CHAPTER STATUS
Dear Brothers,
We, the Alumni Association and Advisory Board, always want to keep you informed about what’s happening with our chapter and what, if anything, it means for all of us. Accordingly, I’m reaching out to share some significant and tough news. And please note that while the following has occurred over the last few months, we thought it best to hold any communication until we knew the outcome.
AS OF FRIDAY, JULY 5, OUR CHAPTER HAS BEEN SUSPENDED BY THE UNIVERSITY FOR TWO YEARS, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
This suspension has followed an investigation into and an official hearing for accusations of alleged hazing as well as providing alcohol to underage brothers during a St Patrick’s Day party—hosted by Lambda Chi at one of their off-campus houses.
Ultimately, this means our fraternity letters will come down, our townhome in Greek Village will be forfeited and the chapter will be banned from being active in any shape or form for the next two years. Additionally, per BGSU policy, our charter will be suspended by LCA Office of Administration (LCA OOA), our national organization, during the suspension.
The chapter can petition to be reinstated in two years’ time, however, "in alignment with recent practice for fraternal organizations receiving suspensions, no current undergraduate members, current advisor(s) or current chapter advisory board members may be affiliated with the chapter" once it's reinstated.
The earliest that reinstatement may be sought is summer of 2026 and will need to follow a series of strict university requirements.
THE INITIAL ACCUSATION CAME FROM AN UNKNOWN THIRD PARTY AND WAS CONSIDERED UNRELIABLE.
The investigation was originally triggered by an anonymous comment on an FSL (Fraternity and Sorority Life) Instagram post in early March remembering Stone Foltz, the young man who died from an alleged Pi Kappa Alpha hazing incident in 2021. The commenter suggested that “the university needed to shut down LXA before they get someone killed.”
In the beginning, this accusation was viewed as non-credible, which is partly why the university allowed the chapter to hold spring ritual in late March.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION, THE UNIVERSITY DEEMED SOME OF THE INFORMATION THEY GATHERED PROBLEMATIC.
The investigation included interviewing several students, which is where the underage drinking and hazing allegations came from. In all, they interviewed 28 chapter and non-chapter individuals, including 11 brothers and several of the St. Patrick’s Day party attendees.
During these interviews, each student was permitted to have an advisor attend with them. Mark Vinciguerra (current High Pi) and Joe Swary (Advisory Board member) joined the interviews in this capacity, but, per university policy, could not speak on behalf of our young brothers, only advise them via side bar.
Note: The hazing allegations were defined as such by the university after questioning brothers about ritual activities and what BGSU referred to as a "preponderance of evidence" of "conduct a reasonable person would view as frightening, humiliating, intimidating, or deceptive." And while no newly-initiated brother—fall '23 or spring '24—specifically considered themselves hazed or made any such accusations; some did respond to "how did that make you feel?" questions during their interviews by saying they felt somewhat intimidated by some of the conduct.
THE INVESTIGATION WAS FOLLOWED BY AN 8-HOUR HEARING ON FRIDAY, JUNE 21.
The hearing was attended by current High Alpha, Ethan Ackerman, and six undergraduate brothers/witnesses. They were joined by Mark as advisor and Joe who was allowed to speak during the hearing, but only to describe our ritual practices and meanings.
Ethan defended the chapter against the hazing allegations, doing his best to show the hazing claims had no basis. He took responsibility for the chapter’s underage drinking charges and requested that the university consider sanctions rather than suspension during his closing statement.
Per Mark and Joe, Ethan did well holding his own during intense questioning by the university’s official arbiter and sole decision-maker, Assistant Dean of Students for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Blaze Campbell-Jones. Of note, Campbell-Jones was joined during the hearing by other university officials, including BGSU’s Legal Counsel.
In the end, per her assessment, Dr. Campbell-Jones believed that many of the witnesses and their statements were not credible.
IN PART, THIS SUSPENSION COMES AS A RESULT OF THE CHAPTER NOT BEING OFFICIALLY CLEARED OF A PREVIOUS DEFERRED SUPENSION.
