Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity was suspended by the Interfraternity Council on Sunday -- just two days after the chapter was reinstated by its national fraternity.
The chapter was suspended on the grounds that it violated the terms of its new member education program suspension, according to an IFC statement released Sunday.
Alpha Epsilon Pi and Pi Kappa Phi's new member education programs were suspended Oct. 27 while the IFC investigates allegations of hazing at the fraternities.
The Alpha Epsilon Pi national fraternity responded to the IFC's suspension of its chapter's new member education program by fully suspending the chapter. The Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity followed the IFC's lead and suspended its chapter's new member education program.
But on Nov. 6, a representative from the Alpha Epsilon Pi national fraternity sent a letter to Penn State Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Roy Baker stating that the national fraternity had concluded its five-day investigation and determined that the incidents under question had not been hazing.
According to the letter, the national fraternity has "removed all suspensions from the chapter and they are back to full 100% operations."
But no IFC executives were contacted about the national fraternity's investigation or the removal of the chapter's suspension, IFC vice president for standards Chris Smith (senior-political science) and IFC President Luke Pierce (senior-economics) said.
"Basically, the national fraternity is claiming that they have concluded their investigation of the incident for which their new member education program was originally suspended," Smith said. "However, at no time have we been contacted during the investigation, and likewise, our own investigation has not been concluded yet."
Smith said the IFC's suspension of the chapter was not related to any additional allegations of hazing. The IFC investigation into the incidents is still ongoing, he said.
"As a result of the discrepancies in the investigations, we put the chapter on suspension today," Smith said on Sunday. "The chapter has violated the terms of their original suspension. That's why they're on full suspension now."
The chapter and its new member program are now effectively under two separate IFC suspensions, Smith said. He would not elaborate on how the fraternity had violated the first suspension.
A representative of Alpha Epsilon Pi's national fraternity was not available for comment by press time Sunday.
