0:00:02 > 0:00:06This programme contains very strong language
0:00:06 > 0:00:10and scenes which some viewers may find disturbing.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14America's frat boys.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Notorious for hard drinking...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23..and even harder partying.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Bound by a secret world of rituals...
0:00:30 > 0:00:32He chose me. Bond has been made.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35..and lifelong bonds between fraternity brothers.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38I can smell the other side, put it that way, and I want it.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40I'm doing it, there's nothing stopping me.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Its members go on to become some of the most powerful
0:00:42 > 0:00:44and influential people in America.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Do I think he's putting in the effort that we all have put in
0:00:47 > 0:00:50to become a brother? No, I do not.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52But they are also institutions accused of creating
0:00:52 > 0:00:54a culture of sexual abuse...
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Woke up in this bed, like,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59with no clothes on and I had no idea where I was and I was so scared.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03..and brutality towards its new members.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06I just remember that I was lying there on that floor
0:01:06 > 0:01:08and I didn't think I was going to make it.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I'm not a man at all, brothers, I'm a weak boy.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Here we have Kappa Sigma.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30They are one of the fraternities on campus right now.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Across America, thousands of college students pledge allegiance
0:01:34 > 0:01:36to a fraternity or sorority each year.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Most are named after ancient Greek letters.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45It's a tradition stretching back 250 years.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51In the back you have Kappa Alpha Theta.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53It's down there, you can barely see it.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57It's pretty nice. And then you have Sigma Chi on the left.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Fraternities are elite clubs that provide
0:02:00 > 0:02:02accommodation for their members.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05There's over 120 different national organisations.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09This is the AZD house, Alpha Xi Delta.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Ben is in his third year at the University of Central Florida.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15A fraternity is a brotherhood.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20It's an organisation of like-minded people who are just
0:02:20 > 0:02:22kind of together to meet a common goal.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25A sorority is the same thing but with women.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28You have an opportunity to meet so much more people,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31to become something greater than yourself.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33INTERVIEWER: So are you generally kind of the most
0:02:33 > 0:02:34successful people on campus?
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I don't want to stereotype, but, yeah, we are.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38We're way more successful.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Fraternities supply 3 billion worth of housing
0:02:43 > 0:02:47across university campuses, and to live in a fraternity house
0:02:47 > 0:02:51can cost students up to 2,500 per term.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It's an investment in yourself, to get an experience
0:02:54 > 0:02:57you really can't get anywhere else in the world.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01This is the Gazoni Family house on the right.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Ben is a brother in the Gazoni Family, an independent
0:03:06 > 0:03:10fraternity that has broken away from one of the national groups.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13This is Fish Bowl.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17This is called Fish Bowl because they built a fishbowl into the bar,
0:03:17 > 0:03:18which is pretty cool.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- Big Momma's house!- This is Brandon.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27The fraternity is currently home to 78 active members.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30When I grow up I want to own a business.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34I want to be a dentist and become as successful as possible.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35I want to be an engineer.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37I want to become a sports agent
0:03:37 > 0:03:39and represent all the top athletes in the sports world.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41But that's going to be a little side job for me.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44In order for me to become successful and wealthy,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I'm probably going to want to own my own company.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48You've always got to dream big.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I want to drive that fast car, live in a big house, have a lot of kids.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Always have high expectations for yourself.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56We're killing the rest of the bottle...
0:03:56 > 0:03:57Where's the bottle?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00THEY CHEER
0:04:00 > 0:04:02They also have certain expectations
0:04:02 > 0:04:05of the girls who come to visit the house.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07I'm sure there's many uses of this pole
0:04:07 > 0:04:10but we typically... It's just like an attraction.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13People come to this room, like, "Oh, my God, a stripper pole,"
0:04:13 > 0:04:15and then come in and have fun.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So when we finish the bottle we use the top of the shelves
0:04:18 > 0:04:21to put it there, showcase what we drink.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- A trophy case.- Yeah, a trophy case.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25What's this up here?
0:04:25 > 0:04:27I don't know what you're talking about.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29It's just, uh, bras and underwear.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I mean, people forget it and leave it there.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34I don't know, it just happens, you know?
