Sigma Alpha Epsilon

{{Infobox Fraternity

| name = Sigma Alpha Epsilon

| letters = {{lang|grc|ΣΑΕ}}

| crest = Saecoat.png

| image_size = 190px

| founded = {{Start date and age|1856|3|9}}

| birthplace = University of Alabama

| affiliation = NIC

| status = Active

| type = Social fraternity

| scope = National (US)

| motto = Phi Alpha ({{lang|grc|ΦΑ}})

| mission =

| colors = {{Color box|#6B3FA0|border=darkgray}} Royal purple
{{Color box|#CFB53B|border=darkgray}} Old gold

| flag = 120px

| flower = Violet

| publication = The Phi Alpha
The Record

| symbol = Lion

| patron roman divinity = Minerva

| chapters = 215 Active

| colonies = 21

| members = 15,000

| lifetime = 362,500+

| address = 1856 Sheridan Road

| city = Evanston

| state = Illinois

| ZIP code = 60208

| country = United States

| homepage = {{URL|http://www.sae.net|sae.net}}

| footnotes = {{cite web | url=http://www.sae.net/factsandfigures | title=Facts & Figures | publisher=Sigma Alpha Epsilon | access-date=February 3, 2015}}

}}

Sigma Alpha Epsilon ({{lang|grc|ΣΑΕ}}) is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on March 9, 1856.Baird, William Raimond, ed. (1905). "[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101067000206?urlappend=%3Bseq=265%3Bownerid=27021597767049231-281 Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities]" 6th ed. New York: The Alcolm Company – via Hathi Trust. Of all existing national social fraternities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South.{{cite news|last1=Breed|first1=Allen G.|title=Fraternity in racist video has roots in antebellum South|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-fraternity-in-racist-video-has-roots-in-2015mar10-story.html|access-date=January 31, 2018|work=San Diego Union Tribune|agency=Associated Press|date=March 10, 2015}} Its national headquarters, the Levere Memorial Temple, was established next to the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in 1926. The fraternity's mission statement is "To promote the highest standards of friendship, scholarship, and service for our members throughout life."{{Cite web |title=Mission & Vision |url=https://www.sae.net/about/mission-vision/ |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Sigma Alpha Epsilon |language=en-US}}

The fraternity has chapters and emerging chapters in 50 states and provinces as of 2011.{{cite web|title=155 Founder's Day Announcement|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktdA5Pc4ITQ| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/ktdA5Pc4ITQ| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|work=155 2011 Founder's Day Announcement| date=March 8, 2011 }}{{cbignore}}

Sigma Alpha Epsilon had eleven deaths linked to drinking, drugs and hazing between 2006 and 2013, more than any other Greek organization in the United States according to data compiled by Bloomberg. During the 2010s, at least 18 Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapters were suspended, closed, or banned. In March 2014, the fraternity announced that it was eliminating the tradition of pledging following these deaths and other hazing incidents.{{cite news|last=Dave|first=Paresh|title=Sigma Alpha Epsilon ends pledging process, citing hazing deaths|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-frat-ends-pledging-20140309,0,7957455.story|access-date=March 11, 2014|newspaper=Baltimore Sun|date=March 9, 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sigma-alpha-epsilon-were-banning-pledging-n48406 |title=Sigma Alpha Epsilon: We're Banning Pledging |publisher=NBC News |date=March 9, 2014 |access-date=March 10, 2015}}

History

File:Alabama Mu Marker.JPG in Tuscaloosa]]

Sigma Alpha Epsilon was founded on March 9, 1856, at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.{{Cite book |last=Owen |first=Thomas McAdory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r0kUAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22Abner+Edwin+Patton%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA1247 |title=History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography |date=1921 |publisher=S. J. Clarke publishing Company |page=1247 |language=en}} Its founders were Noble Leslie DeVotie, Nathan Elams Cockrell, Samuel Marion Dennis, John Barrett Rudulph, Abner Edwin Patton, Wade Hampton Foster, Thomas Chappell Cook, and John Webb Kerr."[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120667199/sigma-alpha-epsilon-group-will-observe-a/ Sigma Alpha Epsilon Group Will Observe Anniversary]". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 1956-03-04. p. 54. Retrieved 2023-03-12. Their leader was DeVotie, who wrote the ritual, created the grip, and chose the name. Rudulph designed the fraternity badge. Of all existing national social fraternities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only national fraternity founded in the Antebellum South.{{cite web|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/09/fraternity-caught-video-singing-racist-song |title=Fraternity Caught on Video Singing Racist Song @insidehighered |publisher=Insidehighered.com |date=March 6, 2015 |access-date=March 10, 2015}}

