All Greek rush and pledge activities have been banned for three years at Baruch College in New York City, The Washington Post reported Friday. This announcement comes shortly after a lawsuit against the college from the family of Chun "Michael" Deng, a Baruch freshman who died during a fraternity pledging ritual in 2013. Deng's family is suing the school for $25 million, according to DNAinfo.
"Our overriding interest is in ensuring the safety, well-being, and development of our students," Provost Dave Christy said in a statement Tuesday. "While we know this outcome is not what the members of our fraternities and sororities had hoped for, we firmly believe this course of action is in the best interest of the aforementioned goals."
During the ban, Greek organizations must submit rosters of their members to the Office of Student Life and conduct all their social activities on campus. They will also participate in mandatory anti-hazing, anti-bullying and sexual assault prevention training programs.
Deng died in December 2013 from a fatal brain injury during a Pi Delta Psi pledging event. Deng was blindfolded and carrying a backpack containing 20 pounds of sand while brothers tackled him in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. He apparently fell and hit his head, leading to his death.
Police said the brothers did not seek medical attention for Deng until more than 90 minutes after his injury, in the meantime looking up his symptoms on the Internet. Deng's death was ruled a homicide. Baruch instituted a lifetime ban for Pi Delta Psi, and the national fraternity revoked its affiliation with the school's chapter.
There have been more than 65 reported hazing incidents across the country this school year, according to a HuffPost tracking.
All fraternity activities were suspended at Clemson University in South Carolina last fall after a pledge died during a run with his fraternity. The student's parents have since sued the university, the fraternity and three brothers for $50 million. Last August, a student death during a fraternity pledge hike at California State University, Northridge, was linked to hazing. And in November, a student died of alcohol consumption during an alleged hazing incident at the University of Albany.