New member activities have been suspended at Duke's chapter of Kappa Alpha Order.
Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, confirmed the suspension to The Chronicle Thursday afternoon.
The fraternity is now the fourth to have its suspension come to light in the past two weeks, following Delta Tau Delta and Pi Kappa Phi’s suspensions, and Sigma Phi Epsilon’s suspension of new member activity. The suspensions are pending investigations into hazing allegations.
All Interfraternity Council presidents signed a letter dated Jan. 31 saying that four fraternities had been suspended, and the letter ran as an ad in The Chronicle Monday. However, only three fraternities' suspensions were confirmed to The Chronicle after inquiries into hazing allegations and suspensions. Kappa Alpha Order’s suspension was not included in the original statement.
When asked Monday which chapter had the fourth suspension, Moneta confirmed there was a fourth suspension but declined to provide the name. Emilie Dye, director of student engagement for Fraternity and Sorority Life, declined to comment on which fraternity chapter it was when asked Tuesday, citing that it was a pending University investigation. When Moneta was asked Thursday afternoon if it was Kappa Alpha, he confirmed that it was.
Kappa Alpha President Calum Keeley, a junior, did not respond to several emails asking if the fraternity was suspended over the course of several days. When emailed Thursday afternoon that The Chronicle had confirmed its suspension, he did not immediately return a request for comment.
Attempts to reach the director of communications at Kappa Alpha Order's national branch by email and phone for comment were unsuccessful on Wednesday and Thursday.
IFC President Matthew Conley, a senior, signed the letter along with the fraternity chapter presidents. When asked Monday if he knew which fraternity had the fourth suspension, he wrote in an email that he was made aware there was a fourth suspension of some kind but not which chapter it was.
"I unfortunately cannot comment on pending university investigations," Conley wrote Monday. "This information is not shared with me."
Isabelle Doan and Bre Bradham contributed reporting.
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Managing Editor 2018-19, 2019-2020 Features & Investigations Editor
A member of the class of 2020 hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Ben is The Chronicle's Towerview Editor and Investigations Editor. Outside of the Chronicle, he is a public policy major working towards a journalism certificate, has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News and frequents Pitchforks.