The University of Arizona announced it no longer will recognize the fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha, also known as PIKE, after an investigation into a party found that members left a drunken woman under 21 half-naked and hyperventilating and fought in front of police.

The loss of recognition means that the fraternity will no longer exist in the eyes of the university and cannot use UA facilities or participate in UA events.

The Dean of Students Office, through Assistant Dean Rosanna Curti, released a letter outlining the allegations and investigation that led to this decision. 

On the night of March 11, there had been a party at the fraternity with 30 to 50 people, Curti said, based on an investigation involving UA police reports, witness testimony, and body camera video. 

University of Arizona police arrived at the fraternity in the early hours of March 12, answering a call about a party and a drunken woman under the age of 21 who had been found “partially nude, hyperventilating, and crying,” Curti wrote. 

The exact age of the woman was not clear in the letter.

While trying to treat the woman, police had to call more officers because of a fight that broke out between two fraternity members, other drunken members interfering and one member who began arguing with police about the drunken woman, Curti explained.

According to Curti, officers specifically noted the “level of intoxication of the underage student in distress, and two PIKE members under legal drinking age.”

“PIKE members, however, witnessed this student’s presence, distress, and state of undress and stood by without calling for medical or police support,” she wrote. “Instead, PIKE members attempted to manage the female subject’s hyperventilating for twenty minutes by giving her someone else’s prescription inhaler as a remedy to her state of intoxication, undress, and duress.”

Curti’s letter also referenced a call for police to a possible second party where alcohol was given to people under 21 within the following days, but did not contain more details about what may have happened there. The letter says the fraternity denied there was a second party. 

Overall, Curti said it is “more likely than not that PIKE violated” provisions of the Student Code of Conduct regarding alcohol, threatening or causing physical harm, failure to comply with university officials including officers, and breaking state law.

“Due to serious and dangerous nature of this finding and considering the aggravated nature of the multiple incidents in two days, Pi Kappa Alpha is being sanctioned with Loss of Recognition-Effective immediately through May 2026,” Curti explained.

In the letter, the fraternity said in statements about the March 11 party that it reprimanded one of the members who had started fighting and that they did not break COVID-19 regulations, but did not reference the woman.

The fraternity alleged that one of the other incidents was a dinner party taken out of context.

Pi Kappa Alpha did not immediately reply to a request for comment on these allegations. 

“The Loss of Recognition of clubs and organizations is unfortunate as the University is quite clear regarding policies and procedures and provides significant educational training. Nevertheless, the members of Pi Kappa Alpha chose to actively disregard our expectations. The health, safety and well-being of our students is my utmost responsibility in partnership with students, alumni and parents,” said Kendal Washington White, vice provost of campus life and dean of students, in a statement from the university.

Reach breaking news reporter Miguel Torres at [email protected] or on Twitter @MTorresTweet.

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