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An investigation by Bloomberg has found that there have been a total of 60 fraternity-related deaths since 2005, and that 9 of those deaths have been at events linked to a single fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Colleges have suspended or closed at least 15 chapters in the past three years, and have disciplined more than 100 chapters since 2007. The article by Bloomberg also details hazing practices, describing an eight-week initiation at Salisbury University, for example, in which a pledge alleged and the university confirmed that fraternity members "forced pledges to drink until they almost passed out and dressed them in women’s clothing and diapers.... Fraternity members confined recruits for as long as nine hours in a dark basement without food, water or a bathroom, while blasting the same German rock song at ear-splitting volume."
Frank Ginocchio, SAE’s general counsel, told Bloomberg that the the deaths linked to events at the fraternity reflected a "perfect storm," not a problem with the organization. “We try, and we keep on trying,” Ginocchio said. “I don’t think our procedures, our rules and risk management are much different from any other fraternity. We’ve all had some bad cases and sad occurrences.” The fraternity says that it does not tolerate hazing.
