Hanover
Hanover police also have launched an investigation into potential criminal conduct, Police Chief Charlie Dennis said on Friday.
Dartmouth spokeswoman Diana Lawrence said via email that the college “recently received information from a variety of sources about behavior that could be organizational hazing.”
She said the reports “include, but are not limited to, alleged forced consumption of alcohol and alleged behavior of a sexual nature.”
Lawrence said the allegations “implicate” 12 organizations and one student program, including Greek letter organizations and athletics teams.
“The college is taking these allegations seriously and has retained an external investigator to conduct interviews and engage in a fact-finding process,” Lawrence said. Dartmouth also shared information with Hanover police about the allegations. The investigation first was reported by The Dartmouth, the student newspaper.
The Dartmouth said the investigation was sparked by an increase in incident reports during the current fall term, and that the organizations under investigation include five fraternities, three sororities and co-ed Greek houses, three athletic teams, a student organization and a program that performs songs and dances for prospective students each spring.
Hazing is a misdemeanor under New Hampshire law, and Dennis, the Hanover police chief, said his department is “trying to work and see if we can find, through our investigation, where it may lead and what it might involve, and if there is criminal activity.”
Amid concerns about heavy drinking and allegations of sexual assault on campus, Dartmouth President Phil Hanlon in 2015 launched his “Moving Dartmouth Forward” plan, which included a ban on hard liquor and tougher standards for fraternities.
In 2015, Dartmouth “derecognized” Alpha Delta after fraternity members burned brands into their skin. The following year, Sigma Alpha Epsilon was banned by Dartmouth amid alcohol-related hazing allegations.
And last year, the Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity was suspended for three terms after admitting to “a series of violations” of the school’s hazing and alcohol policies.
Additionally, in July 2017, the women’s swimming and diving team was put on probation for a year for telling first-year members to give sexualized PowerPoint presentations to teammates, the Associated Press reported.
John P. Gregg can be reached at jgregg@vnews.com.