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Subscribe to RSSA fraternity at the University of Kansas has been suspended by the national organization after reports that a turkey was thrown around like a football, choked and then killed at a frat house party.
"We were a little shocked by the accounts that are being shared," said Martin Cobb, spokesman for the Beta Theta Pi national organization, told the Lawrence Journal-World.
Cobb said the national organization has suspended the KU chapter indefinitely while university and local officials investigate the incident at an end-of-semester dance and dinner party at the fraternity house in Lawrence, Kan.
Lawrence police said they were called to the fraternity house Friday night to investigate a report of possible animal cruelty involving a live turkey.
Police determined that the turkey, which had been in a cage, somehow got loose and was "chased and abused by several individuals present at the party, seriously injuring the animal," Sgt. Trent McKinley told the Journal-World. Someone killed the turkey, "stating he did so to end its suffering," McKinley said, according to the newspaper.
Witnesses told The Kansas City Star that the turkey was chased through a crowd of about 150 people, thrown around like a football and choked. At one point its wing snapped, and then its leg, according to witness reports.
Chad Boydston, a trumpet player for a blues band that was hired to play at the party, said the turkey was running around scared. “It turned into a blood lust,” he told the Star. “We saw a mob mentality.”
Band member Lisa McKenzie said she jumped off the stage and begged the students to let her have the bird. “They told me it was none of my business,” McKenzie told the Star. She said she was the one who called police.
It’s unclear what happened to the bird after it died.
No one was arrested at the party.
McKinley said the case will be forwarded to the Douglas County district attorney, who will consider whether charges are warranted after the investigation is complete.
The KU Beta Theta Pi chapter issued a statement on Wednesday through the national organization saying it supported its indefinite suspension:
Members of the KU and Lawrence Community:
The University of Kansas Chapter of Beta Theta Pi and its alumni take seriously the allegations of mistreatment of animals in conjunction with our annual end-of-the-semester formal dinner and dance last Friday night. It is for that reason that our chapter supports and accepts our General Fraternity’s decision to immediately suspend our chapter’s activities until a thorough investigation has been completed. We are fully cooperating with the University of Kansas, Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity and legal authorities. The alleged behavior conflicts sharply with our values of integrity, responsible conduct and trust, and pending the outcome of the investigation, we are committed to holding responsible parties accountable for any inappropriate behavior.
In announcing the suspension, the national fraternity said:
“Beta Theta Pi prides itself on being an organization that holds its members to the highest standards of personal and group conduct. The risk management policy and other rules and regulations of the General Fraternity, the University and the state of Kansas provide the framework for those standards. In light of the recent incident at the chapter’s semester-end formal dinner and dance, the chapter’s ability to operate in the constructs of those regulations has been called into question.
It is expected that the General Fraternity and the Alpha Nu chapter will coordinate an initial investigation to determine what occurred the evening of the incident. Further, we expect that the chapter will comply fully with University and local officials during their investigations. All chapter activities are suspended until a complete investigation has been completed.”
In a statement, the University of Kansas said it expects anyone with information about the incident to cooperate fully with investigators. “Behavior such as that reported is reprehensible and is not what KU would expect from its students,” the university said.
The Kansas turkey death was the latest in a string of bad-news incidents involving college fraternities.
The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at Northern Illinois University was suspended and its members could face hazing charges after a 19-year-old NIU student was found dead on Nov. 2 in the fraternity house following a night of heavy drinking. An autopsy concluded he died of cardiac arrhythmia triggered by alcohol.
A West Virginia University fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, was permanently suspended from campus in November after an alleged hazing incident involving late-night drinking at the chapter house.
In October, the University of Alabama suspended all fraternity pledgeship activities after hazing allegations were made against 10 fraternities.
The hazing death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion in 2011 put renewed focus on the problem. A medical examiner ruled Champion's death a homicide, and former members of the historically black college's "Marching 100" band face felony hazing charges stemming from the death.
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What a bunch of a-holes.
Phucking douchebags. Lock 'em up with some rabid turkeys and let nature take it's course.
Grow up ... you sound like a fool AZ
Just disgusting behavior, some of them need psychiatric help. Hope the frat is suspended for a year.
Texas AI is probably just another meat head frat d0uche. Protecting his own.
And people wonder why we still get sucked into the mob mentality. Greek life serves no purpose except to make weak, mindless people feel important. They should just die off.
