IOWA CITY — Dozens of University of Iowa students were found blindfolded in the basement of a fraternity as part of a potential hazing incident.
According to a criminal complaint, UI Police, Iowa City Police, and Iowa City Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at 703 North Dubuque Street around 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 15. Officers discovered 56 pledges blindfolded in a room in the basement with food splattered on them, KCCI reports.
During the investigation, police say 21-year-old Joseph Gaya blocked the doorway of the basement after being asked to move several times. He then allegedly stood in front of two witnesses in a separate room as an officer tried to interview them about the incident. When the officer asked Gaya to step out of the way several times, he allegedly told the witnesses not to speak to the officers.
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Gaya was arrested and charged with interference with official acts. He is not a student at UI and does not live in the fraternity house.
In a release, UI officials said the school reached out to the affected students to offer counseling services and resources. The school also said it urges students with information about the incident to contact UI police or report concerns to the UI’s Office of Student Accountability (OSA).
University of Iowa Alpha Delta Phi Chapter Suspended
UI placed Alpha Delta Phi on interim suspension as the OSA investigates the incident. The fraternity has until Dec. 3 to file an appeal. The national chapter also suspended the charter until further notice and said it is conducting a third-party investigation into the allegations.
“OSA will follow the Student Organization Discipline Procedure, which includes sanctions for prohibited behaviors including hazing, misconduct, and alcohol and illegal drugs. As registered student organizations, fraternities are expected to uphold the values of the university, and their members are expected to comply with the Code of Student Life,” the school wrote in its release. “The university requires fraternities to undergo training on a range of topics including alcohol use, violence prevention, and leadership development. Compliance with those education requirements is not only tracked by Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) staff members each semester, but also made publicly available on the FSL scorecard.”
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Score card data through the Spring 2024 semester shows 78% of the chapter’s 93 members have engaged in UI’s Alcohol & U program, a yearly required training for all fraternities and sororities. Eighty-nine percent have participated in UI’s Violence Prevention program.
Three other UI Greek chapters are currently under investigation for hazing and alcohol-related violations, according to the Des Moines Register. The Phi Kappa Psi and Alpha Sigma Phi fraternities are under investigation for both hazing and alcohol allegations, while the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority is being investigated for hazing.