As some of you may remember, our chapter was placed on a deferred suspension in 2022 following a hazing allegation made by a prospective brother in 2021; a prospective brother who was deemed not worthy of continuing as a member of Lambda Chi.
We all know that hazing in any form is unacceptable, and we, as an Association and Advisory Board, supported the sanctions imposed by the university and by LCA OOA. This included obtaining approval for all chapter functions, following strict recruiting and philanthropy guidelines, and completing both online and in-person training programs, to name a few.
Over those years, and up to the recent investigation, our brothers have completed every task, but one: the online, LCA OOA “Ideal Man” course, which was plagued by technical issues, and is the reason the deferred suspension was never officially cleared when this began.
Further, and since he’s been High Alpha, Ethan has met regularly with Daryl McCoy, BGSU Coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Jacob Mueller, LCA OOA Chapter Support Specialist.
And while some parts of the chapter’s current culture needed to further evolve away from the past (and any organizational culture scholars will understand that that doesn't happen over night), the chapter had some significantly positive achievements and growth over the last academic year of which we as a board are immensely proud: boosting the chapter’s average GPA, increasing fundraising dollars, improving per-brother volunteer hours, rebuilding alumni relations and recruiting 13 exceptionally "ideal" men—a widely diverse group of young men with B+ or higher GPAs who were keen to learn about LCA and eager to be involved, contributing members of the Phi-Mu chapter.
More generally speaking, the undergraduate officers have been incredibly engaged with, responsive to and appreciative of the Board and their individual Advisors.
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE POURED THEIR HEARTS INTO GUIDING THE CHAPTER AND SUPPORTING THEM DURING THESE EVENTS (AND INDEED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS).
Tom Cochran took on the daunting task of High Pi in 2022 following the deferred suspension and ultimately built a strong, 9-member Advisory Board of passionate brothers during the last two years, the likes of which the chapter hasn’t seen since our founding. Under Tom’s direction the board has worked tirelessly to be a positive influence for our advisees and to help the chapter navigate sanctions, rebuild relationships with alumni and work toward a renewed culture of excellence.
Tom’s initial board included Brian Kimmel, Rob Getz, Grant Rayfield and Joe Swary. The current Board as of Fall ’23 is made up of Tom, Grant, Joe, Mark, Rich Hayn, Nick Muhl, Matt Stoessner, Damian Thorkelson and Rob Stalder (me).
Joe took on the initial communications with the university investigator, Carly Snyder, Coordinator for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, after the anonymous post. He had multiple calls with her, explaining the logistics and plans for our spring ritual, promising alum would be present and that we would not stand for anything other than a safe, hazing-free ceremony. Joe was also the advisor who initially found out the investigations had turned up some concerning issues but was told at the time that “they weren’t as bad as he might be thinking.”
Once he joined the investigation, Mark was hugely proactive with the university, attempting to find a solution before a hearing was scheduled. He presented numerous Advisory Board-imposed sanctions to Carly, the investigator, and promised we would put in place even more guardrails than we already had. Carly seemed receptive, so he scheduled a meeting to present the same to Jeremy Zilmer, Dean of Students/ Senior Deputy Title IX Coordinator. Unfortunately, Zilmer had to cancel the day of the meeting and never had the opportunity to hear Mark’s proposal. Mark also took on the lion’s share of the interviews, the hearing, advising Ethan and managing our national LCA OOA rep.
Matt, our Ritualist Advisor, has done an excellent job this last year improving ritual and making sure it was safe, followed to the letter and included no behaviors (that we knew of) that could be construed as hazing. (Note: Fall ritual was attended by Tom and Joe. Spring ritual was attended by Mark, Joe, Grant, Matt and me.)
WE WILL, AS ALUMNI AND AS A CHAPTER, MOVE BEYOND THIS SETBACK.
As an Alumni Association and Advisory Board, we are deeply saddened and frustrated by this outcome, particularly so considering: 1.) the progress we’ve made re-engaging many of you after a period of understandable estrangement, 2.) the progress we've made working to turn around the culture of the current chapter, and 3.) the fact that after all of the hard work, we, the Advisory Board Members, have been sanctioned as well by being banned from working with the chapter in an official capacity after reinstatement.