Patton was selected as the fraternity's first president.Myhre, Erik L. (2007). "[https://public.wsu.edu/~sae/hist-1.htm The History of Sigma Alpha Epsilon: Part One: 1856 - 1865]". Washington State University (published 1997). Retrieved 2023-03-11.Levere, William Collin (1911). T [https://books.google.com/books?id=619CAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22Abner+Edwin+Patton%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA68 he History of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity][https://books.google.com/books?id=619CAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22Abner+Edwin+Patton%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA68 . Vol. 1]. Chicago: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company. pp. 68–69 – via Google Books. In the fall of 1854, Patton was the only Sigma Alpha Epsilon founder still enrolled at the university and continued to serve as its president. His efforts led to the expansion of the fraternity to the University of Nashville (now Vanderbilt University), Union College, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in January and February 1857. By the end of 1857, the fraternity had grown to seven chapters. Its first national convention met in the summer of 1858 at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with four of its eight chapters in attendance.

By the time the American Civil War began in 1861, fifteen chapters had been established. The fraternity had fewer than 400 members when the Civil War began. Of those, 370 went to war for the Confederate States and seven for the Union Army."[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120667384/brothers-mark-sigma-alpha-epsilon-cente/ Brothers' Mark Sigma Alpha Epsilon Centennial]". The Boston Globe. 1956-03-11. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-03-12 – via Newspapers.com. Seventy-four members of the fraternity lost their lives in the war, including founders Dennis, DeVotie, and Patton.

Fraternal history notes that Noble Leslie DeVotie was the first person to die in the Civil War, though this is in dispute. DeVotie lost his footing while boarding a steamer at Fort Morgan, Alabama, on February 12, 1861, hit his head and drowned.{{cite book |last1=Boykin |first1=Samuel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BuZ8oukYIF8C&q=noble+leslie+devotie&pg=PA191 |title=History of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia |date=1881 |publisher=Jas P. Harrison & Co. |volume=2 |location=Atlanta, Georgia |pages=191–193 |oclc=244107338}} His body washed ashore three days later. He is recognized by the State of Alabama as the first Alabama Soldier to die in the Civil War.[https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=4219 Noble Leslie DeVotie - HMDB]

After the Civil War, a small chapter at Columbian College, which is now George Washington University in Washington, D.C., was the only chapter to survive.[https://issuu.com/sigmaalphaepsilon/docs/the_history_book_2018 The History of Sigma Alpha Epsilon]{{rp|18}}

When a few of the young veterans returned to the Georgia Military Institute in Marietta, Georgia, and found their college burned to the ground, they decided to enter the University of Georgia in Athens. The chapter there, which was established at the end of 1865, along with the reestablishment of a chapter at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, led to the fraternity's revival. Soon, other chapters came back to life and, in 1867, the first post-war convention was held in Nashville, where a half-dozen revived chapters planned the fraternity's future growth.{{rp|19}}

In the 1870s and early 1880s, more than a score of new chapters were formed. Older chapters died as fast as new ones were established. By 1886, the fraternity had chartered 49 chapters, but few were active. The first chapter north of the Mason Dixon Line had been established at Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), in 1883, and a second was placed at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio two years later.{{rp|19}}

Symbols

Sigma Alpha Epsilon's colors are royal purple and old gold. Its symbol is the lion. Its flower is the violet. The fraternity's Roman divinity is Minerva.

Levere Memorial Temple

File:saetemple1.jpg

The fraternity's international headquarters, also known as the Fraternity Service Center, is maintained at the Levere Memorial Temple in Evanston, Illinois. The fraternity approved a plan to construct a national headquarters at its 1920 convention and its design was approved at the 1928 convention.Stewart, Austin and G. W. Lambert. "[https://theclio.com/entry/52845 Levere Memorial Temple, Sigma Alpha Epsilon]." Clio: Your Guide to History. March 29, 2018. Accessed March 12, 2023. It was built between mid-1929 and 1930, and was dedicated on December 28, 1930. The building was named for member William Levere who left $25,000 in his will to the fraternity.

The Levere Memorial Temple serves as a war memorial for fraternities members and houses a museum on the first floor with a collection of historical photographs, pictures, and collections from private sources.

