Anti-Hazing Hotline Aims to Improve Greek Life on College Campuses
The College Fraternity and Sorority Anti-Hazing Hotline (1-888-NOT-HAZE) received 55 calls during the fall 2009 semester. The hotline, launched in 2007, provides a way for members of fraternities or sororities to report possible hazing incidents.
The College Fraternity and Sorority Anti-Hazing Hotline (1-888-NOT-HAZE) received 55 calls during the fall 2009 semester. This is roughly on pace with last year, as more calls are received in spring due to greater recruiting second semester.
The hotline provides a way for members of fraternities or sororities across the nation to report possible hazing incidents. The Anti-Hazing Hotline was initiated in 2007 with 17 sponsoring Greek organizations. There are now 30 sponsors, representing approximately 35% of all national Greek members.
All of the 55 calls were determined to be valid and reported a possible future hazing event or one that had happened. Thirty-five of the calls were related to one of the 30 sponsoring organizations, while the other 20 alleged hazing by a non-fraternal student group, a local Greek group or by a chapter of a national organization not a sponsor.
“The 30 sponsors have approximately 3,000 chapters, so the incidence is roughly one per 86 chapters,” according to Norval Stephens of Delta Tau Delta, one of the founders of the hotline. “After being notified of a complaint, the sponsoring organizations took immediate action through their own investigation. If hazing were substantiated, intervention and sanctions were implemented, including closing the chapter in some cases,” he added.
There is increasing awareness of the hotline through national and college media, articles in the sponsoring Greek organizations’ magazine, letters to parents, postings in chapter houses and on campus.
The hotline is housed in the offices of Manley Burke law offices in Cincinnati. Calls are received around the clock on a voice mail system that digitally records the call. The call is then forwarded via an e-mail audio clip to the headquarters of the group involved together with the state hazing law that is applicable. A call relating to a non-sponsoring Greek organization is handled the same way as if it were a member. Sponsors paid $450 to join initially and thereafter pay a $100 annual service maintenance fee.
Calls relating to another student group or local fraternity or sorority are passed to the college or university involved.
The current sponsors of the hotline are:
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Epsilon Phi
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Phi
Alpha Sigma Phi
Alpha Sigma Tau
Chi Omega
Delta Chi
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Upsilon
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Lambda Chi Alpha
Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Sigma
Phi Kappa Tau
Pi Beta Phi
Pi Kappa Phi
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Pi
Sigma Sigma Sigma
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Theta Xi
Zeta Beta Tau
Zeta Tau Alpha
(for more information, call Dan McCarthy at (513) 721-5525 or Norval Stephens at (847) 382-1588)
