Marshall University has placed a moratorium on all fraternity parties until each chapter goes through a risk management training course, school officials said Thursday.
The temporary ban comes in response to beginning-of-school parties conglomerating into one where students spread across and blocked Fifth Avenue in Huntington. The party was eventually broken up by Huntington Police.
School officials said its Office of Student Affairs reviewed the Aug. 22 incident and found that two fraternity houses received citations from Huntington Police for violating the city's noise ordinance. The university says no other citations were issued.
While several media outlets reported that police issued numerous citations that night for underage drinking, public intoxication and obstruction of justice, school officials say their review found no evidence to support any were filed. They also said no arrests were made.
An assault that reportedly occurred at one of the parties is still being investigated by Huntington Police, school officials say. Carla Lapelle, interim dean of student affairs, said her office has not yet received a report from police, but that the incident will be dealt with.
While each fraternity chapter must go through the training courses, sanctions will not be imposed. They will, however, have to adhere to training guidelines that, if violated, could result in fraternity probation, suspension and eventual chapter revocation.
School officials also said Marshall's Interfraternity Council met Tuesday and passed a policy limiting alcohol consumption at parties. The self-imposed policy reportedly will prohibit fraternities from serving alcohol the week before classes start and the week after. It also requires any recruitment events during the second and third weeks of class to be alcohol-free.