The Diomedians

At one point, the fraternity had an alumni affiliate called the Diomedians. This organization was founded in 1918 in New York City, and its ritual was first "exemplified" in May 1919 and a National Council with the power to grant charters was established that June. A convention in St. Louis a year and a half later incorporated the Diomedians into the organizational structure of the fraternity and created the "Diomedian degree". By 1923 Diomedian chapters were established in Michigan and Pittsburgh and a Diomedian club-house "designed to furnish a modest home for young men just out of college" was established at 51 West 48th Street in New York.Preuss, Arthur A Dictionary of Secret and other Societies St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co. 1924; republished Detroit: Gale Reference Company 1966; pp.110-111

Chapters

Members

Member and chapter misconduct

=Hazing and alcohol related deaths and injuries=

Sigma Alpha Epsilon has had nine deaths linked to drinking, drugs and hazing since 2006, more than any other Greek organization, according to data compiled by Bloomberg in 2013.{{cite news| last1=Hechinger |first1=John |last2=Glovin |first2= David |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-30/deadliest-frat-s-icy-torture-of-pledges-evokes-tarantino-films.html | work=Bloomberg | title=Deadliest Frat's Icy 'Torture' of Pledges Evokes Tarantino Films|year=2013|url-access=subscription|access-date=November 17, 2024}} More than 100 chapters have been disciplined since 2007, with at least fifteen suspended or closed since 2010. A potential initiate to the SAE chapter at Salisbury University in Maryland alleged that Justin Stuart was beaten with a paddle, forced to drink alcohol to the point of losing consciousness and confined in a basement for nine hours without access to food, water or a bathroom while being subjected to music torture, an experience described as being "almost like Guantanamo Bay". The allegations were verified by a university investigation that led to the suspension of the chapter on the grounds that it had violated Salisbury policies on alcohol, hazing, and threats or acts of violence.

In May 2013, members of the Arizona State chapter allegedly left an underage member outside a hospital with a note saying "Ive [sic] been drinking and I need some help." The 20-year-old survived after nearly 20 shots of tequila resulting in a near lethal blood alcohol content of 0.47%, according to doctors.{{cite news|title=Sigma Alpha Epsilon, fraternity at center of University of Oklahoma controversy, no stranger to unflattering headlines|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/sae-frat-no-stranger-unflattering-headlines-article-1.2142806|work=NY Daily News | location=New York|date=March 9, 2015}}

In 2017, the University of Nevada, Reno suspended the Reno chapter of SAE due to allegations of hazing and underage drinking. The university ultimately voted to remove SAE's recognition for four years.{{cite news| url=https://www.2news.com/university-of-nevada-removes-recognition-of-sigma-alpha-epsilon-for-four-years/article_96bdee23-d519-59cf-8659-edbc85200116.html|work=KTVN 2 News|title=University of Nevada Removes Recognition of Sigma Alpha Epsilon for Four Years|date=June 13, 2017}} As of 2023, the University of Nevada, Reno still does not recognize SAE, with that chapter still working towards recognition.{{cite web| url=https://www.unr.edu/fraternity-and-sorority-life/chapters/unrecognized-fraternities-and-sororities| work=unr.edu| title=Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life| date=March 31, 2023}}

As a result of these incidents, student members pay among the highest rates for liability insurance of any fraternity. In March 2014, JPMorgan Chase stopped managing an investment account of SAE's charitable foundation, with bad publicity from hazing as the likely cause.{{cite news|title=Fraternity Chief Feared for Son as Hazings Spurred JPMorgan Snub|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-27/fraternity-chief-feared-for-son-as-hazings-spurred-jpmorgan-snub.html|access-date=March 28, 2014|newspaper=Bloomberg|date=March 26, 2014|author=John Hechinger|author2=David Glovin}} In January 2019, a newly-initiated freshman member of the chapter at the University of California, Irvine died from alcohol poisoning with allegations of fraternity hazing rituals still under investigation.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/uc-irvine-fraternity-suspended-after-sigma-alpha-epsilon-member-dies-n958696|title=UC Irvine fraternity suspended after Sigma Alpha Epsilon member dies|publisher=NBC News|date=January 15, 2019|access-date=March 29, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/01/14/after-death-student-sae-fraternity-is-suspended-uc-irvine/|title=After the death of a student, SAE fraternity is suspended at UC-Irvine|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 14, 2019|access-date=March 29, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/noah-domingo-university-of-california-irvine-student-death-blamed-on-alcohol-poisoning-sigma-alpha-epsilon/|title=Father blames son's death on fraternity's "family drink" hazing ritual|publisher=ABC News|date=March 12, 2019|access-date=March 29, 2019}}

