Alpha Phi Alpha Members Charged
Published May 1st, 2012
"Especially in a campus as large as ours, people feel lonely, like they don't belong. So the idea to belonging to subgroup, either professional or social, same values as you do...you feel like a home away from home,"said Dr. Frederick Shenkman, a University of Florida Emeritus Professor of Criminology and Sociology.
But with that "search for home" may come some type of initiation gone wrong... like it did for pledges of Alph Phi Alpha, earlier this year. And today nine of the brothers of the fraternity at the University of Florida are charged with hazing, a first degree misdemeanor.
Dominique Martin, Chrisopher Jenkins, Brandon Daniel, Gregory Gavis, Jason Dubery, Chad Billington, Gary Terrell, Metkel Beiene and Safo Agyemang are all accused of paddling five pledges and hitting them in the chest as a hazing ritual. Hazing is common among fraternities and sororities and can be done in several ways.
"You may have case were you have un wanting touching, some type of infliction, some type of punishment and that can result in some type of injury," said Spencer Mann, State Attorney's Spokesman.
According to a claim reported by UF police to the State Attorney's Office, pledges were, what they call "thunderslaped" by a paddle. This happened after they failed to correctly answer questions about the fraternity.
"I think it's sad that someone would be treated like that just to be in a group of men," said Raciel Pintado, a memeber of Sigma Alpha Mu, fraternity at UF.
Raciel knows hazing happens in other frats and thinks it shouldn't be allowed.
"Of course it's sad I agree with the law in Florida," Raciel adds.
Florida law states that hazing is a first degree misdemeanor if it creates a substantial risk of injury.
"The injuries were bruising and welts on a couple of the individuals but nothing disfiguring, nothing death threatening," Mann said.
Students are facing up to a year in jail and up to a $1000 fine. None of the nine students charged have a past criminal history...which is taken into consideration when determining the verdict. All the defendants will receive a summons to appear in court to face the charges.
