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Bloomsburg University eliminates fraternities, sororities

  • The Associated Press
FILE: Bloomsburg University's Carver Hall overlooks downtown Friday, April 18, 2003, in Bloomsburg, Pa.

 Pat Little / AP Photo

FILE: Bloomsburg University's Carver Hall overlooks downtown Friday, April 18, 2003, in Bloomsburg, Pa.

(Bloomsburg) — Bloomsburg University is doing away with Greek life, effective immediately.

The state-owned university said it has severed ties with all 16 of its fraternities and sororities, both local and national. Bloomsburg announced the decision on Thursday in a two-sentence email to the university community.

Bloomsburg officials have not said why they disbanded the Greek life system, but the move comes after years of problems at the school’s fraternities and sororities, including allegations of hazing, alcohol abuse and sexual assault, according to the Press Enterprise newspaper.

After an 18-year-old freshman, Justin King, fell to his death in September 2019, a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his family said he had consumed alcohol at a fraternity or sorority rush party hours earlier. Bloomsburg shut down eight fraternities and sororities after his death.

The school had warned Greek organizations in January that it would not tolerate any more violations. But Bloomsburg’s president, Bashar Hanna, had said in March that the school wanted to promote a “positive” Greek life system, adding it would not be fair to punish all fraternity and sorority members for the bad behavior of some.

Bloomsburg enrolls nearly 8,000 undergraduate students. It is among six state-owned universities that could be merged into two new institutions under a recently announced consolidation plan.

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