But we’re committed to our chapter and to each of you. We’ll stay resilient and emerge from the proverbial ashes with renewed strength.
In the meantime, we’ll keep our alumni activities and events in full swing. Homecoming and other gatherings will continue as planned because we believe that staying connected as a brotherhood is more important now than ever.
Thank you for standing by us. Together, we’ll navigate this period and come out stronger on the other side.
Yours in ZAX and on behalf of the Alumni Association and Advisory Board,
Rob Stalder
Phi-Mu 129
Alumni Association Vice President & Communications Director
Advisory Board Member advising High Rho (Alumni)
FAQs
How was the chapter informed of this outcome?
On Friday, July 5th, Ethan Ackerman received two official documents from Dr. Blaze Campbell-Jones via email. Mark Vinciguerra was copied as was LCA OOA and other university staff. One document outlines her official decision while the other provided a detail synopsis of investigation findings.
If you would like to read through these documents, they have been uploaded.
Can the chapter appeal this decision?
Yes, the chapter has until 5:00PM on July 12 to submit an appeal to be reviewed by Ben Batey, Chief Well-Being Officer/Hazing Prevention Coordinator, who would then issue a final outcome. The appeal itself may only come from Ethan Ackerman, current High Alpha, or other undergrad officer of the chapter.
A successful appeal, however, is considered highly unlikely.
What were the specific hazing allegations?
There were three different allegations. And note these came about when investigators were asking our brothers to describe pre-initiation and ritual activities.
“Zeta-ing”
Witnesses described this as “the practice of requiring younger members to engage in acts of servitude that older members asked them to perform, but that over time has come to be used in a joking, lighthearted manner among active members.” It has been occurring for many years.
From the assessment: “Because Lambda Chi Alpha was not previously charged with, found responsible, or sanctioned for this activity, they may now be found responsible for admitting to engaging in a ‘toxic’ activity which promoted personal servitude, and would be humiliating, and intimidating to a reasonable person.”
“The Black Sheep/White Sheep Tradition”
During interviews, this was described as a “tradition” introduced in 2015/2016 where “associate members come out of the chapter house, onto the back porch, and are instructed to face the house for about two minutes. Associate Members are then told to turn around. That is when they begin to chase the two members wearing [black and white] sheep heads and where associate members can choose between the Black Sheep path, which was shorter but harder, or the White Sheep path, which was longer but easier.”
“Car Ride to Spring Initiation”
There were four vehicles that transported associate members from BG to Michigan, where Mark Vinciguerra had offered his farm as a safe space for ritual, which he'd done in the fall as well. Each vehicle held active members and one of the four associate member (AM) to be initiated.
While driving, one vehicle played sheep sounds for a few seconds; one played the children’s song, “Crazy Farm Song” by Happy Learning; and one asked the AM to remain silent because it was “supposed to be serious.” The fourth vehicle played "Gregorian Chants" in an effort for the car ride to be meditative/reflective on the way to ritual. Originally, this was included in the university's hazing allegations, but was dropped after Joe Swary explained the religious background and tone of our ritual.
Some AMs-now-actives reported that “they didn’t know what to expect” while on the ride and/or referred to the music/sounds as “eerie” or a little “intimidating.”
Note: While it was not included as evidence in her decision to suspend the chapter, Dr. Blaze Campbell-Jones also took issue with the blindfolded parts and "death scene" of our ritual. Following is her official comment:
"This conduct was not considered as part of the hearing, this decision, the finding of responsibility, nor in determining a sanction. However, BGSU does not tolerate, condone, or sanction this activity. As carried out, this conduct may violate both the Code of Student Conduct and BGSU’s Anti-Hazing Policy which defines hazing to include “[a]ctivities that a reasonable person would view to be frightening, humiliating, intimidating, or deceptive... such as ... blindfolding” as well as “[a]cts of a physical nature such as ... bondage.
During the hearing, you shared that Lambda Chi Alpha is not required to follow or complete all sanctioned rituals. Lambda Chi Alpha is encouraged to reconsider its use of this ritual, in the future, and consult with its headquarters to determine if it can be altered in a manner which would comply with BGSU’s policies and state law."
