when Burch was discovered unconscious. When they arrived, they found a man performing CPR on Burch, who wasn't breathing nor had a pulse.
The student's great-aunt said his family was now with him at the hospital.
"These things shouldn't happen," Joyce Stamp told NBC News. "He's only 18. He's a nice young man and I'm shocked...but he's a freshman and even very intelligent kids sometimes get caught up. You hear all the stuff about hazing, and this is [his] first time away from home."
University administrators said in a statement with the institution's Inter-Fraternity and Panhellenic councils that Greek organizations at West Virginia University had been suspended due to this "catastrophic medical emergency."
A week earlier, another fraternity, Sigma Chi, was suspended after 19 pledges were arrested for underage possession of alcohol after being involved in a street fight. Around 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 6, police found the students "running and screaming, yelling and engaging in disorderly conduct."
Initially, the students said they were members of a rival fraternity when police questioned them and could now face charges of obstruction of justice by providing false information.
West Virginia University's dean of students Corey Farris released a statement about the school's decision to stop all of these organizations.
"The action to halt fraternity and sorority activities while these matters are being reviewed is being done with the well-being and safety of our students in mind," Farris said. "That is - and must always be - our foremost priority."
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!