KSK at Harding hazers "disbanded"

[hoosier]

Harding inquiry settled


Wednesday, November 16, 2005 6:23 PM CST


Student club disbanded for misconduct
By Philip Holsinger

The Daily Citizen
Harding University officials do not know whether or not a group of students took part in illegal hazing activities, officials say, but they have decided to take disciplinary action against the students for breaking the school’s code of conduct.

Following a week-long investigation into allegations that university students had participated in hazing activities as part of student club pledge week at Harding, officials declared they had disbanded one of Harding’s student social clubs.
Hazing is against Arkansas state law.

In a press release sent out Wednesday, Harding spokesperson David Crouch wrote that the university has formally disbanded the student social club Kappa Sigma Kappa (known commonly as Sigs) for engaging in “inappropriate behavior and activities that violated the university’s student code of conduct.”
An investigation was opened into the matter last week after the Dean of Student Services, David Collins, was informed of possible hazing activities taking part on campus.

During student club pledge week, club members and pledges participate in events and activities that mirror the events of fraternities and sororities across the nation.
In an earlier Daily Citizen article published Nov. 13, a Harding student claiming to be a member of the club Pai Kappa Epsilon (known as Pikes) claimed not only that he was a member of the club, but that Pai Kappa Epsilon was the club under investigation. The university had not released the name of the club under investigation at that time.
Neither was this student a member of the club, nor was he right in what club was being investigated.
The now disbanded Kappa Sigma Kappa had been on probation since last year and had received disciplinary action before, Crouch said Wednesday.
According to statements issued by Dean of Student Services David Collins, through a letter from Crouch, this recent wrong-doing “was an isolated incident during this year’s club induction week.”
No criminal complaint has been filed with local police or with campus security in the matter, Crouch said again Wednesday. According the Crouch press release, “We, Harding Administrators, can’t speak as to whether or not the club’s behavior is hazing as derived by Arkansas state statutes.”
Crouch did not know how many students were being disciplined or by what measure their discipline would be meted out.
“Harding has long held the policy of not releasing the names of students involved in disciplinary actions, nor doe the university release the circumstances of alleged misconduct,” Crouch said.