story from reflector.com

An East Carolina University fraternity is out of action for at least one year
and possibly four.

Chi Phi's national organization has indefinitely suspended its ECU chapter
over an Aug. 20 party where authorities cited 77 minors for drinking. The
suspension capped a three-week investigation and forestalled disciplinary action
by the university. It could be lifted next summer or could continue until
2011.

The ECU chapter cannot recruit new members, hold meetings or parties, raise
money for affiliated charities or take part in intramural sports. In a Sept. 14
letter to chapter members and ECU officials, Chi Phi national Executive Director
Michael Azarian discouraged ECU's 33 members from using the fraternity's letters
and symbols.

Failure to follow the national chapter's orders could result in the
fraternity's permanent dissolution, wrote Azarian, who was unavailable for
comment Thursday.

To return the fraternity to active status, Chi Phi's alumni would have to
petition the national chapter and ECU's Greek Life office for reinstatement
after July 1, 2008, Azarian's letter states. ECU and the national fraternity
would both have to approve ending the suspension before 2011.

Current Chi Phi members will seek reinstatement, ECU chapter President Tom
Francisco said. In the interim, national Chi Phi officials will allow some
activity in the spring, he added.

"We'll definitely try to keep as active as they let us, but as for sports or
socials or anything like that, we definitely can't do that for at least a year,"
said Francisco, a senior business management major from Raleigh.

On Aug. 20, Alcohol Law Enforcement officers raided a party at a Jarvis
Street house rented by some fraternity members. The agents gave 85 citations to
81 people, most of them for underage drinking. The university and the national
chapter suspended the group later that week. ECU's Chi Phi chapter was already
under scrutiny for undisclosed recruiting issues from earlier this year.

Chi Phi did not sponsor the party, but fraternity members hosted it, Franciso
said.

"This was some of the brothers having a party, and we got caught," he said.
"I guess we've got to take the fall."

ECU's student-run Interfraternity Council investigated the party but declined
to take action, said Keith Tingley, who advises the council. The national
fraternity's suspension made university discipline moot.

'There's nothing else that can be done that the national chapter hasn't
already done," he said.