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YSU suspends KAP fraternity after assault of student
TweetKappa Alpha Psi accused of hazing
"THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS CASE ARE OUTRAGEOUS AND UNCONSCIONABLE AND AGAINST THE VERY FABRIC OF EVERYTHING THAT YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY STANDS FOR.” -- Cynthia Anderson, YSU president
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
Youngstown State University’s first black and oldest fraternity has been suspended after a student was beaten off-campus, and amid allegations of hazing.
President Cynthia E. Anderson said an internal investigation is ongoing and could lead to the permanent revocation of Kappa Alpha Psi’s charter at YSU.
City police are investigating the assault of YSU student Resean M. Yancey, 20, of Selma Avenue, whose family believes he was a victim of hazing.
According to a police report filed Feb. 2, Yancey was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center by a friend about 8 p.m. Feb. 1. The report says he had been assaulted and beaten by unidentified suspects, “causing injuries, concussion and contusions all over his body.”
YSU Police Lt. Mike Cretella, the interim police chief, said Yancey was released from the hospital Wednesday and is recovering at home.
“The circumstances of this case are outrageous and unconscionable and against the very fabric of everything that Youngstown State University stands for,” Anderson said at a news conference Thursday. “We will not, under any circumstances, tolerate such behavior, and we will work diligently to make sure that any student organization or individual that in any way participates in such behavior is removed from the university.”
Kappa Alpha Psi was chartered at YSU in 1946. Its website says the YSU chapter was the university’s first black Greek-letter organization and is “currently the oldest chapter of any fraternity at YSU.”
Kappa Alpha Psi is part of the National Panhellenic Council but not the Interfraternity Council at YSU.
Keith Hunt, executive director of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., the national organization in Philadelphia, said the national was notified by Cretella on Wednesday about the investigation and is compiling information.
“We did contact our [regional] leader, and we then asked him to do a cease-and-desist order,” Hunt said. The local fraternity is forbidden from participating as a Kappa Alpha Psi chapter during the course of the investigation, he said.
The regional leader also will conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
Hunt said the national fraternity policy prohibits hazing.
The police report says both Yancey’s mother and grandmother noticed different behavior in the young man for the previous two weeks, including going out late at night.
Family members told police at the time of the report that they believe his injuries may be the results of hazing, the report said.
A man who answered the telephone at the Yancey home Thursday said the family didn’t want to comment.
University police are working with city police in the investigation.
“We had enough information that we felt we absolutely had to take some action,” Anderson said.
She declined to say where the beating occurred because of the ongoing police investigation.
The fraternity is being suspended under YSU’s Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct, which prohibits hazing, the YSU president said.
Because of the suspension, the fraternity is denied access to the campus and prohibited from participating in any university activities.
Jack Fahey, vice president for student affairs, said that while other Greek organizations at YSU have been suspended in the past, he’s not aware of any suspensions because of hazing allegations.
Anderson said the alleged incident reflects poorly on other student organizations that are working positively on behalf of YSU and their members.
“I want to make it perfectly clear that any campus student organization or individual student participating in any activity that threatens the safety of the YSU community will be dealt with promptly and severely,” she said.
Kappa Alpha Psi has had problems at other campuses.
In 2010, the Student Judicial Board at Georgia State University ruled that Kappa Alpha Psi would be permanently suspended from campus due to alleged hazing, according to its student newspaper.
The board concluded that on Dec. 16, 2009, a student was “slapped in the face three times and punched in the stomach, an area of his body that had a surgical scar from a previous injury.”
"THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS CASE ARE OUTRAGEOUS AND UNCONSCIONABLE AND AGAINST THE VERY FABRIC OF EVERYTHING THAT YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY STANDS FOR.” -- Cynthia Anderson, YSU president
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
Youngstown State University’s first black and oldest fraternity has been suspended after a student was beaten off-campus, and amid allegations of hazing.
President Cynthia E. Anderson said an internal investigation is ongoing and could lead to the permanent revocation of Kappa Alpha Psi’s charter at YSU.
City police are investigating the assault of YSU student Resean M. Yancey, 20, of Selma Avenue, whose family believes he was a victim of hazing.
According to a police report filed Feb. 2, Yancey was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center by a friend about 8 p.m. Feb. 1. The report says he had been assaulted and beaten by unidentified suspects, “causing injuries, concussion and contusions all over his body.”
YSU Police Lt. Mike Cretella, the interim police chief, said Yancey was released from the hospital Wednesday and is recovering at home.
