Rutgers bans fraternity, sorority house parties for rest of spring semester

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- Rutgers University has banned fraternity and sorority house parties at its main campus for the rest of the spring semester after several alcohol-related problems this school year, including the death of a student.

The probation was decided last week but announced by the university Monday.

"Rutgers takes seriously its commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe campus environment," the university said in a statement.

Under the ban, the university's 86 recognized fraternities and sororities will be allowed to hold spring formals and other events where third-party vendors serve alcohol.

The ban was first reported by NJ.com.

Last month, a fraternity was shut down because of an underage drinking incident in November in which a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon was taken to a hospital after drinking heavily at the fraternity house.

And in September, a 19-year-old student died of alcohol poisoning after attending a fraternity party. It's not clear whether she had been drinking there or elsewhere, though.

The university said last month that six fraternities and one sorority are under review for alcohol violations.

The ban comes at a time when fraternities have had a run of bad publicity.

At the University of Oklahoma, fraternity members were caught on video singing a racist song; investigators have been looking into allegations that a Penn State fraternity had a private Facebook group with pictures of nude and partially nude women, some of them asleep or unconscious; there have been allegations that members of a Dartmouth fraternity were being branded in a hazing ritual; and two organizations at North Carolina State have been shut down, one over a sexist and racist book, another over sexual assault allegations.

Erin Kearns, president of the Rutgers Panhellenic Association, a governing body for sororities, told NJ.com, that many leaders of Greek groups accept the house party ban in light of the negative attention at Rutgers and elsewhere.

"Our advisers and administration thought it would be best that Rutgers doesn't fall into that trap," she said.

Here is the full text of the statement:

"Rutgers takes seriously its commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe campus environment. In light of a number of alcohol-related incidents this year involving Greek organizations, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (OFSA) has placed a moratorium through the end of the semester on parties in fraternity and sorority houses. Organizations are still allowed to host formals and other events where a licensed third party vendor is used to serve alcohol, but they will not be allowed to host parties in their houses. OFSA is taking this step out of caution and concern and will use this time to continue and reinforce its dialogue with the leadership of the university's 86 recognized fraternities and sororities about greek life at Rutgers and their responsibilities to the campus community at large."