The Zeta Pi chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity has been temporarily suspended from UTM until the investigation of an incident from early morning Thursday, Nov. 7 is complete.
The suspension was delivered on Friday, Nov. 8.
“A student was brought in to the local hospital who had been injured in a vehicle accident, as things turned out and looking into this further, it results from an alleged hazing incident,” said Director of University Relations Bud Grimes in an interview with WPSD Local 6’s Mychaela Bruner.
A member of the fall 2013 pledge class was struck by a drunk driver on Parker’s Levee Road, a rural Weakley County road. The driver has been identified as Alex McAlexander, 24 of Huntingdon, Tenn. McAlexander is not a student at UTM. The Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Office of Greek Life and the Office of Student Conduct will be conducting a full investigation. Traveling with McAlexander was Katelyn Massie, 22.
The Pacer learned in an email from Trooper Andy Forsythe, the victim, Parker Dotson, was struck by the driver’s side mirror on McAlexander’s truck. Dotson, from Union City, was traveling along the highway on foot with three other men: John Harpole of Union City, James Jones and Chris Warwick, both from Martin.
“Parker Dotson was walking northbound on Parker Levee Road in the southbound lane, walking to face oncoming traffic. [The vehicle] was traveling northbound on Parker Levee Road on a straight of way. [McAlexander] allowed the vehicle to cross over the center dividing line and enter into the southbound lane of Parker Levee Road thus approaching the pedestrian from behind. It is at this time the driver’s side mirror of [the vehicle] strikes the pedestrian Parker Dotson,” according to the email from Forsythe.
The email also states that Dotson was driven by a private vehicle to the Volunteer Community Hospital, and then driven by ambulance to Vanderbilt. Dotson’s condition is unknown at this time.
McAlexander has been charged with vehicular assault by impairment. Forsythe said this is a felony charge.
The national organization for the fraternity has also issued an order for the suspension of all chapter events until the matter is resolved.
“Hazing is prohibited. … It’s hard to determine how long [the investigation] will last. It will last as long as it needs to,” said National Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Tau Omega Wynn Smiley.
Fraternities and sororities on UTM’s campus are required to sign a Hazing Compliance Form. By signing this, the members are agreeing to take no part in the act of hazing.
“We understand that the failure of our organization to uphold this policy, in whole or part, may cause our personal referral to the Office of Student Affairs if we had prior knowledge of the hazing violation and did not take the necessary steps to stop the hazing from occurring (meaning that participating in the hazing activity or knowledge of it and taking no action to stop the hazing is in effect giving your approval to haze),” reads one paragraph from the Fraternity and Sorority Hazing Compliance Form.
If an organization is found to be in violation of this, the university could take further action against that organization.
The incident is still under investigation; however, The Pacer will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