In 2012, the national fraternity organization responded to hazing allegations, stating that it has "zero tolerance for hazing", and that the reported infractions represent a low percentage of its more than 219 chapters and 15,000 college members. Following the 2011 hazing-related death of a Cornell University sophomore who was blindfolded, bound and forced to drink shots of vodka then left dying in the empty fraternity house, a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol at all chapter houses was proposed at the 155th national conference, but the measure failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed.{{cite news|last=Winerip|first=Michael|title=When a Hazing Goes Very Wrong|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/education/edlife/a-hazing-at-cornell.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=December 31, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 12, 2012}}

In March 2014 the fraternity revised its membership process to replace the term "pledge" with "new member" and require that initiation be completed within 96 hours of new members receiving bids.{{cite news|title=After nine fraternity-related deaths nationwide, SAE chapters are being forced to comply or close|url=http://dailyorange.com/2014/03/after-nine-fraternity-related-deaths-nationwide-sae-chapters-are-being-forced-to-comply-or-close/|work=Daily Orange|date=March 2014}} The SAE national president cited efforts to combat hazing, treat all members of the fraternity equally, and to protect the reputation of the fraternity as primary reasons for the change.

=Sexual assault and harassment=

According to several campus newspapers and the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground, students commonly joke that SAE stands for "Sexual Assault Expected" because of the many members who have been accused of sexual assault.{{cite magazine |last=Dockterman |first=Eliana |date=March 5, 2015 |title=The Hunting Ground Reignites the Debate Over Campus Rape |url=https://time.com/3722834/the-hunting-ground-provocative-documentary-reignites-campus-rape-debate/ |magazine=Time |access-date=August 25, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Glaser |first1=Rebeccah |last2=Marshal |first2=Louisa |date=February 11, 2019 |title='Deadliest fraternity' Sigma Alpha Epsilon set to return to Chapman after four-year suspension |url=https://www.thepanthernewspaper.org/news/sigma-alpha-epsilon-set-to-return-to-chapman-after-four-year-suspension |access-date=August 25, 2021 |work=The Panther}}

In 2012, an incident of alleged sexual misconduct involving a member at Louisiana State University (LSU) with a freshman girl occurred. Also that same year, the LSU chapter was accused of severely beating pledges. The chapter was suspended until January 2015.{{cite news|title=In Louisiana, Sigma Alpha Epsilon has a history of problems, media reports|url=http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2015/03/sigma_alpha_epsilon_video.html|date=March 2015}}

In 2014, a rape allegedly took place at an SAE party at Loyola Marymount University. The national organization reacted by closing the chapter.{{cite news|title=Rape allegations Surface at Unofficial Loyals Marymount University|url=http://abc7.com/news/rape-allegations-surface-at-unofficial-lmu-fraternity/426443/|work=ABC Los Angeles}}

In December 2014, Stanford University announced a two-year suspension of SAE housing due to reports of sexual harassment.{{cite news|title=SAE housing suspended for two years due to sexual harassment concerns|url=http://www.stanforddaily.com/2014/12/12/sae-housing-suspended-for-two-years-due-to-sexual-harassment-concerns/|work=The Stanford Daily}} After a second university investigation found that members had deterred a student from filing a Title IX concern and had intimidated and harassed another student believed to have filed a Title IX complaint, the chapter's housing was "indefinitely" revoked in May 2015.{{cite news|title=SAE loses housing indefinitely after second investigation|url=http://www.stanforddaily.com/2015/05/19/sae-loses-housing-indefinitely//|work=The Stanford Daily}}

In January 2015, a victim was hospitalized following allegations of sexual assault at a party at a SAE Iowa State University party. The incident was investigated by police and the chapter suspended the member suspected of the assault.{{cite news |title=Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon: History of Trouble Involving Other Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity Chapters |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/oklahoma-racist-video-history-trouble-involving-sigma-alpha/story?id=29496865 |work=ABC News}}

In March 2015, Johns Hopkins University suspended the local SAE chapter until Spring 2016 after an alleged sexual assault at one of their parties.{{cite news|title=University formalizes SAE chapter suspension|url=http://www.jhunewsletter.com/2015/03/05/university-formalizes-sae-chapter-suspension-37681/|work=The Johns Hopkins News Letter}}

The Yale University chapter was temporarily banned from using the university email and bulletin board system as well as association of the fraternity name and the university following "inappropriate comments" made by SAE members.

