UPDATED: April 28, 2015 2:14 p.m.

Syracuse University’s chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha has been suspended from holding social events and an assault charge has been filed against a member of the fraternity following an investigation into an alleged hazing incident.

Initially, Pi Kappa Alpha, commonly known as PIKE, was under investigation for an alleged hazing incident. However, after the investigation started on April 13, the Department of Public Safety found that the incident actually only involved two of the fraternity members, said Tony Callisto, senior vice president and chief law enforcement officer for SU.

Callisto said it was found through several witnesses that one student had struck another several times. These witnesses led DPS to file a charge of assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, against the student.

Once DPS notified the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, FASA issued a suspension on all of PIKE’s social activities, including parties and fundraising. According to a statement from the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity, FASA notified the SU chapter to immediately initiate new members and cease activities.

Callisto added that the case was filed on April 17 and they are currently waiting for either a criminal summons or an arrest warrant from the Syracuse City Court.

Callisto was not able to disclose any information about the students’ names or the injuries the victim sustained. He added that the judicial process is separate from the criminal process and this is still an ongoing investigation.

According to the PIKE statement, “the fraternity continues to recognize the harmful effects that can stem from inappropriate conduct, including hazing, and the negative impact these activities have on individuals, Chapters, and the Fraternity.”

The SU chapter of PIKE is also cooperating with authorities during the investigation, according to the statement.

The Alpha Chi chapter of the fraternity, which is located at 209 Comstock Ave., was founded at SU in 1913, making it one of the university’s oldest fraternities, according to the group’s Facebook page.

In March, SU suspended another fraternity, Nu Alpha Phi, and two of the fraternity’s members Tae Kim, 19, and Jeffrey Yam, 21, were arrested for a hazing incident in which three of the fraternity’s pledges were told to exercise in the snow with no gloves on. The next day one of the three pledges went to Crouse Hospital where he was told he had severe frostbite on his fingers, which almost caused him to lose his ring and pinkie fingers on both hands.

Kim and Yam were both charged with hazing in the first degree, a misdemeanor, and they appeared in city court on April 20 after pleading not guilty. The court appearance was a pretrial hearing and the two members are due back in court on May 28.

Published on April 27, 2015 at 6:07 pm

Contact Sara: smswann@syr.edu | @saramswann