Editor's note: This story has been changed to reflect a correction.
Kappa Alpha Psi recruits were slapped in the chest and back, forced to exercise and spanked with canes by some of the fraternity members during a nine-month stretch in 2010-11.
According to a sworn complaint written by the University Police Department and released by the State Attorney’s Office Monday morning, 13 members of the fraternity received charges of hazing with the risk of physical injury or death — a third-degree felony in Florida. The complaint names five victims, all of whom were KAP recruits at the time.
Of the 13 members charged, four were still students earlier this semester: Justin D. Kelly, a 21-year-old industrial systems engineering major, Al’ikens Plancher, a 21-year-old linguistics major, Jeffrey A. Rugon, a 22-year-old industrial systems engineering senior, and Bernard C. Williams, a 27-year-old sports management continuing education student.
Rugon also worked with the IT department at the Reitz Union. He has since been fired.
The 13 members charged with hazing are banned from stepping foot on campus, UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said. UPD officers started investigating the fraternity on Feb. 13, and the KAP national organization ordered the UF chapter to disband soon after.
Police learned about hazing among KAP members while looking into a similar case concerning the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, UPD spokesman Maj. Brad Barber said. KAP and APA are members of UF’s National Pan-Hellenic Council, which consists of nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities.
In February, UPD charged nine APA members and one alumnus with hazing.
A former KAP recruit told police the hazing began on April 23, 2010, during a meeting at a Cottage Grove apartment. After three recruits recited information they were ordered to learn, members spanked them with canes, the recruit said.
After that meeting, members were spanked on about five or six more occasions, one recruit told police. Each time, recruits received between 30 and 150 spanks with canes. Sometimes, KAP members broke their tools over their victims’ bottoms, and one recruit remembers the beatings left marks on his backside from the hooks of the canes.
Recruits also had to buy food, alcohol and other items for members. According to an expense report obtained by police, recruits spent about $2,000 during a six-month stretch.
KAP members also slapped them on their chests and backs, and they forced recruits to do push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks and wall sits.
Multiple sources told police that all 13 men charged either beat recruits or watched as the hazing occurred.
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@alligator.org.
