Emails obtained by the OU Daily through an open records request revealed information about Sigma Phi Epsilon’s membership reviews before the chapter’s closure and following reinstatement.
The chapter was closed in February by the national fraternity due to intense hazing in late fall. The chapter was later reinstated by the fraternity's National Board of Directors and will recruit new members in the fall.
According to the national fraternity’s website, Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Balanced Man Program does not allow hazing in any chapter.
Membership reviews
Following the discovery of hazing, the fraternity’s national organization reserved rooms on campus in both the Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center and the Thurman J. White Forum Building to conduct comprehensive membership reviews in early February.
Based on an email from Preston Raines, the national fraternity’s director of chapter operations, to Kylie Frisby, OU’s director of fraternity and sorority programs and services, these reviews entailed one-on-one conversations between representatives of the fraternity’s headquarters and OU chapter members.
According to an email from Raines to the chapter, members were instructed to submit an application to move forward with membership reviews should they “elect to participate.” The definition and outcome of these reviews is not clear.
University, national fraternity roles
OU Marketing and Communications wrote in an email to the Daily in February that it was surprised by the chapter’s closure and that Sigma Phi Epsilon’s National Board of Directors acted without consulting the university.
In an email to the Daily July 15, Marketing and Communications clarified its role during the chapter’s membership review process as giving guidance on university procedures.
“The University was not involved in governance decisions regarding the national board's decision to revoke or later reinstate the chapter's charter …,” the email read. “The University communicated with Sigma Phi Epsilon National Headquarters throughout the process to support students, answer questions, and coordinate all matters affecting the undergraduate chapter.”
The decision to reinstate the chapter was based on efforts from the chapter’s alumni and volunteers, according to Ben Ford, the fraternity’s national marketing and communications director.
“Over the past several months, hundreds of individuals have stepped forward to shape a vision for the chapter's future — one rooted in accountability, leadership, and a commitment to the values that define Sigma Phi Epsilon,” Ford wrote to the Daily June 10.
Ford wrote the fraternity has appointed a council of alumni who will monitor the chapter following its reinstatement.
“As part of this effort, the Fraternity has appointed an Alumni Advisory Council and is working closely with undergraduate leaders to establish a chapter experience that reflects the very best of SigEp,” Ford wrote. “Together, they will develop and implement a plan focused on member development, academic achievement, leadership growth, and a healthy, no-pledging, no-hazing experience.”
Other fraternity's suspension process
OU’s chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, commonly referred to as FIJI, was put on suspension in Oct. 2024 for hazing in September of that year. An agreement with the university prohibited the chapter from participating in any social activities until Jan. 1 of this year.
The chapter is on alcohol strike until Jan. 1, 2028, and it was required to pay an administrative fee of $2,820, complete an alcohol education course and participate in 10 hours of community service per member. The chapter is required to operate under the management of graduate trustees through Jan. 1, 2027.
The FIJI president, two chapter cabinet members, two trustees, a member of the Office of Student Conduct and a member of Fraternity and Sorority Programs and Services must meet twice a semester to provide updates on the chapter’s progress under the trusteeship.
The agreement also required the chapter to redesign the recruitment process. FIJI was not allowed to recruit in the spring of 2025.
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This story was edited by Audrey McClour. Kennedy Johnson, Tori Pham and Larkin Bock copy edited this story.
