Seven SDSU fraternities currently under investigation

Seven San Diego State fraternities are required to stop their activities amidst an ongoing investigation

by Eugenie Budnik, News Editor • October 4, 2023

A snapshot of Hepner Hall, San Diego State University’s oldest building, opened in 1931.

Seven San Diego State fraternities have been placed on interim suspension as the university investigates reports of misconduct.

The fraternities include Phi Kappa Psi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Phi Delta Theta, Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Phi.

In an email statement to The Daily Aztec, SDSU said, “Interim suspensions imposed on the individual fraternities are not connected to one another.”

The reasoning for the suspensions has not been made public, as all suspended seven organizations are currently under investigation.

“Given the open investigations and each organization’s right to due process, no further details are available at this time,” SDSU said in the statement.

Under the interim suspension, all seven fraternities are required to stop their organizational activities.

“Interim suspensions are put into place as part of an effort to address behavioral concerns within a recognized student organization while the concerns are investigated. SDSU prioritizes the health and safety of our campus community and takes reports of alleged misconduct seriously,” the email read.

Students showed mixed reactions for the mass fraternity suspension, but some are unsure of what transgression the organizations made.

“I think it’s crazy that seven got suspended all at the same time. I saw a guy with a ‘free SDSU’ shirt on,” Jack Swinson, a third-year international business major, said. “I’m in Alpha Epsilon Pi, we didn’t get suspended. It is nice that we didn’t get suspended, and I’m not sure why (the seven fraternities) got suspended.”

These suspensions all come following the end of SDSU’s “dry period,” which lasts from Aug. 1 to Oct. 1 every academic year.

During the dry period, all events held by recognized student organizations must be drug and alcohol free, according to SDSU’s website.

“I honestly saw it coming, especially since Oct. 1. is a really big deal in the Greek Life community,” said Madeline Eikamp, a senior political science major and member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. “I wasn’t really surprised.”

Once the investigation has concluded, a letter detailing the university’s decisions will be posted on SDSU’s Organizational Policy and Misconduct page.

This story is ongoing.

About the Contributors

Eugenie Budnik, '24-25 News Editor, '23-24 News Editor

Eugenie Budnik is currently obtaining her MA in Mass Communication and Media Studies from San Diego State University. Eugenie graduated from San Diego State University with a BA of Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising in Spring 2024. As an ex-military child, Eugenie spent time growing up in Japan, England, Colorado and San Diego. Eugenie joined The Daily Aztec in 2021, when she was originally an elementary education major. Eugenie's time spent reporting on news for The Daily Aztec developed her love and passion for journalism, ultimately leading her to change her major. Since then, Eugenie has written over 50 pieces for The Daily Aztec and is now serving as the news editor for the second year in a row. Outside of her work, you can find Eugenie jamming out to Taylor Swift, reading, or scrolling through Tik Tok.

Isabella Biunno, '24-25 Managing Editor, '23-24 Photo Editor

Isabella Biunno is the Managing Editor for The Daily Aztec. She is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a part of publications for seven years. She is a third-year Psychology major with an emphasis in Neuroscience, and she plans to go to graduate school to become a Doctor of Occupational Therapy. She loves photography, editing, and creating, and she can’t wait to continue contributing to the DA. One thing she is passionate about outside of photojournalism is being involved in the disability community. She is an instructor at SDSU’s Adaptive Fitness Clinic, president of the Pre-Occupational Therapy Student Association, and a board member for a nonprofit called Mentoring Autistic Minds. She works as an instructor at a company back home called Inclusion Fusion where she is able to work with individuals with disabilities. Although her career-related passions fall in the healthcare field, she enjoys journalism just as much. She looks forward to expanding her experience as an editor this year.