A possible hazing incident has prompted an investigation into and the suspension of a Texas A&M fraternity.
The Brazos County Sheriff's Office said that it was made aware Sunday of a possible hazing situation involving Kappa Sigma that occurred Sept. 14 and that it investigating.
Kappa Sigma said that it was aware of the hazing incident and that the Texas A&M chapter has been suspended pending an investigation.
"Any member found to violate the Fraternity's Code of Conduct, which strictly forbids hazing, will be held accountable," said Bradley Bailey, executive director of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
According to the sheriff's office, new fraternity members, also known as pledges, were told to attend an off-campus event. When they were there, current fraternity members took the pledges to a secluded area where they were instructed "to engage in physical activity until exhaustion," the sheriff's office alleged.
At least one pledge had to receive medical care for injuries at the off-campus event, the sheriff's office said.
NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston reported that several of the pledges had to be hospitalized, citing an unnamed victim who described the event as an "almost torturous" workout at the Kappa Sigma Lodge. During the workout, some new members passed out, while others were forced to complete the activities, the station reported.
"You have to put your hands on your heels and squat all as a group. And they're yelling at you, making you squat together. And that's where we did three, four or 500 of those," the victim said of the event, according to KPRC. "All in the mud, all real, real dark, people yelling at you, shining lights in your face, you're getting dizzy, you're throwing up."
Some pledges said that they couldn't walk in the days after the event and that their urine turned black, KPRC reported.
Fraternity members told those who needed medical attention to go to different hospitals and to lie to doctors about what happened, the victim said, according to KPRC. The victim said many of the pledges were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a serious medical condition in the muscles, but officials have not confirmed the diagnosis.
"If nothing changes, someone's gonna die," the victim told KPRC. "The main thing has to be that this never happens again."
Police are seeking additional victims or witnesses who can provide information about the incident.
