Police Seek Criminal Complaints Against 14 Suspects In BU Hazing
BOSTON (CBS) - A local chapter of a national fraternity made up of Boston University students has been suspended.
Police found five BU students nearly naked and tied together with duct tape early Monday, sparking a hazing investigation into Alpha Epsilon Pi, an underground fraternity not sanctioned by the school.
On Tuesday, Boston Police detectives sought criminal complaints against 14 suspects involved in the incident. All 14 suspects will face complaints of Hazing, Failure to Report Hazing and Assault & Battery. Three of the 14 suspects will also face complaints of Keeper of a Disorderly House.
The students will face a total of more than 70 charges. Their landlord is also evicting them. "I'm not going to miss them, that's for sure," says Eric Lee, who lives across the street. "There were always cops right in front of our house."
Boston University's Dean of Students, Kenneth Elmore, says the students will have a chance to defend themselves. "I can tell if the facts are as they're alleged here, I can tell you this is the kind of offense where we would ask students to no longer be affiliated with B.U.," says Elmore.
The allegations prompted AEPi to suspend the BU chapter of their fraternity on Tuesday.
"Appalling… the allegations are disturbing and in no way reflect our values or principles of brotherhood," said Jon Pierce, a spokesperson for Alpha Epsilon Pi.
AEPi also suspended all of the local chapter's members, or about 30 people. The chapter has been recognized by AEPi for about 5 years, but is not recognized by BU. At the conclusion of the investigation, AEPi will determine the long-term future of the BU chapter.
A hearing is scheduled for the 14 suspects on May 7 in Brighton District Court.
WBZ-TV's Christina Hager contributed to this report.
