Fraternity pledge quits after hazing charge

This is the 1st update to this story, which UPDATES with Greek Life sanctions against the fraternity, Tuesday meeting.A UT Martin student has quit the fraternity he accused of forcing him to drink alcohol and have sex with a goat, the fraternity's president said Monday.

Matthew Eades, 18 of Cumberland Furnace, Tenn., a small town about 30 miles west of Nashville, told campus police early Oct. 18 that members of the Kappa Alpha Order made him drink large amounts of alcohol, go into a wooded area and have sex with a goat.

He later recanted part of his statement.

Eades was found by campus police wearing only a blanket and underwear and was cited with underage drinking and public intoxication.

The Office of Greek Life has imposed sanctions against Kappa Alpha for underage drinking violations related to the incident, Louis Ragsdale, the office's director, said on Tuesday.

Eades, who was a KA pledge, said fraternity members told him if he refused to have sex with a goat, he would not be allowed to join the fraternity.

When he refused, he said fraternity members made him take off his clothes and walk back to campus, according to the police report. Eades told police he walked for nearly two hours trying to find the UTM campus.

A few hours later, Eades told police that his initial statement was made under the influence of alcohol.

Eades said he and his pledge brothers were blindfolded the night before, provided alcohol and told they would have sex with a farm animal.

"He stated he realized that this suggestion was only a mind game, and he then was challenged to walk back to campus as a dare, but not ordered to by the KA brothers," Lt. Darrell Simmons wrote in his report. "Mr. Eades stated he at no time felt threatened or compelled to comply with the instructions and did so voluntarily."

Eades' case was referred to the Division of Student Affairs instead of criminal court because he had no prior criminal record.

Ragsdale suspended all KA pledging activities for one day after Student Affairs officials informed him of the hazing charges.

"The pledges couldn't have any contact with the chapter until further notice," Ragsdale said. "These were very serious allegations. All the pledges had to come by and sign a document agreeing to the sanctions."

Greek Life lifted the cease-and-desist order the next day after police finished their investigation, but Ragsdale said the fraternity was cited with a risk management violation.

The fraternity is banned from hosting parties, mixers or socials for six weeks and must co-sponsor a risk management workshop within the academic year, Ragsdale said.

KA has also paid a $250 fine.

"I found out they did not find any proof of hazing, so I lifted the sanctions," Ragsdale said. "It was just a case of underage drinking. Obviously there was someone underage who was drinking."

KA President Tyler Madere said Eades has dropped out of the fraternity's pledge class since his arrest.

Madere said Eades wrote a paper saying the hazing allegations were not true.

"We were just hanging out at the house," Madere said. "He got too intoxicated too fast and he got picked up by the police. There was no hazing."

Student Affairs conduct officer Vishenia Huery did not comment on the case, citing privacy laws.

The KA fraternity, based in Lexington, Va., has 75 active members at UTM, according to its Web site.

Ragsdale said Tuesday that university and law enforcement officials will speak with all fraternity presidents about underage drinking at a regular meeting of the Interfraternity Council.