A Wesleyan University fraternity placed on probation and slapped with a sexual assault lawsuit in December has been suspended over allegations of illegal drug use.
Psi Upsilon members are accused of organizing group drug deals, one of which police interrupted in May, according to a joint statement from the university president and vice president for student affairs. Wesleyan officials said state and federal authorities are investigating.
"In addition to violating Wesleyan’s policies prohibiting illegal drugs, these allegations represent important health and safety concerns for the campus," Wesleyan President Michael Roth and Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Whaley said in a joint statement Monday.
Wesleyan has revoked the chapter's housing privileges for the upcoming year.
Although the university is allowing Psi Upsilon to participate in Greek activities, a statement from the national fraternity said the chapter at Wesleyan has been suspended while an investigation gets underway.
"Illegal drug use is unacceptable and not congruent to the values of our fraternity, and any members found guilty will be held accountable for their actions," Psi Upsilon Executive Director Thomas Fox said in a statement Monday. "Once we conclude our investigation into the matter we can better decide a direction for the chapter as a whole."
The fraternity has been on probation since December, when two sexual assault allegations came to light, one of which prompted a lawsuit. The probationary period was to last through the end of the 2015-2016 academic year.
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"This turn of events is deeply disappointing for so many of us. It is certainly a blow to alumni and students who care for Psi U, and that includes the new women members who had planned to live there this fall," Roth and Whaley said in a statement.
School officials said Wesleyan will reconsider the fraternity’s status on campus after state and federal investigations are complete. Individual fraternity members may also be disciplined.
"Wesleyan is committed to addressing illegal drug use and has established a task force to identify best practices in this regard. This task force will report back to the campus community this academic year," Roth and Whaley said.
It’s not the first time Wesleyan students have been accused of dealing drugs.
Five students were arrested and expelled this spring for allegedly selling party drugs that sickened a dozen of their peers. Their names are not listed on the Psi Upsilon roster.