0:04:41 > 0:04:47We are by far the most fun people you will ever meet in Greek life.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51We have more connections,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54we have more friends,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56we have more fun than anyone else.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00I have no idea why anybody at any school would not want to be
0:05:00 > 0:05:03a part of Greek life, the Gazoni Family,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06or anything greater than themselves in general.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07It blows my mind.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22But there is more to being a frat boy than booze and sex.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Many hope it will lead to a life of power, wealth and success.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32These are the members of Alpha Kappa Alpha,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34who are the members and staff.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37These are people who work on The Hill.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41All of these women are destined for greatness.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I don't know one AKA who fell off the beaten path.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Frederica S Wilson joined an African American sorority
0:05:50 > 0:05:52at university aged 18.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55She is now an influential member of the US Congress.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59This is my favourite here.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Whenever you see the two of us, I mean, there's that connection.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08You know, it's not just a casual acquaintance.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Is this on the...?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Air Force One. Mm-hmm, President's plane.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14And that's another one on Air Force One
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and I have another one on Air Force One.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20I have many more pictures, but if I knew that I was going to
0:06:20 > 0:06:24have this many pictures I wouldn't have blown them up so big, so...
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Membership of a fraternity or sorority can last
0:06:30 > 0:06:32way beyond graduation.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36It's a wonderful world of friendship, of service,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39of love, for life, for ever.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45It is one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50In this Congress,
0:06:50 > 0:06:5575% of the men belong to a fraternity...
0:06:56 > 0:07:02..and maybe 40% of the women belong to a sorority.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06But most of those members aren't African American women.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Fraternities were formed in 1776 as secret literary dining clubs
0:07:13 > 0:07:16with many similar rituals to the Freemasons.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Ever since, they've mostly been a bastion of America's
0:07:21 > 0:07:23white middle classes.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Today, what's known as Greek life has played
0:07:25 > 0:07:30a role in the lives of many of America's elite and powerful.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33From Hollywood movie stars to the bosses of some of America's
0:07:33 > 0:07:38biggest companies, these still quite secretive societies form part of
0:07:38 > 0:07:43a network that reaches high into the upper echelons of American society.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Nearly half of America's presidents have pledged to a fraternity.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It's just that one little thing that gives you an advantage
0:07:50 > 0:07:52over another candidate for a position to say,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54well, we're fraternity brothers,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and so we obviously subscribe to the same values
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and the same beliefs, and so therefore,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03if I'm the candidate for a job, you may say,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05well, you know, he represents qualities
0:08:05 > 0:08:08that we are really looking for, because I know what those are.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12If you are a Tau Kappa Epsilon and you are 23 years old
0:08:12 > 0:08:17and you are looking for a job in a new city,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20you have, as a list of resources,
0:08:20 > 0:08:27a complete group of people that you are part of,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31and you can send a resume to or you can make a phone call to.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37And you as well as they have pledged lifelong brotherhood,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41and it works to the benefit of many people.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51In Florida, a new intake of students are about to try
0:08:51 > 0:08:54and join the Gazoni Family. But new recruits will have
0:08:54 > 0:08:57to prove themselves before they can enter the brotherhood.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00This kid has been washing this guy's car for ever.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- The hose doesn't reach, man. - That's awful.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05The recruits will go through an intensive ten-week period
0:09:05 > 0:09:09called pledging where they will be tested to see if they fit in.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I'm going to have you move my entire bed to the left
0:09:11 > 0:09:14and you are going to take this sponge
0:09:14 > 0:09:18and this bleach and you're going to remove any mould that you see.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21So, like, any of this black shit.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23To demonstrate their loyalty,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26the pledges have to do all the menial jobs around the house.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I just want you to hang all my clothes,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35spray them with wrinkle release, unwrinkle them.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37- Um, that's it. - All right, cool.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40Pledge number 12.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42It's James...
0:09:44 > 0:09:48..and he's just going to hang up my clothes. Hm?
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- I thought it was Jordan, not James. - Is it Jordan?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- Thanks, man. Love you too, Bro. - See, I'm confused.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Just hang the shirts and throw the pants in the dresser.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Button-downs first, then long sleeves, and then T-shirts
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and then, if you don't have enough hangers, athletic shirts.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Pledging is a period before you are a brother.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12It's kind of a test run to see
0:10:12 > 0:10:15if the organisation is actually right for you.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17You follow through the process
0:10:17 > 0:10:19and then you earn your place in the organisation.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Ben is definitely...