In February 2017, the SAE chapter at Northwestern University was suspended indefinitely after four women alleged they were given date rape drugs at an SAE party, and two stated they were later sexually assaulted.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/news/ct-evr-northwestern-stand-with-survivors-tl-0216-2-20170210-story.html|title=Northwestern University students tell of sexual assault experiences during 'survivors' rally|first=Genevieve|last=Bookwalter|website=chicagotribune.com|date=February 13, 2017 |access-date=March 27, 2018}}

In August 2018, the SAE National Fraternity and the chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles were sued for negligence after a member of the Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) Fraternity assaulted a woman at an SAE event. The lawsuit also encompassed the ZBT fraternity as well as UCLA.{{cite web|url=https://dailybruin.com/2018/08/20/student-files-lawsuit-against-ucla-fraternities-alleging-sexual-assault/|title=Student files lawsuit against UCLA fraternities, alleging sexual assault|website=dailybruin.com|access-date=September 4, 2018}}

In August 2020, the SAE chapter at West Virginia University was suspended for sexual assault.

=Alcohol, drug, and safety violations=

The founding chapter at the University of Alabama was suspended in 1988 on cocaine-trafficking charges and for violating the university's code against drug use and trafficking.{{cite web|last=Jacobson |first=Susan |url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/keyword/sigma-alpha-epsilon/featured/3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105150/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/keyword/sigma-alpha-epsilon/featured/3 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |title=Featured Articles about Sigma Alpha Epsilon - Page 3 - Orlando Sentinel |publisher=Articles.orlandosentinel.com |date=March 13, 1989 |access-date=March 10, 2015}} The suspension was lifted in 1990, but with a checklist of improvement goals that the chapter was required to fulfill; in 1992, the chapter was suspended again for failing to meet the outlined goals.{{cite news|title=Campus Life: Alabama; Fraternity Suspended 4 Years For Little Progress|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/02/nyregion/campus-life-alabama-fraternity-suspended-4-years-for-little-progress.html|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=March 9, 2015|date=February 2, 1992}}

In the fall of 1991, the University of Houston chapter was suspended when the fraternity's president bit off a finger of a female guest's hand during an altercation with her boyfriend at a party held at the fraternity house.{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1995/04/19/woman-awarded-440000-after-finger-is-bitten-off/ |title=Woman Awarded $440,000 After Finger Is Bitten Off |publisher=orlandosentinel.com |date=April 19, 1995 |access-date=March 14, 2015}}

In 1997, the Louisiana State University chapter was suspended after one member died from alcohol poisoning.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/28/us/students-help-bury-a-fraternity-pledge-and-a-tale-of-heavy-drinking-emerges.html|title=Students Help Bury a Fraternity Pledge, and a Tale of Heavy Drinking Emerges|first=Christopher|last=Cooper|work=The New York Times |date=August 28, 1997|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}} Another member was praised for rescuing more than a dozen of his passed out brothers from death by ferrying them to the nearest hospital single-handedly.

The chapter at Southern Methodist University was placed on "deferred suspension" following a drug-related death in 2006, and then again for abuse and hazing that occurred in 2017.{{cite news |last=Aslam |first=Michelle |date=February 17, 2020 |title=Hazing Rumors Bring Light to SAE's Record of Abuse with Minimal Repercussions |url=https://www.smudailycampus.com/news/hazing-rumors-bring-light-to-saes-record-of-abuse-and-minimal-repercussions |work=SMU Daily Campus |location=Dallas |access-date=August 25, 2021}}