Well said, Lolly! And you are probably correct about Texas frat d0uche. Wouldn't surprise me if they're having trouble understanding my anger towards people who think that animal cruelty is funny.
One last thing, being that Texas A&I thinks I sound like a fool, take a scroll down and take a look at all of the dumbass comments he's left making a joke of the situation. If I'm the one who looks like a fool, and not him/her/it, then maybe the world really is coming to an end.
AZ .. you look like a little queer .... you sound like a little queer .. I happen to be a nam combat vet ... and i invite you to say any of that to my face .. while I imagine i am 35 years older than you at least > you dont stand a chance .... so i invite you anytime to be a man and say those things face to face ....
BTW lolly .. all frats are worthless .. but thats not the point ... you liberals stand up against abortion or drunk driving or drug use / DUI as much as you think a turkey dying is a crime ...
If you are a Nam vet than you are an embarrassment to my generation and to all service men. If you want to know why a man could walk into a school and slaughter babies than look no further. Lack of compassion and responsibility for reprehensible behavior starts with this type of thinking. Little pencil d..k.
about 10 15 years ago,3 guys were arrested at wompler longacre.1 held a turkey, 1 rooted them on, and 1 had sex with it. what is wrong with people?
This fraternity should be shut down permanantly, and the students expelled from the school. It makes me sick that someone begged to help the bird, and was not allowed to do so. Since when is it funny or masculine to inflict pain, suffering and death to any living creature? This total disregard for life has to stop. There should be zero tolerance for this kind of thing.
.....will there be an AUTOPSY
to determine if the bird was sexually assaulted ??
Betting all of the parents who have busted their asses all their lives to send their little darlings to higher education are so proud right now and feeling like all of their hard work and sacrifices were worth it.
Yes...SARCASM!!!
Texas A & I: I love that you just rambled a bunch of disrespectful, idiotic things and then tried to justify it by being a veteran. Out of respect to veterans everywhere, you might want to not throw that in there.
Well, at least they did not did up Geronimo's Grave and steal his head.
Don't cry over one abused turkey - cry over the millions of turkey dying every day in slaughterhouses all over the world! They live in constant suffering and then die a horrible death.
Well, this is pretty typical of the child-sheep that populate frats everywhere. Herd mentality and disrespect for everything is the norm. Only occasional spats of sobriety keep it in check. What's worse, nothing will happen to these scum, except for a slap on the wrist for the frat for a year or two.
Did the Betas ever stop tying bricks to the one end of a rope, and prospective pledges' dongs to the other end, then throw the brick out a second story window?
All fraternities and sororities nation wide should be broken up disbanded and banned, they are nothing but a bunch of punks who think they are better than everyone else, they are no better than high school cliques on steroids.
Or street gangs.
Typical fraternity bs. Just an excuse to get wasted and act like animals.
Lots of Turkeys die from Thanksgiving till New Years .... Whats the big deal
I know it's fun to be in contrarian's corner but there is a big difference between killing one for food and torturing one for the hell of it.
Not to the turkey .. it's still dead
The big deal
is it was tortured! This is a living creature that feels and fears! Why would
you abuse it? If you want to believe stats,,,, there is a small step from
animal abuse to child or any other abuse!
How about we chase your thru a pack of wild animals, break your legs and arms and toss you around like a football? It may not have a soul but is still should be respected
Carrie .. do you have ANY idea how domestic turkeys are raised and slaughtered for retail sale ... you need to stop being so naive.
People who are capable of hurting innocent animals are also capable of hurting innocent human beings. That's the big deal.
Carrie - That turkey had a soul. All animals do. Those frat boys..I wouldn't count on it.
People ... it was a joke .. but OK ... think
These fools killed a turkey this way .... like a Nazi shooting a person in the head for not running fast enough.
Domestic Turkeys are led off to slaughter just like the Nazi's led jews into the gas chambers ...
Either way they are dead ... now tell me ... how many of you eat turkey ... if you do > then your the reason they slaughter turkeys and your > Responsable for their death.
All students should be required to take a critical thinking course. And logic.
I just wonder if you same people are willing to complain over the violence in Movies and video games ... beacuse that mindset they put into society is sadly the reason for much of the violence like the school shooting ... Not Guns ...
a Gun is a Gun ... But violence is Violence and a bag of rocks is an assault weapon if your the one being hit with the rocks
Texas A&I, If you're a Viet Nam Vet you had to have been a REMF, a pussy in green, an ashkisser in the rear.
texas a & i ...if you don't understand why this is wrong then explaining it to you is useless. these animal abusers are depraved and should not only be permenantly suspended from the frat but also expelled from school and they should be prosecuted for animal cruelty.
