KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Sigma Pi chapter at Western Michigan University (WMU) was suspended after an 18-year-old woman fell from a second-story balcony and fractured her skull during a party at the fraternity house.
The incident occurred Sept. 1, a day after new students moved into the dormitories in preparation for the fall semester, reports The Detroit News. The victim, who is not a WMU student, is said to be in critical condition at Bronson Methodist Hospital.
Investigators discovered that the fraternity house had a number of safety violations, including disabled fire alarms, disabled sprinkler systems and an unsafe deck and stairs. It is unclear how many people lived in the house; however, all were told to vacate the premises. WMU ordered all of Sigma Pi’s activities to stop, and the Greek letters on the house were covered.
Police, university officials and the national fraternity will try to determine what caused the incident. Sanctions will be imposed if policy violations are determined to be the cause.