FSU President Suspends All Fraternities, Sororities

Freshman Andrew Coffey died the morning after a party
By Josh Rosenblatt,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 6, 2017 4:35 PM CST
FSU President Suspends All Fraternities, Sororities
FSU President John Thrasher   (Joe Rondone/Tallahassee Democrat via AP)

Following the death of a student at a party this past weekend, Florida State University has indefinitely banned all fraternities and sororities. Andrew Coffey, a 20-year-old civil engineering student and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity pledge, was found unresponsive Friday, the morning after a chapter party, and pronounced dead at the scene, USA Today reports. In response, FSU President John Thrasher announced an indefinite suspension of Greek life and a ban on alcohol at all student events. “All of our student organizations—Greek organizations and the other recognized student organizations on campus—must step up," Thrasher said Monday. "They will have to participate in the solution.”

Tallahassee police say that while they have reason to believe alcohol played a role in Coffey's death, they are waiting for the results of an autopsy. Pi Kappa Phi has faced disciplinary action numerous times over the last five years, the Sun-Sentinel reports, including for alcohol violations. And the FSU chapter was sanctioned by the national office in 2012, 2014, and 2015, though no misconduct allegations were filed in the last year. Twenty-two percent of all FSU undergraduates belong to a Greek organization. "For this suspension to end, there will need to be a new normal for Greek Life at the university," Thrasher said. "There must be a new culture, and our students must be full participants in creating it." (More Florida State University stories.)

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