JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Four Florida State University fraternity brothers have been arrested and charged with hazing. Police said the arrest came after months of investigating complaints from an anonymous tipster.
The FSU students are members of Sigma Chi and two of those fraternity brothers who were arrested are from Jacksonville. They were each charged with misdemeanor hazing for an alleged incident last October.
The Sigma Chi chapter at FSU has been suspended pending this investigation. Police said Michael Salem, Charles Kalb, Alex Lavine and Tyler Linabury organized and supervised the rituals, including taping bottles of liquor to the hands of pledges and pressuring them to finish the entire bottle.
Channel 4 was told that Salem and Kalb are from Jacksonville.
Channel 4's crime and safety expert, Ken Jefferson, spoke to Channel 4 about hazing rituals Friday night.
"It's something that is part of a tradition for many years. That doesn't make it right or safe. It's unlawful," said Jefferson. "All of these organizations are going to have to properly monitor these situations to try to control it."
In a statement, the national chapter of Sigma Chi said, "The Sigma Chi executive committee was made aware of the charges late Friday morning and moved quickly to suspend the chapter. The chapter will have a 45-day window to appeal and is invited to show case as to why it should continue to exist. The fraternity is working in connection with FSU administration and will cooperate with local authorities."