Texas A&I there is no comparison between what these boys did and what the Nazi's did to the Jewish. What the Nazi's did to the Jewish was considered genocide among other things, which are unspeakably horrible, there is no place for that comparison here and I find it absolutely absurd that you would compare these two completely different scenarios....what these fraternity members and possibly some non-fraternity members did is horrible, it was careless, insensitive and cruel. No animal deserves to die that way. There is a big difference between a domestic animal dying for use of food vs. a wild or domestic (it does not state in the story whether the turkey was wild or domestic) dying just for the entertainment of watching it die.
If you want to compare it to anything compare it to the mob mentality exhibited in the novel and in the movie "Lord of The Flies." There is no excuse for what these people did but unfortunately our justice system isn't always the most logical or compassionate and these people will probably just end up with a fine and a slap on the wrist and unfortunately that's the reality of the situation. I may also be wrong, but I feel as though it's not going to be taken as seriously because it was an animal vs. if it was a human.
This story and the reaction to it are ridiculous on many levels.
No one is excusing what these frat-boy idiots did.
But do any of you realize how factory-farmed animals, such as turkeys, are treated? Most of their short lives are miserable. But you people who gulp down the turkey and dressing this holiday season don't want to think about that, do you? Or about the chickens, pigs, lambs, cows, etc. that are mistreated before ending up on your plate.
Yeah, yeah, I know, another "weird" vegetarian am I. Just forget it and have another serving of milk-fed veal.
Also, I notice the national office of the frat said:
That's like a Mexican drug cartel leader saying his organization goes about its business with the utmost decorum and compassion. :D
Texas A and I
You are an IDIOT. And I would LOVE to tell that to your dumba** self... Way to say AZDrummer!
Texas A&I can you explain to me which comment was a joke? Because none of your comments seem to have the ability to be taken in a joking manner. I'm just curious as I've read all of your comments and see no jokes in any of them.
Will the viciousness and sick minds of people ever stop amazing us? I don't think so! What a sorry bunch of creepy people!
Yes, it was a turkey and yes, we eat them at Thanksgiving. One thing to raise for food, but what is this culture of 'harming' for fun and games? Why torture the bird and cause it pain? I just don't know what to think of people anymore.
Emotionless, soul lacking beings-
Calla, you're too kind. They are lacking in souls but they do have emotions. It's just that their emotions are all screwed up. They find joy and fun where others find pain... not to be argumentative at all but I'm more apt to think it's more accurate to say "sadistic, soul lacking beings."
seriously! Kids are idiots, That is our society with idiots. You see it every day.
BTW ... Watch the WKRP Episodes called Turkeys Away > one of the funniest sitcom episodes of all time
SITCOM! Seriously you don't know the difference between life and TV!
You are not a merit to your school!
Carrie ... grow up ... unless you eat nothing, use nothing, wear nothing that comes from another living thing ... then zip it.
BTW carrie .. I am a rancher > i kill all kinds of animals ... hunting and otherwise ... you PETA type over do it and thus become a joke
Texas, not all ranchers and hunters are like you. Stop trying to bring others down to your level. There is a difference between killing and torture.
Where did I EVER say I torture anything ....
I am pointing out that most of you over the top PETA types are HYPOCRITES in the first degree.
OK Carrie,
this is just for you...
"I honest to God, thought Texans & Kansans enrolled in Universities had brains ...!
What a shame for almost adult people to do. They don't need any more holiday parties, shame on them!!!
What part of "four legs good, two legs bad" did they not understand. Time to watch Deliverance again.
Those college boys got tired of choking the chicken, poor turkey
How disgusting. Have always known that if my daughter decided to join a sorority, I would try to discourage her completely. These organizations use any excuse to condone bad behavior. Shame on these young people to torture a helpless creature. and Texas A&I - GO AWAY - nobody needs to hear your BS
Chuck ... i suggest you either learn how to read and know a joke from a statement or at least grow a pair and try to tell me to go away in person.
It will be the last thing you do ... amaezes me how people like you think a joke is a belief .. yet ignore the examples I stated or address the issues of DO YOU EAT turkey or anything else that is raised and slaughtered for your dinner > which is basically anything you eat
I feel your pain Tex...
