The hazing topic surrounding fraternities and sororities is especially sensitive in our community. The film Burning Sands brought a lot of that sensitivity to the forefront, as it was pretty controversial amongst black Greeks. 

A real life controversy is now swirling around Duke University's black Greek organizations, as a coalition of students called Concerned Black Students have written a letter to university leaders demanding that action be taken due to the string of alleged hazing at black fraternities and sororities. 

“National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations at Duke have had a long history of using mental, physical and emotional abuse as part of their pledging processes,” the letter stated, according to the Duke Chronicle. “Not only is this abuse illegal, it infringes on prohibitions on hazing set to protect all students at this university and contradicts everything we hold dear as an institution.”

“If action is not taken, we are prepared to bring forth specific information on the practices of these organizations and the methods in which the University attempts to cover it up,” the letter continued.

Not only did the group accuse the university of covering up abuses, but it also called the hazing a "badly kept secret," and demanded that sanctions be served to violating organizations.

The letter alleged that hazing has occurred in a number of NPHC chapters, and also pointed out that Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. is under investigation for its hazing practices. The Duke chapter of DST denied being under investigation in a statement. 

Duke's Anti-Hazing Compliance Form directly defines hazing noting, “[Hazing is] any action taken or situation created, whether on or off university premises, that is harmful or potentially harmful to an individual’s physical, emotional or psychological well-being, regardless of an individual’s willingness to participate or its bearing on his/her membership status.”

The form also categorizes hazing acts by levels, based on severity. 

“Nothing has changed and nothing will change,” Larry Moneta, Duke's vice president for student affairs wrote in response to the critical letter, denying the cover-up allegations. “I regret that whomever you are, you felt need to use this communications method and have taken the position that Duke would rather hide evidence of hazing than take quick and decisive action.”

Black Student Alliance president Michael Ivory, Jr., however, heard the concerns of the students who wrote the letter loud and clear, and definitely took them seriously. 

“There have indeed been reports of hazing on this campus that we cannot ignore, and I do not turn a deaf ear to cries that we address these concerns,” Ivory wrote. “It is more than not helpful, it is harmful to the present and futures of people we call our classmates, our friends and our students. We profess to offer every member of the Duke community a home, and we owe it to them to make good on this promise.”

NPHC Executive Board President Taylor Ikner also noted the concerns and vowed to work with the university to properly address them. 

The students behind the letter, however, do not want vows or promises; they want action.

“We, concerned black students at Duke University, are shining a light on the physical, mental and emotional abuse of these pledging practices,” said the letter. “What we have previously excused as secrecy we are now calling lethal silence, and what we continue to call hazing, we are now calling violence.”