Danny McAuliffe
Florida State University President John Thrasher announced on Friday an indefinite interim suspension of all fraternities and sororities at the university.
The former House Speaker and state senator issued the ban in light of the death of FSU student Andrew Coffey, 20, who died at an off-campus party Friday after first responders attempted to revive him. Coffey was pledging the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at FSU. His death occurred a day before FSU’s Parents’ Weekend.
The university says this action also follows the arrest on Monday of FSU student Garrett John Marcy, a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, who was charged with the sale and trafficking of cocaine. The university says this incident is unrelated to Coffey’s death.
“I’m very concerned about these activities,” Thrasher said Monday at a press conference. “The safety and well-being of our students will always be my number one priority.
“And that’s why I’m enacting several changes, effective immediately.”
The campus-wide sanction comes on the eve of the university’s homecoming, which is slated to begin Monday, November 12. Thrasher said Greek life will not participate in homecoming this year and that fraternity and sorority chapters will be prevented from holding new member events, council and chapter meetings, chapter organized tailgates, social and philanthropic events, retreats, and intramurals.
Thrasher said fraternity and sorority members will continue to to live in their houses during the suspension. They can also attend leadership classes, judicial and conduct hearings, and risk management classes offered by the school.
The timeline of this suspension is unknown, and details regarding Coffey’s death are limited as investigations proceed. Hazing is a criminal offense in Florida.
Thrasher says this “pause” on Greek life is needed to “review and reflect on the loss of young life.” For the suspension to end, Thrasher said, there will “need to be a new normal for Greek life at the university.”
The university also banned the use of alcohol at Recognized Student Organization events at FSU. Thrasher said Monday there are over 700 of these organizations.
Pi Kappa Phi’s national office told Florida Politics Friday that the FSU chapter’s operations were suspended and an investigation is underway.
“It is my greatest hope that no other family member will have to suffer this type of tragedy,” Thrasher said.
The Tallahassee Democrat reported the fraternity previously faced hazing sanctions for an incident in 2012.
In a 2016 interview with the FSView & Florida Flambeau, a student publication at the university, Thrasher expressed sentiments of zero tolerance when it comes to hazing rituals in the Greek community.
“I’ve communicated with those kinds of groups and let them know that I have zero tolerance for those kinds of activities and that we will bring the hammer down on them if they act inappropriately in those areas,” Thrasher told the paper.
During his tenure as St. Augustine Republican senator, Thrasher was influenced by FSU student deaths. He cited the death of Ashley Cowie, who was killed by in an accidental rifle discharge at a fraternity house, as reason for being instrumental in blocking 2011 campus carry legislation. Cowie’s father, Robert, was Thrasher’s dentist at the time.
One comment
Catherine Welbon
November 8, 2017 at 11:37 pm
The loss of this precious life must be a wake-up call to the problem of legal and illegal drug use by our young people. My son attended FSU, made poor choices and lost 6 years of his life to drug addiction. He was court-ordered to a residential faith-based program known as Teen Challenge to offer him a way to be restored from this life-threatening addiction. My grandson was outspoken when his own brother was going to apply to attend FSU last year as a freshman. As a University of Florida graduate from the Masters program, my grandson spent a lot of time visiting his college friends over the last 6 years at FSU. He voiced concern about the ease of getting illegal drugs in Tallahassee’s college community and the number of parties he attended with excessive drug and alcohol use disturbed him. His brother did not apply to FSU. Maybe something good can come from the unfortunate loss of life. Andrew Coffey’s family deserves that hope!
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