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Arizona frat suspended after allegedly making new recruits swallow live goldfish

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Cite

Luscombe, R. (2026, September 28). Arizona frat suspended after allegedly making new recruits swallow live goldfish. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/28/university-of-arizona-fraternity-suspended-hazing

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

The Guardian · collected 2026-09-28 · by Richard Luscombe

Quick Summary

The University of Arizona suspended the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity after allegations emerged that new members were forced to drink large amounts of alcohol and swallow live goldfish. Jasmin Hayes, the university’s senior student rights and responsibilities coordinator, informed the chapter by letter that they violated the student code of conduct, endangering members with physical harm. This incident is part of a broader trend of hazing cases across U.S. campuses, including similar allegations at other universities like the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cornell University.
Written by AI on 2026-09-28, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In September 2025, the University of Arizona suspended its Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity after new members were forced to eat live goldfish and consume excessive amounts of alcohol as part of initiation rituals. The frat president, Brayden Klein, and vice president, Samuel Vane, both aged 20, were arrested for misdemeanor hazing and disorderly conduct. The university placed the fraternity on "activities suspension," prohibiting any organizational activities until the case is resolved, with only club business meetings allowed. This incident follows a series of recent campus hazing cases across the US, including similar issues at University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cornell University.

Written for “Frat Suspended For Hazing” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Frat Suspended For Hazing
Education · 2 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 25% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
New York Post
Hedges 2 of 15 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different incidents involving hazing at universities in Arizona, but they do not refer to the exact same specific occurrence.”
New York Post
Hedges 2 of 11 claims Outlet record 66/100
Toronto Star
Hedges 2 of 23 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The articles describe different incidents occurring in separate locations with distinct hazing practices.”
The Guardian
Hedges 2 of 23 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different incidents: one in Wisconsin involving Alpha Epsilon Pi and physical assault, and another in Arizona involving Sigma Tau Gamma and forcing new members to swallow live goldfish.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 6 of 33 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles describe different incidents involving distinct fraternities and universities.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A describes a suspension due to alleged hazing involving live goldfish, while Article B reports on sentencing related to a death from alcohol poisoning at another university.”
The Independent
Hedges 3 of 17 claims Outlet record 59/100
“The articles describe different incidents involving college fraternities, with Article A focusing on a suspension due to goldfish swallowing and hazing practices at the University of Arizona, while Article B reports a former fraternity leader being jailed for involvement in a fatal hazing incident at Northern Arizona U.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
16
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
25%
4 of 16 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
The Guardian's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Education
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-28 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Guardian · 1850 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Richard Luscombe
28 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 “I know of no law enforcement agency that would deem that to be acceptable,” he said.
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🔮 Maybe he should sit this one out.”
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🔮 Similar to hundreds of other reports released by the Pentagon since May as part of Donald Trump’s promise to bring transparency to decades of previously classified or secret documents relating to UFOs, many other details are vague, inconclusive or blacked out altogether.
🔮 “We have begun and will continue auditing [body-worn camera] footage.
🔮 “Cole was an incredible kid and could put a smile on anyone’s face,” Adrian said in a text message reported by the New York Times.
🔮 Experts said the devices “could knock a whole street down”.
Also by Richard Luscombe
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 28 articles by Richard Luscombe →

Topics

New York Sigma Tau Gamma University of Arizona the University of Arizona the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Subjects

Sigma Tau Gamma ORG · 4× Hayes PERSON · 2× University of Arizona ORG · 2× Arizona GPE · 1× Chi Phi ORG · 1× Cornell University’s ORG · 1× Jasmin Hayes PERSON · 1× New York GPE · 1× the University of Arizona ORG · 1× the University of Wisconsin-Madison ORG · 1×

Narrative

College officials informed the university’s Sigma Tau Gamma chapter by letter earlier in September that it was under investigation for multiple alleged violations of the student code of conduct, including “endangering, threatening, or causing physical harm” to members of the campus community.
framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-28
🔮 A repeat violation or attempt to contact or interfere with witnesses could result in more severe consequences, she warned.

Claims (16 extracted, 4 hedged)

A college fraternity at the University of Arizona has been suspended after new members were allegedly plied with alcohol and forced to swallow live goldfish. uncertain
members → suspend → goldfish
College officials informed the university’s Sigma Tau Gamma chapter by letter earlier in September that it was under investigation for multiple alleged violations of the student code of conduct, including “endangering, threatening, or causing physical harm” to members of the campus community. asserted
it → inform → community
It is the latest in a series of recent campus hazing cases across the US, which have included the discovery of dozens of partly clothed young men locked in the basement of a fraternity house at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where they were covered in food as part of a pledging ritual. asserted
they → include → ritual
Meanwhile, in New York, prosecutors said on Monday that they had reopened a 2024 investigation into the alleged drugging and gang-rape of a female student by seven members of Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity. asserted
they → say → fraternity
The alleged hazing of new recruits to the Arizona fraternity took place in the fall semester of 2025, according to the letter to the chapter from Jasmin Hayes, the university’s senior student rights and responsibilities coordinator. uncertain
hazing → take → Hayes
“New members of Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity were subjected to hazing,” Hayes wrote. asserted
Hayes → subject → hazing
“Specifically, new members were forced to consume large quantities of alcohol and live goldfish. asserted
members → force → alcohol
Additionally, new members were subjected to screaming, degradation, and threats from active members.” asserted
members → subject → members
The chapter is banned from all activities except essential business meetings while the university’s investigation concludes, Hayes wrote. asserted
Hayes → ban → meetings
A repeat violation or attempt to contact or interfere with witnesses could result in more severe consequences, she warned. uncertain
she → contact → consequences
A separate University of Arizona fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, was placed on probation for 12 months and fined $4,000, for breaches of the student code of conduct relating to hazing, Tucson’s KOLD news station reported in May. In all, six University of Arizona fraternity chapters have been investigated for hazing in 2026, the outlet reported. uncertain
outlet → place → 2026
Among the allegations are forced alcohol and drug use – and incidents of violence and intimidation resulting in hospitalizations. asserted
use → force → hospitalizations
The Guardian has contacted Sigma Tau Gamma for comment. asserted
Guardian → contact → comment
On its national website, the fraternity promotes virtues including “integrity”, “excellence” and “citizenship”. asserted
fraternity → promote → integrity
In 2020, the Pennsylvania State University and Sigma Tau Gamma’s board of directors announced jointly that they had permanently closed its Alpha Psi chapter for hazing offenses, including providing alcohol to minors. asserted
they → announce → minors
“Hazing has no place in Sigma Tau Gamma,” the fraternity said in a statement at the time. asserted
fraternity → have → time
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