0:10:21 > 0:10:24He's a well-respected brother around here.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27He's definitely a good guy to... not necessarily idolise
0:10:27 > 0:10:30but try to follow in their footsteps, kind of thing.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35I'm originally from Leicester, lived there for 15-and-a-half years.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38I moved here in my second year of high school.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I'd never even heard of a fraternity until I moved to America.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43I didn't even know what it was.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45I'd seen it referenced in a couple of movies
0:10:45 > 0:10:47but wasn't really paying attention to it.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Didn't realise how much of a big deal that was
0:10:49 > 0:10:53until I moved out here and out here it's...
0:10:53 > 0:10:54It's a big deal.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Why do you want to be part of a fraternity?
0:10:56 > 0:10:59A lot of people just think it's about going out and drinking
0:10:59 > 0:11:01and everything - they have other stuff too.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02You get to meet a cool bunch of people
0:11:02 > 0:11:06and a lot of your friends that you keep for the rest of your life
0:11:06 > 0:11:07you meet in college,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09and it's a really easy way to meet a big group of people.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12You get to meet the right people, who you want to talk to,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and essentially it's also a good way of, like, getting connections
0:11:15 > 0:11:18outside of college that could help you link up with jobs and stuff.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- All right, not just to get girls. - Absolutely not, not just that.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25It's a bonus.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29One day I'll have someone doing this for me,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32that's the best way to look at it. And everyone has done this.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33It's not like we're singled out
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and we're the only people that have done this.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Everyone who's up there, even the President, has done this.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40You know, you earn your stripes, I guess.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44This is not coming off.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- Hey, man. - What are you going to start with?
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- The normal stuff.- OK.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- Let's go down the line. - What's your major?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- Finance.- And what do you want to do with that?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02I'm going to be a financial adviser and stockbroker.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Before I graduate I'm just trying to trade a lot.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- Favourite quote?- Favourite quote?
0:12:08 > 0:12:13"They say money can't buy happiness but I'll take my fucking chances."
0:12:13 > 0:12:14Nice.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16'Part of the pledging process,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18'you have to get to know all the brothers.'
0:12:18 > 0:12:20What's the point of joining an organisation
0:12:20 > 0:12:21if you don't know anyone in it?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24So every week you have to interview a certain amount of brothers.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26You have to get to know them, ask them certain questions -
0:12:26 > 0:12:29when they were initiated, their families, whatnot.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Best tip for pledging?
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Um, just meet as many girls as possible.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37The more girls you meet, the more girls that like you,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39the more likely you are to get through.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40Biggest fear?
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Not being successful.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- Same as everybody else. - Really?- Yeah.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- Makes sense. - And the last one - ass or tits?
0:12:50 > 0:12:51Dang. Tits.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- All right, I'm done. - All right, cool.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Jordan is one of 25 pledges
0:13:02 > 0:13:05trying to join the Gazoni fraternity.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07I'm going to go through this,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10so hopefully you guys have everything done. If not...
0:13:13 > 0:13:15..it's going to reflect poorly on you.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I am the shepherd of the flock of sheep
0:13:17 > 0:13:21and they are all the new sheep and I am trying to guide their way
0:13:21 > 0:13:25to the pasture, you could say,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27which is the brotherhood in my mind.
0:13:28 > 0:13:35Let's go over the, uh, 14 expectations.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Do you guys know them all? All right, was the first one?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Second one?
0:13:42 > 0:13:4513?
0:13:45 > 0:13:48All right. Greek alphabet. Anyone think they know it here yet?
0:13:48 > 0:13:53Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, theta, eta, iota...
0:13:53 > 0:13:55- No, you messed that up. - Oh, I messed up?
0:13:55 > 0:13:57- Eta.- Yeah, zeta, eta, theta.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58I said that!
