A University of Arizona fraternity has been suspended after allegations of hazing.
According to a letter sent to its president from the Dean of Students Office, the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity is alleged to have forced new members to engage in dangerous activities including drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and swallowing live goldfish during the fall semester last year.
The suspension will prevent any fraternity activities other than business meetings, and will be in effect pending the results of an investigation into the matter.
The episode comes after the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity lost recognition from the university earlier this year after new members were reportedly burned with hot liquids and forced to drink alcohol. Four other UA fraternities were placed on probation during the 2025-2026 school year for hazing.
The issue is not unique to Tucson. In August, a former fraternity leader at Northern Arizona University pleaded guilty to a felony charge of hazing after the death of Colin Daniel Martinez, an 18-year-old who died during a Delta Tau Delta recruiting event in February.
In 2022, hazing was made a criminal offense in Arizona and can be classified as a Class 4 felony if it results in the death of a victim.
One challenge with combatting hazing is getting students to report it. According to a UA survey from 2022, 28% of UA students who were part of at least one campus organization said they had experienced behavior that meets the definition for hazing. Only 2% of those students reported that they were hazed.
Students can report hazing to the UA Hazing Hotline, campus police, or the Dean of Students Office.