Did the Advisory Board know about any of these alleged hazing activities prior to the anonymous post or the investigation?
The Advisory Board has been functioning in the manner it was intended to: being a positive influence for our young brothers; meeting regularly with our assigned chapter officers to help them strategize around their role responsibilities, define goals, create a plan of action for those goals and execute those plans; and working to make cultural adjustments that put the chapter back on a road to excellence as the "Ideal Men" we have come to know them to be over the last 1.5-2 years.
That said, cultures can run deep and do not change overnight, and while we encouraged them to consider the appropriate paths, decisions were made/activities undertaken that we were unaware of.
Is there anything I, as an alum, should or could be doing to help?
It is ultimately up to you, but we would encourage you to request a refund and/or stop on-going monthly donations to the Lambda Chi Program Fund (managed by the BGSU Foundation). The BGSU Foundation can be reached at 419.372.2424.
Further, and in the short-term future, we will be offering other ways you can donate to the Association and/or scholarship funds. Please stay tuned.
Where was LCA OOA during all of this? Were they involved during the process? What’s their stance?
Yes, Zach Rodgers, LCA OOA National Health & Wellness Manager, was involved, joining a few of the calls in an advisory capacity. Like us, Nationals believed most of the accusations were unfounded. In the end, however, the decision was solely the university’s and followed newly revised university hazing policies (“zero tolerance”) and Ohio law. (Note: It was Ethan’s choice as to who would join the hearing as his advisor, and he chose Mark.)
As for requesting that the chapter be reinstated after the two-year suspension, it is unclear how this will be handled by Nationals. We will pass along more information once it's available.
Will we lose our Phi-Mu Zeta charter?
Per BGSU policy, our charter must be suspended or revoked during the two-year suspension. We have learned from LCA OOA that they will suspend, not revoke, our charter.
What happens with the fraternity house?
Having lost our recognized status as a student organization at BGSU, we must forfeit our townhouse within the Greek Village. The Office of Student Housing will provide a timeline in which the items belonging to the chapter must be removed from the facility. They are also in the process of reaching out to the 12 brothers who were booked to live in the house to help them locate alternate housing.
What about the money we’ve donated? What happens to it?
It is our hope that the Lambda Chi Alpha Program Fund (managed by the BGSU Foundation) will remain untouched and in place until the suspension period is over. However, since we're unclear, we are looking into it and will share newly acquired information as it's received.
That said, we would encourage you to contact the BGSU Foundation (per the above) to request a refund of your donation and/or to stop on-going monthly donations.
What happens to the parlor fee we covered for the '24/'25 academic year?
Fortunately, the parlor fee has not been paid for the upcoming academic year.
What will happen to our chapter belongings (e.g. ritual equipment, framed composites, awards)?
Our ritual equipment will be stored by LCA OOA. All other memorabilia (eg composites, awards, letters) will be stored by Mark Vinciguerra.
Will any current brothers be allowed to continue as members of the chapter after the suspension? Are all current undergrads effectively expelled?
No initiated brother will be expelled from LCA OOA or the Phi-Mu Zeta chapter. They are Lambda Chi's for life.
However, per the university's official communication: "In alignment with recent practice for fraternal organizations receiving suspensions at BGSU, as a condition of reinstating recognition, no current members, current chapter advisor(s), nor the current chapter advisory board members may be affiliated with the [reinstated] Lambda Chi Alpha chapter at BGSU upon the return of the chapter [in an official capacity]."
What will happen with the Advisory Board?
Unfortunately, the current High Pi and Advisory Board, per the above, may no longer be affiliated with the chapter once reinstated, which perhaps is one of the more controversial sanctions that have been imposed.
Prior to the Summer of 2026, when reinstatement can be requested, we will be looking for at least four brothers to fill these roles and liaise with the university and Nationals.
What will happen to the Alumni Association?
Nothing! We are Lambda Chi’s and, more importantly, Phi-Mu's for life, which means we’ll continue to engage and connect with all of you via social media, email blasts and association meetings and events.