West Virginia University

West Virginia University has placed a moratorium on a Greek activities following two incidents involving fraternities, one of which led to the death of an 18-year-old freshman. 

Nolan Michael Burch, from Williamsville, New York, died on November 14 after emergency medical services were called to the Kappa Sigma fraternity house in Morgantown, West Virginia and found him unresponsive on the night of November 12, according to NBC.

Another incident on November 6 involving a “street brawl” and a different fraternity was also cited by the university.  

“The action to halt fraternity and sorority activities while these matters are being reviewed is being done with the well-being and safety of our students in mind. That is – and must always be – our foremost priority,” said said Dean of Students Corey Farris, in a statement released on Thursday.

Farris also said the school had been notified on November 10, prior to Burch’s accident, that the charter for the campus chapter of Kappa Sigma had recently been revoked. 

According to a statement released on the Kappa Sigma website, the WVU chapter’s charter had been revoked in October for “unrelated violations of Kappa Sigma’s Code of Conduct” and that the national organization is “focused on working with the university to ensure that the proper support and counseling is available to the individual members of our former chapter.” 

According to Farris, the moratorium on Greek activities such as dinners, parties and dances will remain in place at least through the end of the current semester while investigations are ongoing. Organizations may continue group philanthropic activities with special permission.