In spring 2012, the Miami University chapter of SAE was suspended after an early morning "fireworks battle" with the neighboring Phi Kappa Tau house led to Oxford police seizing considerable amounts of drug paraphernalia from both houses. Since the groups were temporarily unrecognized while on suspension, sophomores who were living there under fraternity exemption from Miami's two-year campus housing policy were required to vacate the houses and move on campus.{{Cite news|url=http://www.journal-news.com/news/local/frat-fireworks-battle-sues-miami-for-10m/GQEvY7v3srv1x028Vv48bM/|title=Frat in 'fireworks battle' sues Miami U. for $10M|work=journal-news|access-date=2018-02-18}} As a result, SAE's national organization sued Miami for $10 million, claiming "severe emotional distress" and "substantial lost income and reputation" for the exiled students. Susan Dlott, judge of the Southern District of Ohio, dismissed SAE's lawsuit in February 2013 with prejudice (meaning it could not be refiled), saying that "...the fraternity failed to submit any facts that supported its claims the public university violated its constitutional rights against unreasonable search and seizure and due process."{{Cite news|url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/state/miami-university-fraternitys-10-million-lawsuit-dismissed|title=Miami University fraternity's $10 million lawsuit dismissed|agency=Associated Press|date=2013-02-04|work=newsnet5|access-date=2018-02-18|language=en-US}} In November 2015, the Miami SAE chapter was allowed to recolonize by Miami's Interfraternity Council.{{Cite news|url=http://miamistudent.net/sigma-alpha-epsilon-voted-back-on-campus/|title=Sigma Alpha Epsilon voted back on campus|date=2015-11-13|work=The Miami Student|access-date=2018-02-18|language=en-US}}

In 2013, the chapter at Arizona State University was banned from campus due to repeated hazing and alcohol violations and questionable behavior. Jack Culolias, an ASU freshman and SAE pledge, was kicked out of a bar one night then later found dead in a ditch. The chapter also faced heavy scrutiny when a member nearly died after participating in a tequila drinking contest.{{cite web|url=http://college.usatoday.com/2016/03/23/purdue-sigma-phi-epsilon-suspended/|title=Purdue's Sigma Phi Epsilon suspended until 2020|date=March 23, 2016|website=usatoday.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}

In July 2015, the University of Richmond (Virginia) chapter was suspended indefinitely "based on repeated incidents that violated the University's policies and risk management procedures."{{cite news|title=U of R suspends fraternity after violating university's policies|url=http://www.nbc12.com/story/29626672/u-of-r-suspends-fraternity-after-violating-universitys-policies|work=WWBT-TV website}} An investigation had been opened in April, when the national organization suspended the chapter after two women were hurt falling from a balcony during a ski trip.{{cite news|title=University of Richmond suspends SAE chapter|url=http://wric.com/2015/07/24/university-of-richmond-suspends-sae-chapter/|access-date=July 24, 2015|work=WIRC.com (ABC News)|date=July 24, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Nicholson|first1=Jack|title=SAE suspended while national headquarters conducts investigation|url=http://www.thecollegianur.com/article/2015/04/sae-nationals-investigation|access-date=July 24, 2015|work=The Collegian (University of Richmond)|date=April 8, 2015}}

In April 2016, the UMBC chapter was suspended after allegations of alcohol policy violations, property theft and damage, and failure to comply with previous sanctions (also handed for underage drinking, in a party that resulted in 55 police citations). The University's Student Judicial Board determined that the claims were substantiated, and suspended the chapter for four years.{{Cite news|url=http://retrieverweekly.umbc.edu/sae-expected-suspended/|title=Sigma Alpha Epsilon handed four year suspension from university - The Retriever|date=2016-04-05|newspaper=The Retriever|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-06}}

In November 2017, the SAE chapter at the University of Texas at Austin was suspended for hazing violations. Two years prior, several members from the chapter were accused of beating up a male neighbor complaining about loud music that was playing at their fraternity house during a recruitment event. Only two members were identified and charged with physical assault for the incident.{{cite web|url=http://kxan.com/2015/04/03/2-sae-members-arrested-for-assault-after-noise-complaint/|title=2 SAE members arrested for assault after noise complaint|first=Eric|last=Janzen|date=April 3, 2015|website=kxan.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}} This prompted the chapter to disaffiliate from SAE. The chapter retained the fraternity house and is regulated by its alumni board.{{cite web|url=https://thedailytexan.com/2019/02/07/sae-and-texas-rho-reach-settlement-agreement/|title=SAE and Texas Rho reach settlement agreement}}

In January 2019, the SAE chapter at the University of California, Irvine was suspended after the death of a freshman newly initiated member of the fraternity. In March 2019, the Orange County coroner's office announced that the death was found to have been caused by alcohol poisoning and the chapter was closed indefinitely amidst allegations of fraternity hazing rituals but the details were still under investigation in March 2019.

