//Upstate university suspends fraternity after parties spread COVID-19 to guests, officials say

Upstate university suspends fraternity after parties spread COVID-19 to guests, officials say

Furman University on Wednesday announced it suspended one of its fraternities after it hosted unauthorized parties that resulted in the spread of COVID-19, according to the school’s website.Furman’s Kappa Alpha chapter was suspended “for a period of no less than four years,” officials said in a letter to students, faculty, staff, alumni ad families.The parties were hosted at the fraternity’s former fraternity house on Aug. 21 and 22, officials said.”Fifty-nine individuals have come forward to share they were present at the house during the aforementioned dates, and of those in attendance, nearly 60% have tested positive for COVID-19,” officials said. That’s about 35 people.The letter did not identify any of the party-goers or those who tested positive specifically as students.The school said those who tested positive have been quarantined, but there were delays in contact tracing because information was not immediately given about the parties and the people present.”An outbreak that surpasses our ability to quarantine is one trigger that could cause us to go fully remote, and this matter quickly became an issue of wellbeing for our entire community,” the letter said.The school said Kappa Alpha recently ended a probationary period at the end of the spring 2020 term due to a previous conduct incident in spring 2019. During that probationary period, officials said the chapter lost social privileges, participated in risk management trainings, engaged with headquarters’ consultant staff, and conducted a membership recommitment to the values and expectations of membership in Kappa Alpha in order to maintain membership. Some of the students involved in the 2019 incident were in attendance at the most recent incident, officials said.”While the organizational climate did not meet Furman’s conduct expectations,” the letter said, “these men will remain a part of our community after the conduct matters are concluded.”Read the full letter here.

Furman University on Wednesday announced it suspended one of its fraternities after it hosted unauthorized parties that resulted in the spread of COVID-19, according to the school’s website.

Furman’s Kappa Alpha chapter was suspended “for a period of no less than four years,” officials said in a letter to students, faculty, staff, alumni ad families.

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The parties were hosted at the fraternity’s former fraternity house on Aug. 21 and 22, officials said.

“Fifty-nine individuals have come forward to share they were present at the house during the aforementioned dates, and of those in attendance, nearly 60% have tested positive for COVID-19,” officials said. That’s about 35 people.

The letter did not identify any of the party-goers or those who tested positive specifically as students.

The school said those who tested positive have been quarantined, but there were delays in contact tracing because information was not immediately given about the parties and the people present.

“An outbreak that surpasses our ability to quarantine is one trigger that could cause us to go fully remote, and this matter quickly became an issue of wellbeing for our entire community,” the letter said.

The school said Kappa Alpha recently ended a probationary period at the end of the spring 2020 term due to a previous conduct incident in spring 2019.

During that probationary period, officials said the chapter lost social privileges, participated in risk management trainings, engaged with headquarters’ consultant staff, and conducted a membership recommitment to the values and expectations of membership in Kappa Alpha in order to maintain membership.

Some of the students involved in the 2019 incident were in attendance at the most recent incident, officials said.

“While the organizational climate did not meet Furman’s conduct expectations,” the letter said, “these men will remain a part of our community after the conduct matters are concluded.”

Read the full letter here.