0:13:58 > 0:13:59EVERYONE TALKS AT ONCE
0:13:59 > 0:14:02All right, if you guys don't know that yet, you're going
0:14:02 > 0:14:04to have to just start knowing your shit, guys.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09Hopefully you've been getting your interview done, your house hours.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I'm going to be looking through that tonight.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14'We all want to become the best people we can be'
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and that's why we do have such a strong brotherhood, it's cos
0:14:17 > 0:14:22we all have about the same values and same wants and goals in life.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Across America, around 100,000 students are going through
0:14:27 > 0:14:30this process at the same time.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33But pledging isn't always innocent fun.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37A big university is in crisis mode tonight after a teenage student
0:14:37 > 0:14:40found unconscious in a frat house has died.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43A drastic move after the tragedy on campus.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46West Virginia University is suspending all Greek activity
0:14:46 > 0:14:48after a freshman died.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51What's happening right now at West Virginia University
0:14:51 > 0:14:54in Morgantown is just the latest tragic incident involving
0:14:54 > 0:14:57fraternities at colleges all across our country.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Sometimes, the process of joining includes more sinister elements.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06There are some rituals that do take place
0:15:06 > 0:15:10where you're supposed to demonstrate your manhood,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13or your strength, or your intensity
0:15:13 > 0:15:15or your perseverance,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19or your ability to endure difficult circumstances
0:15:19 > 0:15:21that results in a tragedy.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23- Shut the fuckers up! - Shut the fuck up.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27With brothers swearing an oath of secrecy, little is known.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30But a handful of unverified images have appeared online.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Each of you little bitches have sinned
0:15:35 > 0:15:40- and now you bitches...- Ooh! - ..will confess.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42What if we confess to the wrong thing, brother?
0:15:42 > 0:15:44THEY ALL CHEER
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Pussy!
0:15:46 > 0:15:49What these videos appear to show is that pledging rituals
0:15:49 > 0:15:52can involve physical beatings,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54forced alcohol consumption
0:15:54 > 0:15:56and even branding of the skin.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09For the last 20 years, attorney Doug Fierberg has worked on lawsuits
0:16:09 > 0:16:13related to dangerous pledging practices which are known as hazing.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16This is a wrongful death in a fraternity case.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18A wrongful death, fraternity hazing.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Wrongful death, fraternity hazing.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26For years in this country, Americans had been denied the truth
0:16:26 > 0:16:30about how dangerous fraternities are to young people and families.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Most everything in here is filled with files
0:16:35 > 0:16:39of fraternity injury and death.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42And that's just, sort of, part of what's active.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45There's filing cabinets all around this office.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49In them are just tragedies involving fraternities and Greek life.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04We took this picture when he went up to his university
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and he got this new laptop.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11We were monkeying around with his Photo Booth.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Eight years ago, Harrison Kowiak was in the process of trying to join a fraternity.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I remember clearly asking him why he wanted to join
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and he said, "Well, you know, I just want to get
0:17:22 > 0:17:24"the full college experience."
0:17:26 > 0:17:31It was 11.30 at night and the phone just rang.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33It was Harrison's fraternity.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40And I remember him telling me that there had been an accident,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42that it happened on campus,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45they were playing football and he fell down very hard
0:17:45 > 0:17:49and hurt his head. That's what we were told.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53I took the flight up and I remember the brother and another brother
0:17:53 > 0:17:57from the fraternity that Harrison was pledging
0:17:57 > 0:18:02had picked me up at the airport and they were very upset
0:18:02 > 0:18:06and drove me immediately over to the trauma centre,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08but it was too late.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11He was alive, but frankly, just barely.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16We sent Emma to school that morning just feeling...
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I wouldn't want to upset her.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Then Leanne called and said you two better come up here.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26So, I went over to pick her up and she said, you know,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29"It's bad, isn't it? It's really serious, huh?"
0:18:31 > 0:18:33We just, like, hopped on a plane to North Carolina
0:18:33 > 0:18:37and I just didn't know what was going on. And then, erm...