In February 2019, the SAE chapter at Tennessee Technological University was placed on suspension for four to five years, or until all current members have graduated or left Tennessee Tech. The closure follows the death of a Tech graduate and former fraternity member, who died one day after attending the "senior transition night", at the SAE house on Dec. 7, 2018.{{cite web|url=http://herald-citizen.com/stories/tech-shutters-sae-frat,33356|title=Tech shutters SAE frat}}

In December 2021, eight members of the fraternity at Georgia College and State University were arrested for providing alcohol to minors and one member for hazing. The arrests happened after a SAE pledge was hospitalized due to an alcohol related hazing incident.{{cite web | url=https://www.wtoc.com/2021/12/03/eight-arrested-georgia-college-fraternity-hazing-incident/ | title=Eight arrested in Georgia College fraternity hazing incident | date=December 3, 2021 }} The chapter was taken off of social

In June 2022, the SAE chapter at the University of New Hampshire was suspended pending an investigation into a hazing incident that occurred in April. Arrest warrants were issued for 46 members of the chapter, as well as a warrant charging the chapter itself with student hazing.{{Cite web |author=Michelle Watson and Amy Simonson |title=46 University of New Hampshire fraternity members issued arrest warrants over alleged hazing |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/11/us/unh-fraternity-hazing-charges/index.html |access-date=2022-06-12 |website=CNN|date=June 11, 2022 }} The chapter was taken off of social probation in May 2024.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-27 |title=Sigma Alpha Epsilon |url=https://www.unh.edu/offcampus/sigma-alpha-epsilon |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=Off-Campus Engagement & Fraternity and Sorority Life |language=en}}

In January 2024, Texas Rho, the SAE chapter at the University of Texas at Austin, was sued by an Australian exchange student over injuries he sustained from an assault by fraternity members at a party the previous year. The student suffered significant injuries during the attack, including a dislocated leg, broken ligaments, fractured tibia and broken nose, according to the suit.{{Cite web |title=Former UT-Austin student sues fraternity for more than $1M after attack, suit states |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2024/02/21/sigma-alpha-epsilon-ut-austin-texas-rho-chapter-fraternity-former-student-files-lawsuit/72676175007/ |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=Austin American-Statesman |language=en-US}} He is suing the fraternity for more than $1 million. The SAE chapter was already suspended at the time of his assault due to previous hazing and safety violations.{{cite web | url=https://www.kvue.com/video/news/education/university-of-texas/269-fe1da928-0f6e-429c-93e8-8342268e5771#:~:text=A%20lawsuit%20was%20launched%20by%20a%20former,Epsilon%20fraternity%20injured%20him%20in%20an%20attack | title=UT Austin fraternity sued for alleged attack | date=February 22, 2024 }}

In February 2025, the SAE chapter at Miami University was suspended after a report indicated several "inhumane" activities took place at an off-campus property owned by the fraternity involving pledges. One pledge was allegedly coerced and forced into the pledge process, where "he [was] hazed for multiple days and was forced to cut communication with all others." Among the alleged hazing incidents, the pledge was required to ingest an entire can of chewing tobacco and then do a handstand. He vomited as a result and was forced to then consume the vomit. When the pledge reported the incident to another student, he received a text message from an active member threatening to put a "12-gauge down his throat and watch his brain splatter." On February 24, the fraternity chapter was suspended and was under investigation by Miami University officials.{{Cite news |last=Reinstein |first=Julia |title=Miami University fraternity suspended amid 'inhumane' hazing allegations |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/miami-university-fraternity-suspended-amid-inhumane-hazing-allegations/story?id=119146542 |access-date=2025-02-25 |work=ABC News |language=en}}

=Discriminatory incidents=

{{See also|2015 University of Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon racism incident}}

In 1982, SAE members at the University of Cincinnati were suspended for a racially insensitive party corresponding with Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/10/us/fraternity-barred-for-sponsoring-racist-party.html |title=Fraternity Barred For Sponsoring Racist Party |work=The New York Times |date=February 10, 1982 |access-date=March 10, 2015}}

In 2002, Syracuse University officials suspended the chapter there after a member appeared in blackface. The member was expelled from the university.{{cite news|title=Students hold forum to discuss blackface incident|url=http://dailyorange.com/2002/05/students-hold-forum-to-discuss-blackface-incident/|work=Daily Orange|date=May 2002}} The chapter returned after the suspension and in 2006 was found guilty of hazing a new member by the University's Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.

