USF hazing case turned over to state attorney

Tampa police have turned a University of South Florida hazing case over to the State Attorney's Office for a decision on whether to pursue criminal charges.

Police announced Monday that they were investigating a report of an off-campus hazing incident involving the USF chapter of Omega Psi Phi.

The case is now in the hands of prosecutors, said Mark Cox, a spokesman for the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office.

A spokesman for the national fraternity, Christopher Cooper, said today he has sent someone to Tampa to investigate.

"I haven't been given any formal update as to why our fraternity is involved with this," Cooper, who serves as chief legal officer for Omega Psi Phi, said by phone from Ohio. "I can tell you we are vehemently opposed to hazing in any form and have a zero tolerance process."

Neither police nor university officials would describe the incident or identify those involved.

Police did say the suspects are not current USF students. The victims, police said, were taken to a vacant business at 2112 W. Busch Blvd. at 11:30 p.m. Aug. 22 and 23.

USF has suspended Omega Psi Phi.

"Because the university takes hazing as a very serious allegation, and a serious infraction, we actually act on the allegation alone," said Jennifer Capeheart-Meningall, vice president for student affairs. "And so we made a decision immediately on the same day we received the report that the organization would be immediately suspended."

Omega Psi Phi does not have a house at USF's Greek Village area. The fraternity has only two active members enrolled at the school, Capeheart-Meningall said, and they will be prohibited from conducting business as a fraternal organization until the investigation is complete.

USF President Judy Genshaft alerted students, faculty and staff about the incident in an e-mail Monday, denouncing hazing as illegal and against university policy.

Student Jeremy Wilson, interviewed on campus, also denounced the practice.

"I feel that hazing should not occur on campus in any form," said Wilson, who is not a member of the fraternity, "because it only tears down the brotherhood that you are trying to build."