I'm a life long Carrot murderer
...and I've also hacked more Tomatoes than I can remember !
I'm as deeply bothered by it as you are Brother....
confession IS good for the soul !!
Tex is just another keyboard commando, making thinly veiled threats to kill Chuck if he said something to his face. Tex needs to be banned, as his posting behavior is sociopathic. The idiot thinks that a threat to murder is not present in his statement "It will be the last thing you ever do.", and any court of law would construe it as a threat to kill. So Tex, you really do need to go away, and I just reported you for it. What are you gonna do about it, punk?
What a bunch of ignorant heathens.I don't care how educated these people become in the future as none of them have a heart or conscience.They should all be kicked to the curb from that college.
Maybe they should go back to throwing sorority sisters. Thats a lot more fun.
We knew them as "sorostitutes".
"McKinley said the case will be forwarded to the Douglas County district attorney, who will consider whether charges are warranted after the investigation is complete."
America has incarcerated people for fighting dogs,but they don't know if charges are warranted in this barbaric case. This country has unbelievable double standards. How does one animal differ from another when it comes to abuse?
they use to bang sheep there now they use turkeys
To be honest, you can't expect people who treat their "brothers" like garbage to treat a poor animal any better.
I never did get the point of frats/ sororities that are not service organizations. There's something to be said for independent thinking. Any poor choices I've ever made were not because I hung out with a bunch of bozos who did it first.
texas a & i - i hope you don't have any children...i feel sorry for them if you do
I feel sorry for anyone who knows them personally. What a low-life scumbag.
Come and say that to my face you 2 little turkey chit wimps ...
@ Texas, where do you live and what is your address...
........crickets.........
These frat students should be ashamed of themselves. Animal abuse is no joke. I hope the frat not only gets suspended, but the university should expell every single person they have proof of participating in this crime. It sickens me to think a live animal was subjected to such a horrible experience, and that so many people thought it acceptable.
Every student who willing attended that party and allowed that animal to be tortured should be expelled. 150 people were there and no one, but two band members stood up to protect the defenseless animal. This is not how humans, especially adults in a higher educational class should behave. It is horrific and embarassing. I pity our country and society if this is the next generation of leaders. Shame on them, the university and the other cowards who allowed such an autrosity to occur.
Wow, a lot of PETA nut jobs on this message string. Oh no, a bug hit my windshield and 'suffered greviously' before I put it out of its misery by fully squishing it. Bug torture?
PETA .... fools who will kill a human over them backing over a mouse as they leave their drive-way ... and most of them back abortion > which many people see as murder ... but hey ... lets not hurt a fly thats important
Hypocricy...a PETA fool, wearing leather shoes.
Texas, I don't eat meat of any kind-you blowhard. I remember living in Texas and watching 2 cars race to kill an animal on the highway. I hate you rednecks and you're karma will hit you in the a-- someday
You eat fish ... shrimp .... you use anything with animal oil or produces tested on animals ...
Cheryl .. you sound like a fool ... people eat animals .. always have always will ... NO animal is equal to even the lowest SOB human ....
Although i would of shot michael vick myself ... but that another issue .. i told a joke .. dont like it fine.
But you like others dont face or address the other issues i wrote ....
I raise cattle for food ... i own horses .. I have personal kick more than a few peoples azz'z for not treating animals right .. but they still end up dead .. and if you people knew how things like turkeys, chicken and such were raised for food ... you would think these frat fools were nothing ....
I dont need Karma ... I had to kill humans in combat face to face ... trust me > killing animal isnt even close ... and the SOB humans were trying to kill me ... put things into a realistic frame of reference
Texas said:
I dont need Karma ... I had to kill humans in combat face to face ... trust me > killing animal isnt even close ... and the SOB humans were trying to kill me ... put things into a realistic frame of reference
And we must suffer because the enemy was a poor shot...
Ditto for you jukester2
I think its another reason why frats should be done away with.all of them should be charged and have to do community service.
Or spend time in jail!!!
Really .. jail over a turkey ... you just proved anything you say is a joke
Actually, jail over abusing a defenseless turkey is a distinct possibility, but you fail to realize even that simple fact.
Cruelty of any kind should be looked at-and yes you and your ilk should be looked at carefully. Also animal cruelty is a component of human murder. You make me sick to my stomach jackass!
Horse manure would be more pleasant than those of you that think animal cruelty is nothing