Several dozen members of a fraternity at the University of New Hampshire have been charged for an alleged hazing incident, the Durham Police Department announced Friday.
On April 13, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon New Hampshire Beta chapter hosted an event at its house with new members of the fraternity. Five days later, the university alerted authorities of an alleged hazing incident stemming from the event. According to police, an investigation concluded that there was “probable cause that the crime of Student Hazing had occurred.”
Arrest warrants for 46 members of the organization, as well as the SAE New Hampshire Beta organization, were issued on June 7, police said. Student hazing is a misdemeanor, and the accused fraternity members could face a $1,200 fine if found guilty, while the fraternity itself could face up to a $20,000 fine.
As of Friday, 10 members have been arrested: Seth Burdick, Benjamin Chase, Robert Doherty, Daniel Fachiol, Charles Farrah, Robert Hardy, Jr., Oliver Jacques, Gabriel Kwan, Mason Steele and Colby Travis.
They were released on hand sommonses and will appear in court on July 13.
Police did not identify the 36 others charged in the incident.
In a statement to CBS News, the university said it suspended the fraternity during the investigation.
“We take any allegation of hazing very seriously, and now that the police investigation is complete, we will be initiating a formal conduct process,” the statement said.
