Twenty-one students were kicked out of Sydney St. John's College, Australia's oldest Catholic college, earlier this month for their alleged roles in a March hazing episode that left a teenage student hospitalized.
The students got word of their expulsion when St. John's Rector Michael Bongers wrote to tell them their readmission had been denied. Bongers had suspended 30 students for their role in a March hazing incident.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports a first-year female student was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with a bleeding stomach after being pressured to drink a toxic cocktail containing shampoo, alcohol and dog food during an ''O'' Week hazing ritual. The teenage student was reportedly close to death, but she survived.
Twelve others who were involved in the incident were not expelled from the college because they did not reapply -- that means all 33 students involved will no longer be attending St. John's. Three of the now former students would have been on the coming year's college council as president, secretary and treasurer.
UPI reports there was pressure in the immediate aftermath of the "O" Week incident to remove several administrators and all 18 fellows of the college's board resigned.
St. John's College is part of the University of Sydney, where many first year students -- known as "freshers" -- face hazing rituals both on and off campus.
The expelled students will be allowed to apply to other University of Sydney colleges, but are unlikely to be admitted to any religious institutions situated on the university grounds.