WVU Police Search Two Fraternity Houses in Morgantown Hazing Investigations

Morgantown woke up Tuesday to a lot of questions after a busy Monday night in fraternity row. WVU Police officers served search warrants at two fraternity houses near the West Virginia University campus as part of ongoing investigations into alleged hazing, and a large crowd of students gathered outside to watch it unfold.

What We Know

According to WVU Police, officers served the warrants Monday, Oct. 26, at two locations:

670 N. High St., the Lambda Chi Alpha house. The university says that fraternity was placed on interim suspension on Oct. 9 following anonymous allegations of hazing.

117 Belmar Ave., the Pi Kappa Alpha house, which the university describes as a registered fraternity.

WVU Police said local law enforcement agencies supported the searches. Videos of the police activity spread quickly across social media Monday night, showing officers going in and out of one of the houses carrying what appeared to be evidence bags while students stood nearby reacting.

What WVU Is Saying

The university is keeping the details close for now. "West Virginia University takes seriously the safety and well-being of our students," WVU spokesperson Shauna Johnson said in a statement Tuesday morning. "Due to the nature of the investigations, no other details will be released at this time. We will provide updates as they become available."

No charges have been announced, and police have not said what, if anything, was taken from either house or who may be involved. Allegations of hazing are just that until investigators say otherwise.

How We Got Here

The searches didn't come out of nowhere. Back on Oct. 6, WVU issued a campus warning after multiple reports of alleged hazing involving at least two fraternities. Three days later, Lambda Chi Alpha was put on interim suspension. At the time, the university said it had no additional information to share and pointed students toward its hazing prevention and reporting resources.

For a lot of Mountaineer families, this one hits close to home. Every fall, parents from every corner of the Mountain State drop their kids off in Morgantown trusting they'll be safe while they find their people. Hazing has no place in that picture, and it's good to see campus police taking the allegations seriously.

If you're a WVU student, or the parent of one, and you know something about hazing, the university encourages reporting it through its hazing prevention and reporting resources. We'll keep following this story and share updates as WVU Police release more information.