Lang
12/24/24
The University of Iowa has denied the appeal of a fraternity suspended amid hazing allegation.
Members of Alpha Delta Phi had argued that its own third-party investigation determined that only two of its members had been involved, and have since been kicked out of the fraternity. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that on December 10th the UI Office of Student Accountability ruled that while its account of events was similar to those cited in the appeal, it believed more than two members were involved in the incident, and the suspension would stand.
UI Police, Iowa City Police, and the Iowa City Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the fraternity house on North Dubuque Street just before 12:45 on the morning of November 15th and reportedly found 56 pledges blindfolded in the basement with food thrown on them.
According to court records, 21-year-old Joseph Gaya of Riverside was arrested and charged with interference with official acts. Gaya allegedly stood in front of officers who were speaking to two witnesses in the doorway of the room full of pledges and refused to move. Gaya reportedly told the witnesses not to talk to the police. An officer again told Gaya to step back, and he allegedly said, “You can (effin’) leave, how about that?”
Police say fraternity members told Gaya to leave. He is not a member of Alpha Delta Phi, and is not enrolled at the UI. Gaya has since filed court documents in his defense claiming the police were not invited into the fraternity…which is private property… and did not have a search warrant.