Ohio State’s Kappa Delta Rho and Pi Kappa Phi chapters were placed under interim suspension in March. Credit: Liv Rinaldi | Sports Editor
Alcohol, hazing and endangering behaviors continue to be an issue for Greek organizations at Ohio State and across the country.
At Ohio State, two fraternities, Kappa Delta Rho and Pi Kappa Phi, were placed under interim suspension within weeks of each other in March. These suspensions have raised questions as to what happens after a Greek organization is suspended, and what triggers broader action, including fully shutting down a sorority or fraternity.
The most common sanctions levied against Greek organizations involve hazing, the misuse of alcohol and another category called endangering behaviors. Where hazing is concerned, the university follows a state law entitled Collin’s Law, in addition to having its own policies.
Collin’s Law makes acts of hazing a second-degree misdemeanor, according to Ohio State’s page. Any acts that include coerced alcohol or drug consumption, or lead to serious physical harm are considered third-degree felonies.?
Ohio State’s Code of Student Conduct defines hazing as “doing, requiring or encouraging any act, whether or not the act is voluntarily agreed upon, tied to initiation, continued membership, or participation in any group, that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm or humiliation.”?
Those acts include using alcohol, creating excessive fatigue, paddling, punching or kicking. The code also lists failure to intervene, prevent or report acts of hazing.
An interim suspension prohibits organizations from hosting or participating in activities as a registered student organization, pending the outcome of an investigation or conduct proceeding, Dave Isaacs, a university spokesperson, said in an email.
“During this interim suspension, the chapter is not eligible to participate in or host any recognized student organization activities, including but not limited to organizational meetings or programs, intramural sporting events, recruiting of new members, organizational social events or social events with any other student organizations,” Isaacs said. “The chapter must also cease all new member activity during the interim suspension.”
Ohio State’s Anti-Hazing policy states that hazing is prohibited and the university community is expected to maintain a hazing-free environment.
“The Ohio State University is committed to promoting a safe and healthy campus environment, where students are free from hazing,” the document states. “Hazing impedes the university’s vision of being the model 21st-century public, land grant, research, urban, community-engaged institution.”
The interim suspension remains in effect until the vice president of student life, or the vice president’s appointee, ends the suspension, or the Greek organization successfully requests the removal of the suspension, according to a university website.
If a student organization’s status gets revoked due to violating the Code of Student Conduct, it no longer is recognized as a student organization and it is no longer affiliated with the university, according to the Office of Student Life.
Pi Kappa Phi was placed on interim suspension after a student was hospitalized following a fraternity event on March 25, per prior Lantern reporting. The fraternity was placed under suspension the next morning.
At the time of publication, details of Kappa Delta Rho’s status remain unclear. It was placed on suspension March 3.
In 2017, the university completely suspended all activities for fraternity chapters after 11 chapters were investigated in the fall semester of that year, with the majority of the investigations involving hazing and alcohol, per prior Lantern reporting.
This was nearly a decade ago, and was the result of a unique set of circumstances, including an extremely high number of investigations that semester, Isaacs said.
The last time a Greek life chapter’s status was completely revoked was in February 2025. Fraternity Alpha Tau Omega and sorority Zeta Phi Beta were separately suspended for hazing violations, according to prior Lantern reporting.
According to a hazing report website, Ohio colleges have had 147 reported hazing incidents from 2018 to February 2025. Ohio State has held the most reported cases in the study with 41, with Bowling Green State University and Ohio University following with 13 reports each.?
