[B]URLINGTON — The University of Vermont has alerted all but two of its fraternities that their suspensions can be lifted as the university continues its investigation into the February death of first-year student Connor Gage.
Investigations by both the university and Burlington Police Department determined that Gage was at Delta Tau Delta, a recognized fraternity, and Alpha Epsilon Pi, which is not a recognized by the university, the night of his death.
All of the other fraternities will have their suspensions lifted after submission and approval of individual chapter action plans, Daphne Wells, director of student life and the Davis Center, told the frats in a letter Friday.
“The investigation to date has determined that alleged violations are limited to specific chapters, and does not reflect on [Interfraternity Council] organizations as a whole,” Wells wrote.
Gage, 19, was found dead Feb. 2 in Burlington. The cause of his death was hypothermia, and alcohol intoxication with a blood-alcohol content of .20, according to his autopsy.
The legal limit to drive is .08, meaning Gage’s BAC was more than double the legal limit.
Jon Murad, the deputy chief of the Burlington Police Department, said that police determined Gage visited the Delta Tau Delta house on Weston Street first before going to the Alpha Epsilon Pi house on Buell Street.
Police believe Gage left Alpha Epsilon Pi alone before 1 a.m. on Feb. 2, and was next seen on surveillance video at 1:08 a.m. where his body would be found later that morning.
UVM suspended all fraternity activity indefinately Feb. 5, with Annie Stevens, UVM’s vice provost for student affairs, announcing that police had found that Gage attended events at one or more fraternities the night he died.
Alpha Epsilon Pi was kicked off campus and lost university recognition in 2014 for alcohol and hazing violations. The frat violated the terms of its interim suspension by recruiting new members while suspended. The frat was suspended after a November 2013 event that landed several members in the hospital for alcohol consumption.
As an unrecognized fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi is not allowed to hold programs or recruit on campus or participate in activities organized by the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life.
Vermont’s Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter has remained recognized by their national organization despite losing university recognition.
UVM spokesman Enrique Corredera said the frat is currently unrecognized indefinitely.
Jon Pierce, spokesman for Alpha Epsilon Pi International, said if the organization determined its chapter or any members were responsible for behavior that wasn’t aligned with its health and safety policies, it would take appropriate action.
“We are aware of the incident, we have interviewed our brothers and have not taken any action,” he said.
Corredera said the university would not be able to take action against the fraternity, since it is already unrecognized.
“Based on the outcome of the investigation, if the university determines that individual students may have violated university policy, a student or students can be referred to the student conduct review process,” he said.
Corredera said while the investigation was continuing, the university had reached the conclusion the rest of the fraternities did not appear to be involved.
“We are still looking to get more information about the role that these two fraternities may have played,” he said.
The individual chapter action plan includes a meeting between fraternity leadership and the university’s FSL office, and written plans for recruitment and new member education which must be improved by the fraternity’s national organization and the FSL office.
The plans must include commitments for alcohol-free and hazing-free recruitment, and alcohol and hazing prevention plans for the new member period. The fraternities are required to disclose whether presence or consumption of alcohol occurs during new member education, and how organizational values are reflected in the role of alcohol during the new member period.
“The purpose is essentially to ensure there are some safeguards in place for the safety and wellbeing of our students,” Corredera said.
Aaron Goldstein, president of UVM’s Delta Tau Delta chapter, and Delta Tau Delta’s national organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This isn’t the first time UVM fraternities have found themselves in trouble. In 2017, two fraternities — Phi Gamma Delta and Alpha Gamma Rho — were suspended for violating the university’s hazing and alcohol policies.
In 2011, UVM’s branch of Sigma Phi Epsilon drew national ire after members drafted a survey that included the questions “If you could rape someone, who would it be?” The fraternity was closed after that incident but returned to campus in 2018.
Phi Gamma Delta was suspended in 2006 after fraternity members allegedly required pledges to wear cowboy clothes in a “Brokeback Mountain” themed party before taunting them with homophobic comments.
Gage was found in the snow near 294 North Winooski Ave. and police believe he was was cutting through a parking lot before getting stopped by a fence. The temperature that night was between -1 and -4 degrees.
The Burlington Police Department’s full report on Gage’s death is complete but is pending review and not yet ready for release, Murad said.