“The circumstances of this case are outrageous and unconscionable and against the very fabric of everything that Youngstown State University stands for,” Anderson said at a news conference Thursday. “We will not, under any circumstances, tolerate such behavior, and we will work diligently to make sure that any student organization or individual that in any way participates in such behavior is removed from the university.”
Kappa Alpha Psi was chartered at YSU in 1946. Its website says the YSU chapter was the university’s first black Greek-letter organization and is “currently the oldest chapter of any fraternity at YSU.”
Kappa Alpha Psi is part of the National Panhellenic Council but not the Interfraternity Council at YSU.
Keith Hunt, executive director of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., the national organization in Philadelphia, said the national was notified by Cretella on Wednesday about the investigation and is compiling information.
“We did contact our [regional] leader, and we then asked him to do a cease-and-desist order,” Hunt said. The local fraternity is forbidden from participating as a Kappa Alpha Psi chapter during the course of the investigation, he said.
The regional leader also will conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
Hunt said the national fraternity policy prohibits hazing.
The police report says both Yancey’s mother and grandmother noticed different behavior in the young man for the previous two weeks, including going out late at night.
Family members told police at the time of the report that they believe his injuries may be the results of hazing, the report said.
A man who answered the telephone at the Yancey home Thursday said the family didn’t want to comment.
University police are working with city police in the investigation.
“We had enough information that we felt we absolutely had to take some action,” Anderson said.
She declined to say where the beating occurred because of the ongoing police investigation.
The fraternity is being suspended under YSU’s Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct, which prohibits hazing, the YSU president said.
Because of the suspension, the fraternity is denied access to the campus and prohibited from participating in any university activities.
Jack Fahey, vice president for student affairs, said that while other Greek organizations at YSU have been suspended in the past, he’s not aware of any suspensions because of hazing allegations.
Anderson said the alleged incident reflects poorly on other student organizations that are working positively on behalf of YSU and their members.
“I want to make it perfectly clear that any campus student organization or individual student participating in any activity that threatens the safety of the YSU community will be dealt with promptly and severely,” she said.
Kappa Alpha Psi has had problems at other campuses.
In 2010, the Student Judicial Board at Georgia State University ruled that Kappa Alpha Psi would be permanently suspended from campus due to alleged hazing, according to its student newspaper.
The board concluded that on Dec. 16, 2009, a student was “slapped in the face three times and punched in the stomach, an area of his body that had a surgical scar from a previous injury.”
Comments
Sounds like it's time for Anderson to step down when she can't control hazing by frats. This story made national news.
Even blacks being educated can't control the Hoodrat in themselves. What a shame this had to happen at YSU who is trying so hard to help blacks improve their lot in life with education.
this has to be the work of a handful of sociopaths posing as college students. wonder what the gpa and graduation rate for this frat is ? wanna bet they're stupid ?
Darn, there goes that Rhodes Scholar invitation down the drain....wonder if any of these so called "men" even know where the Library is.?
This sure sounds like the typical gang style "beat down" or "beat in" or whatever the term of the day may be.
Unionforever, what kind of ignorant comment is that? What do you call the white fraternities that get suspendid for hazing? This is not uncommon in fraternity life. I belong to a national fraternity and we have pledgeing guide lines that have to be followed. But sometimes, rules are not followed. Have you ever been to college? Sounds like you are one of those uneducated, rotten teeth, trailor trash, red neck kind of person. If you know what I mean.As I said before, you've been under the clouds for too long.
I've never understood why anyone would want to be in a frat. If you can't find friends on your own the kind you meet in those houses won't do you any good.
"Even blacks being educated can't control the Hoodrat in themselves. What a shame this had to happen at YSU who is trying so hard to help blacks improve their lot in life with education."
...I wanted to make sure I put the above in quotes......actually, most hazing incidents involve predominately white fraternaties. Although by your post, it sounds like you haven't been on a college campus in quite a while, if ever.
The ethnic composition of most college fraternaties is integrated now. Oh my, "unionforever"! Blacks and white living together! What has the world come to?
I have to say one thng, "unionforever", you're a great message board troll.
cable tv has a show " gangland" where a beating is a typical gang initiation. usually nonwhite. these people at ysu believe they are gangsters. this is a result of ysu admitting anybody who can breathe and bring in some sort of fee for their presence in school.
"Kappa Alpha Psi has had problems at other campuses."
Enough said.