In 2013, SAE pledges at Washington University in St. Louis allegedly recited lyrics to Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit" in slam poetry form within close proximity of several African-American students in the university's dining hall. Chapter operations were halted for several months while the chapter was put under investigation due to allegations of racist behavior stemming from the incident. The chapter was fully reinstated following the investigation.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/sigma-alpha-epsilon-racism_n_2776707.html |title=Washington University In St. Louis' Sigma Alpha Epsilon Chapter Suspended For Alleged Racist Pledge Activity |work=The Huffington Post |date=February 27, 2013 |access-date=March 10, 2015}}

In 2014, the chapter at Clemson University hosted a "Cripmas" party in reference to the Southern California-based black American Crips gang. The chapter "suspended all activity indefinitely", according to the SAE national office.{{cite news|last=Wagner|first=Meg|title=SAE No Stranger to Unflatering Headlines|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/sae-frat-no-stranger-unflattering-headlines-article-1.2142806|date=March 9, 2015|work=NY Daily News|location=New York}}{{cite news|last1=Ward|first1=Robbie|title=Fraternity grounded after 'Cripmas' party backlash|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/08/clemson-fraternity-cripmas-party-increases-racial-tension/20083415/|access-date=March 11, 2015|work=USA Today|date=December 8, 2014}}{{cite web|last=Kalsi |first=Dal |url=http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/27568067/clemson-president-on-cripmas-party-clemson-is-better-than-this |title=Clemson's SAE fraternity activities suspended after 'Cripmas' party |publisher=Foxcarolina.com |access-date=March 10, 2015}}

Also, in 2014, SAE members at the University of Arizona were suspended for attacking Alpha Epsilon Pi, a Jewish fraternity.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/18/university-of-arizona-jewish-fraternity_n_6177514.html |title=University Of Arizona's Sigma Alpha Epsilon Allegedly Attacked Jewish Fraternity |work=The Huffington Post |date=November 18, 2014 |access-date=March 10, 2015}}{{cite news|title=Arizona Fraternity Punished for Alpha Epsilon Pi Attack|url=http://forward.com/articles/209429/arizona-fraternity-punished-for-alpha-epsilon-pi-a/|access-date=March 11, 2015|work=Jewish Daily Forward|date=November 18, 2014}}

In March 2015, the national organization of Sigma Alpha Epsilon closed the University of Oklahoma chapter after a video surfaced showing members chanting a song which featured the racial slur, "nigger," and made references to lynching and racial segregation. The chant, set to melody of the popular children's song, "If You're Happy and You Know It", declares, "There will never be a nigger at SAE / There will never be a nigger at SAE / You can hang him from a tree, but he'll never sign with me / There will never be a nigger at SAE."{{cite news|title=University of Oklahoma president evicts Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers from campus frat house after racist video|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ou-president-evicts-sigma-alpha-epsilon-frat-house-article-1.2142516|newspaper=New York Daily News|access-date=March 9, 2015|date=March 9, 2015}} Sigma Alpha Epsilon closed the charter of the involved chapter and suspended its members on March 8, 2015. The University of Oklahoma president, David Boren, simultaneously closed the chapter house,{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-oklahoma-fraternity-closing-idUSKBN0M51KU20150309 |title=University of Oklahoma closes fraternity linked to racist video |date=March 9, 2015 |publisher=Reuters |first=Jon |last=Herskovitz}} giving members two days to vacate the fraternity's campus dwellings.{{cite news |last=McLaughlin |first=Eliott |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/09/us/oklahoma-fraternity-chant/ |title=University of Oklahoma disowns 'disgraceful' fraternity after racist chant

|publisher=CNN |date=March 9, 2015}} On March 10, 2015, two students identified in the video were expelled from the university.{{cite news

|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31821397|title=Two Oklahoma students expelled over racist chant video|publisher=BBC News|date=March 10, 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/10/us/oklahoma-racist-chant/index.html|title=2 University of Oklahoma students expelled over racist chant|author=Eliott C. McLaughlin |date=March 10, 2015|publisher=CNN}}

In May 2016, the SAE chapter at the University of Wisconsin–Madison was placed on suspension for repeatedly using racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic slurs, and then ostracizing a black SAE member for speaking up against the chapter's behavior.{{cite web|url=http://archive.jsonline.com/news/education/uw-madison-suspends-sigma-alpha-epsilon-fraternity-over-racial-slurs-b99727890z1-379958331.html|title=UW-Madison suspends SAE fraternity over racial slurs|website=jsonline.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}