Fraternity pledge quits after hazing charge
Will York
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Campus News
This is the 1st update to this story, which UPDATES with Greek Life sanctions against the fraternity, Tuesday meeting.
A UT Martin student has quit the fraternity he accused of forcing him to drink alcohol and have sex with a goat, the fraternity's president said Monday.
Matthew Eades, 18 of Cumberland Furnace, Tenn., a small town about 30 miles west of Nashville, told campus police early Oct. 18 that members of the Kappa Alpha Order made him drink large amounts of alcohol, go into a wooded area and have sex with a goat.
He later recanted part of his statement.
Eades was found by campus police wearing only a blanket and underwear and was cited with underage drinking and public intoxication.
The Office of Greek Life has imposed sanctions against Kappa Alpha for underage drinking violations related to the incident, Louis Ragsdale, the office's director, said on Tuesday.
Eades, who was a KA pledge, said fraternity members told him if he refused to have sex with a goat, he would not be allowed to join the fraternity.
When he refused, he said fraternity members made him take off his clothes and walk back to campus, according to the police report. Eades told police he walked for nearly two hours trying to find the UTM campus.
A few hours later, Eades told police that his initial statement was made under the influence of alcohol.
Eades said he and his pledge brothers were blindfolded the night before, provided alcohol and told they would have sex with a farm animal.
"He stated he realized that this suggestion was only a mind game, and he then was challenged to walk back to campus as a dare, but not ordered to by the KA brothers," Lt. Darrell Simmons wrote in his report. "Mr. Eades stated he at no time felt threatened or compelled to comply with the instructions and did so voluntarily."
Eades' case was referred to the Division of Student Affairs instead of criminal court because he had no prior criminal record.
A UT Martin student has quit the fraternity he accused of forcing him to drink alcohol and have sex with a goat, the fraternity's president said Monday.
Matthew Eades, 18 of Cumberland Furnace, Tenn., a small town about 30 miles west of Nashville, told campus police early Oct. 18 that members of the Kappa Alpha Order made him drink large amounts of alcohol, go into a wooded area and have sex with a goat.
He later recanted part of his statement.
Eades was found by campus police wearing only a blanket and underwear and was cited with underage drinking and public intoxication.
The Office of Greek Life has imposed sanctions against Kappa Alpha for underage drinking violations related to the incident, Louis Ragsdale, the office's director, said on Tuesday.
Eades, who was a KA pledge, said fraternity members told him if he refused to have sex with a goat, he would not be allowed to join the fraternity.
When he refused, he said fraternity members made him take off his clothes and walk back to campus, according to the police report. Eades told police he walked for nearly two hours trying to find the UTM campus.
A few hours later, Eades told police that his initial statement was made under the influence of alcohol.
Eades said he and his pledge brothers were blindfolded the night before, provided alcohol and told they would have sex with a farm animal.
"He stated he realized that this suggestion was only a mind game, and he then was challenged to walk back to campus as a dare, but not ordered to by the KA brothers," Lt. Darrell Simmons wrote in his report. "Mr. Eades stated he at no time felt threatened or compelled to comply with the instructions and did so voluntarily."
Eades' case was referred to the Division of Student Affairs instead of criminal court because he had no prior criminal record.