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HOUSTON (AP) — The Latest on a University of Houston fraternity hazing indictment (all times local):
5 p.m.
The parent organization of a University of Houston fraternity indicted for hazing says it doesn't tolerate maltreatment "or any activities that do not treat individuals with dignity and respect."
Tennessee-based Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity Inc. released the statement Thursday after being indicted on the misdemeanor charge in Houston. A conviction could result in fines up to $10,000.
The indictment alleges pledges were deprived of adequate food, water and sleep during a three-day event last year where one student was body slammed and sustained a lacerated spleen.
The company says the indictment's allegations "occurred in the context of activities" at a since-suspended chapter that was a "separate, unincorporated association" of University of Houston students.
The company says it "does not control any chapter or its members or their activities" but retains the right to suspend a fraternity's charter.
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4:05 p.m.
A Texas grand jury has indicted the parent company of a University of Houston fraternity on a misdemeanor hazing charge for depriving pledges of adequate food, water and sleep during a three-day event where one student was body slammed and sustained a lacerated spleen.
The indictment released Thursday names Tennessee-based Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity Inc. The company didn't immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment.
Harris County prosecutors say the indictment focuses on one student pledge who was rolled around in vomit, spit and feces in 2016, and was forced to run in darkness while being blindsided by fraternity members tackling him.
A conviction could result in fines up to $10,000.
The university had already suspended Pi Kappa Alpha from campus until 2023.
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