46 UNH Frat Members Charged in Alleged Hazing Incident
Prosecutors have been contacting the students and asking them to turn themselves in since many returned home for summer break.
(Photo: mehaniq41, Adobe Stock)
DURHAM, N.H. — Arrest warrants have been issued for several dozen members of a fraternity at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) following an alleged hazing incident, the Durham Police Department announced Friday.
On April 13, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity hosted an event at its house with new members. Five days later, the school contacted police after learning from SAE’s national headquarters that a hazing incident may have occurred during the event, reports CBS News.
Following a police investigation, it was determined there was probable cause that a hazing crime had occurred. On June 7, arrest warrants were issued to 46 members for the charge of hazing, which is a misdemeanor.
“The law allows us to charge those who were the subjects and actors of the hazing as well as those who were present for the hazing and didn’t report it,” said Stafford County Attorney Emily Garod. “The 46 individuals charged fall within all three of these categories.”
Garod said many of the students have left the area for summer break and prosecutors have been contacting them asking them to turn themselves in. As of Friday, 10 members were arrested and released on hand summonses. Those students have been identified as Seth Burdick, Benjamin Chase, Robert Doherty, Daniel Fachiol, Charles Farrah, Robert Hardy, Jr., Oliver Jacques, Gabriel Kwan, Mason Steele, and Colby Travis. They are due in court on July 13.
The remaining 36 students have not been identified. If found guilty, the students could face a $1,200 fine. The SAE New Hampshire Beta chapter was also charged and could face up to a $20,000 fine.
In 2014, SAE banned pledging for new members following numerous hazing incidents that resulted in student deaths, including the 2008 death of Carson Starkey, a California Polytechnic State University student who died from alcohol poisoning while pledging SAE.
SAE still recruits new members and extends them an invitation to join but those who accept almost automatically become full members.
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