Possible goat hazing probed at WKU
07:25 AM EST on Friday, February 17, 2006

By ELIZABETH DUNBAR / Associated Press Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- It was a routine check on a loud party, but Bowling Green police officers found more than they expected at a Western Kentucky University fraternity house.

Officers found a goat in the fraternity's basement during the party early Thursday, and now university officials are investigating a possible hazing incident.

Police cited Trenton Dakota Jackson, 19, with second degree cruelty to animals. According to the police report, the goat had no food or water and was found in a storage room where it had no room to walk around.

Bowling Green police spokesman Barry Pruitt said it's unclear how long the goat had been there, but police were told it was to be used in a hazing ritual. The goat was taken to the Warren County Humane Society where it was to be examined by a veterinarian on Thursday.

"We probably deal with animal cruelty cases on a weekly basis, but not animal cruelty of this nature," Pruitt said.

The fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho, has been ordered to suspend all chapter activities pending the outcome of the investigation, university spokesman Bob Skipper said. The university, located in southwestern Kentucky about 110 miles south of Louisville, defines hazing as harmful activities that are part of being initiated or affiliated with any organization.

"This is something the university takes very seriously," Skipper said.

The executive director of Alpha Gamma Rho's national organization in Kansas City, Mo., said he's also suspended the fraternity chapter. The organization will send someone to the university to investigate the allegations and cooperate with university officials, director Philip Josephson said.

"We do find the whole thing reprehensible, but we have to find out what really happened first," Josephson said. "It does not sound like anything other than intolerable."

The fraternity considers itself a social and professional fraternity, catering to students studying agriculture and related fields. Josephson said the fraternity has policies against hazing and doesn't have pledging, a selection process used by many fraternities and sororities.

According to the Alpha Gamma Rho Web site, "You join as an equal member. (Alpha Gamma Rho) does a careful review of all potential members in advance, so there's no need for a 'weeding out' process."

Charley Pride, the university's student activities director, said the fraternity chapter hasn't faced sanctions related to hazing in recent years, but had an alcohol violation last August.

There have been three incidents since 1996 at the university in which investigators determined that hazing occurred. The most severe involved physical and mental abuse, and the fraternity involved was sanctioned by the university for four years, Pride said.

"If we do find these things happening, we take action," he said. "I don't think there's a rampant problem of hazing on our campus."

University officials still have to determine how many students were allegedly involved before placing sanctions on the entire fraternity, Pride said.

"We'll take action depending on what we find out," he said.