Following hazing allegations and an interim suspension that began Feb. 26, Davidson’s Kappa Sigma Fraternity chapter has been suspended indefinitely as of March 22 while its national governing body further investigates. 

When Kappa Sigma was first suspended, president Will Capps ’27, received an email from Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities Mac Tompkins requesting a meeting. In this meeting, Capps was given a letter saying the house was being placed on interim suspension for alleged hazing. 

“We’ve been under that same status since then,” said Capps. 

Capps was made aware of National’s intervention in the investigation during a meeting with Director of Student Activities, Emily Eisenstadt, Tompkins, and two representatives from the Fraternities headquarters. 

Eisenstadt and student activities are unable to comment on the ongoing investigation.  

The details of how the school learned of hazing incidents or what sparked the suspension are not publicly available as the investigation is ongoing. Though Director of Media Relations Jay Pfeifer ensured that involved parties are being supported. “We are also supporting the members of our community who raised the concerns by connecting them with staff and resources from the Center for Student Health and Well-Being,” he said in an email to The Davidsonian. 

During the school’s investigation, the Kappa Sigma house was closed and unable to serve food, leaving many members unsure of the future of their meal plan.  

“It threatened a lot of people’s food security because they rely on our house for their food,” said Capps. 

At the beginning of the suspension,first-year and sophomore members were told that they would be put on the all-inclusive meal plan at no additional cost to the house , which Capps said was initially untrue. 

“I was later told about four or five days later that the fraternity would be charged for that [meal plan change],” said Capps. “I pushed back against that, and eventually they said that we wouldn’t be charged.”

The policy regarding food policy while under investigation remains cloudy. Capps pointed out a lack of official policy surrounding PCC and suspension. 

“There seems to be no policy at all in terms of how student organizations that provide service can continue to provide that meal service during interim suspensions,” said Capps. “That needs to be addressed quickly because that’s unacceptable.” 

Starting March 2, the house was allowed to open for “grab and go” meals, meaning members could enter the house to get their food but not sit down to eat. 

Now, starting March 22, members are permitted to have sit-down meals, but with a risk manager present. “We have two student risk managers, two of our own members, risk managing our meals,” said Capps. “

The guidelines that I’ve been given as far as what those risk managers are supposed to do is to ensure that there’s no drinking and no party in the house while we’re having meals.”

The college considers the investigation and the administrative response in line with Davidson’s strict anti-hazing policy. “The health and safety of every Davidson College student is our highest priority, and the College takes hazing allegations very seriously,” Pfeifer wrote in an email to The Davidsonian.  

Some students have brought up concerns regarding the school’s transparency regarding the suspension. PCC President Stella Davis ’26, who acts as a “liaison between students and administration,” feels wrongly-uninformed of the ongoing investigation. 

“I feel like I’m in an interesting position right now, just having this title of PCC president and not really feeling like I am able to do anything with it, or being filled in at all,” Davis said. 

“It’s frustrating that one of our organizations is going through this entire investigation and this is a huge thing for PCC, obviously, and I don’t really know anything about it.” 

Davis also stated that Kappa Sigma’s investigation feels like part of a larger shift. “Whether it is true or not, the perception by students is that the administration has an agenda to push organizations off campus,” she stated in a text to The Davidsonian. “What is happening to KSig feels like part of that larger agenda.”

Kappa Sigma’s current status has left members, especially seniors, feeling slighted. At the final stretch of his four years at Davidson, the new imposed regulations left Jack Srinivasan ’26 disappointed. 

“Some of the most meaningful parts of fraternity life for me are the shared meals and quality time with close friends in the house, and that experience has been significantly disrupted,” Srinivasan wrote in a text to The Davidsonian. 

Though, the investigation also raises complicated feelings about fraternities on campus. Katherine Marshall ’26 was unsurprised by the college’s response. “I don’t think it’s [the investigation] that crazy, considering that fraternities are generally symbols of misogyny and racism, that the school doesn’t really want to put a whole lot of energy towards protecting them,” she said. “And at the same time, I understand that it feels unfair to be policed about how people socialize on campus.” 

Looking forward, Kappa Sigma’s status on campus is unknown. Davis hopes that the continued investigation will spark further discussion about PCC on campus. “I think that a lot of conversation around social life at Davidson is necessary moving forward.”

See updates to this story here.