Two West Virginia University fraternity houses were searched amid a hazing investigation, as police carried numerous bags from the properties while hundreds of students watched nearby.
According to a Facebook statement from the West Virginia University Police Department, officers served search warrants Monday at the Lambda Chi Alpha and Pi Kappa Alpha houses in Morgantown as part of an ongoing inquiry.
Footage shared on Instagram by The Daily Athenaeum, WVU’s student newspaper, appeared to show officers exiting the fraternity houses with bags believed to contain potential evidence.
Authorities have not said what was inside the bags or provided additional information about the items removed during the searches.
“West Virginia University takes seriously the safety and well-being of our students,” police said.
“Due to the nature of the investigations, no other details will be released at this time. We will provide updates as they become available.”
Officials have not announced any arrests or criminal charges.
The video showed large crowds gathering along sidewalks and in nearby yards as law enforcement searched the fraternity properties.
Morgantown Police Chief Eric Powell told CBS News that city officers were present to assist WVU police.
The highly visible searches have left students near the campus shaken.
“The fact that it’s just happening here, actually right there, right by our homes, is insane. It’s crazy,” WVU freshman Madison McGough said Tuesday, according to CBS News.
WVU placed Lambda Chi Alpha on interim suspension Oct. 9, three days after campus police issued a warning based on anonymous hazing reports.
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Under the federal Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to report certain campus crimes, a warning may be issued when an incident is considered a “serious or continuing” threat to the campus community.
The university said the suspension was prompted by “multiple reports,” but has not disclosed how many allegations were made or what they involved.
While the investigation continues, the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter is barred from hosting social events, recruiting members or conducting new-member activities.
Pi Kappa Alpha remains recognized by WVU’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Unlike Lambda Chi Alpha, the chapter is not currently listed as being under an interim suspension.
“WVU has zero tolerance for hazing or any dangerous activities that threaten student safety or well-being,” the university said on its website.
“The University is committed to providing a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff.”
WVU’s Campus Student Code bans hazing by individuals and officially recognized student groups, including conduct such as “beatings, branding and forced consumption of alcohol, food or drugs.”
West Virginia University is not the only college campus where fraternity and sorority activities are facing heightened scrutiny.
In August, Penn State police broke up a drug ring run out of a fraternity house, while at Cornell University, a woman has alleged she was gang-raped by seven fraternity members.
Nationwide, at least 556 hazing incidents were reported between July 2025 and August 2026, a Sept. 16 HazingInfo report found.
Roughly one in six US colleges and universities reported at least one.