MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at West Virginia University has been suspended following an incident in downtown Morgantown on Wednesday involving fraternity members.
WVU’s Office of Student Life made the announcement Friday morning, two days after seven Phi Gamma Delta members participated in a prank that witnesses confused for an attempted abduction. Witnesses notified MECCA911 of what appeared to be a dispute on Spruce Street and Forest Avenue. When police arrived they found Christopher Grace, 21, of Arlington, Va. in the truck of a car, bound with duct tape. Grace was freed from the vehicle.
Roy Baker, associate dean of students and director of Greek Life at WVU did not consider the incident a prank.
“The pledge class had a planned event where they were going to take their new member educator out because it was his birthday. The new member educator knew it was going to happen but it should not have happened in the first place. When they were in the process of kidnapping the new member educator and his best buddy here at the university is when the people called the police.”
Morgantown Police continue to investigate the incident.
“None of its should have happened. Pledges should be educated during this time, not functioning as brothers or hosting events,” said Baker. “The new member educator and chapter president and the whole group should have said ‘no, this is not what you’re going to do.'”
“It’s not what WVU stands for and it has nothing to do with what it means to be a member of a fraternity or sorority,” Baker said.
During the suspension, Phi Gamma Delta is prohibited from participating in any social Greek activity or accessing any service without the prior written consent of an authorized University employee.
The fraternity may still have regular chapter and executive board meetings and participate in pre-approved philanthropic functions. However, the members under investigation for this current incident are prohibited from any participation.
“Their social lives are suspended and the new members should stay away from the chapter until we get this chapter to a place where they understand what our expectations are.”
In addition, the chapter’s New Member Education Program is suspended; and the chapter and its members are not allowed to have contact with new members. New members are also prohibited from the fraternity house or any function hosted by the fraternity or its members.
West Virginia University and Phi Gamma Delta’s national leaders continue to investigate and gather information.