WVU Puts Frats on Ice After 'Catastrophic Emergency'

Sororities, too, after Nolan Michael Burch found unconscious
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 14, 2014 7:54 AM CST
WVU Ices Greek Orgs After 'Catastrophic Emergency'
Pledges are getting injured, sometimes fatally, at Greek organizations nationwide.   (Shutterstock)

Two fraternity incidents in less than two weeks spurred West Virginia University to take rather drastic action yesterday: It suspended all frat and sorority activities. The moratorium was imposed after 18-year-old Nolan Michael Burch was found by police unconscious and not breathing Wednesday evening at the Kappa Sigma house; an unknown man was trying to pump life back into him to no avail, NBC News reports. Burch—who tweeted, "It's about to be a very eventful night to say the least" on Wednesday afternoon—was listed as being in critical care in ICU at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown after what the university is calling a "catastrophic medical emergency."

University officials made the call to halt Greek activity after an emergency meeting yesterday with the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council, reports Metro News, which says social media posts paint Burch's friends as "saying their final goodbyes." This came on the tails of a drunken brawl in the street last week in which 19 reportedly drunk Sigma Chi pledges were arrested or cited because of the alleged imbibing; they may face obstruction of justice charges, too: They initially told cops they were from a different fraternity. Drunk party attendees, hazing, sexual assaults, drinks spiked with date-rape drugs, and even a homicide have plagued Greek organizations around the country as of late, NBC notes. (More fraternity stories.)

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