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Yeah, I mean, at that age I just really was
0:18:43 > 0:18:46not understanding what was happening at all.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52It just... Wait, because I can remember it quite clearly,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54but I can't, like, say it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08You don't expect to send your child off to college and not come back.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12You don't expect them to go and study and come back in a coffin.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17At first, the family say they were told that Harrison had
0:19:17 > 0:19:19been injured while playing football.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24But as the hours passed, it became clear this wasn't true.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31After individuals are injured in fraternity events,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36we often see the brothers coming together to manufacture stories.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41The same ties of brotherhood that brought everybody together
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and created a strong lifelong brotherhood,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47are the same ties that then have the individuals afterwards
0:19:47 > 0:19:49getting their stories straight.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56The Kowiak family commissioned an investigation into Harrison's death.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59They now believe that he died in an initiation ritual.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03It was Hell Week.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10They drove about 20 miles off campus, it was an open field.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13There was no lights, no electricity there.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The fraternity brothers were wearing dark-coloured clothing.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22The two pledges were told to run from one end of the field
0:20:22 > 0:20:28to the other end of the field and touch or get the sacred rock.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Once they had started running across the field they were being tackled
0:20:33 > 0:20:37by the fraternity brothers who were football players.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41It was just that one hit where he hit the ground so hard
0:20:41 > 0:20:43that he had injured his head.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49I can just hope one day - maybe even on their death beds, who knows -
0:20:49 > 0:20:51just realise what they did was wrong
0:20:51 > 0:20:55and what they did was wrong in trying to cover the whole thing up.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00The university, the fraternity and the individuals involved arranged
0:21:00 > 0:21:02an out-of-court settlement with the Kowiak family,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05without admitting liability.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09The reasons for why the schools might hide the truth about fraternities -
0:21:09 > 0:21:13it would deter individuals from joining fraternities
0:21:13 > 0:21:17and fraternities are extremely valuable to universities.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20They have very loyal alumni
0:21:20 > 0:21:24and are often significant donors to the university
0:21:24 > 0:21:27and they do not want the fraternity system changed.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32The university involved, the local police force and the national fraternity,
0:21:32 > 0:21:37all said that hazing played no part in the events that night.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40The university says it has a zero tolerance policy on hazing.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Since Harrison's death eight years ago,
0:21:48 > 0:21:54at least 22 students in America have died while pledging to a fraternity.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Ultimately, all we can do at the national level
0:21:56 > 0:21:59is to put the protocols and the policies in place.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Whenever somebody doesn't follow that path,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03then it becomes very challenging.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07So, we can only have so much control at the national level
0:22:07 > 0:22:10over those types of things that have to do with hazing,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14that have to do with incidents that are completely inconsistent
0:22:14 > 0:22:16with what we stand for.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20In the fraternity industry, the activities of the chapter
0:22:20 > 0:22:24are supervised much like the fox watching the chicken coop.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28The individuals that have historically hazed and been hazed
0:22:28 > 0:22:31are the ones that are responsible for implementing
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and then enforcing anti-hazing policies.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It's doomed to fail, it has failed, it always fails
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and it will fail again in the future.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48In Florida, it's time for each new recruit to be matched up with
0:22:48 > 0:22:51an established member who will become his big brother.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Getting a big brother in a fraternity is a very private ritual.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01We went through a little adventure and then at the end he found out
0:23:01 > 0:23:03it was, you know, it was me.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05What's the little adventure that you went on beforehand?
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Er...
0:23:08 > 0:23:11How do I put this? I can't really tell you because it's, like,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15it would give out our secrets completely,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19but hide and seek, I'd say.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24- He got to find me. He got to find me.- Yeah.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28- Hide and seek?- Yeah.- You could sum it up as, like...- He has no clue it was going to be me.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31..you put in the work to get a reward, kind of thing.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33You had to put in work to get the reward at the end.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37How different is having a brother in the brotherhood to your own brother in your family?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I'm looking at it the same way. You know what I mean?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43If he needs help, I'm going to give him the same amount of effort in helping him
0:23:43 > 0:23:45as I would my own brother.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48But you didn't come from the same parents?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Yeah, but I accepted this.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53It's like...more like you accept this for yourself.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55It's how it is - brotherhood.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00It's why I chose him.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02It was a long process, but I chose him, you know what I mean?
0:24:02 > 0:24:04He chose me.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05The bond has been made.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- There's like, shit on the table. - Sorry, bro.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12- There's, like, hair. What classes are you taking?- Right now?- Yeah.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Physics, bio and two psych classes.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17What's your major?
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Health sciences pre-med.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I knew Andor a little bit, so I knew a bit about him
0:24:21 > 0:24:24and every time I've hung out with him, we've just had a lot of fun, so...
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- He's just a good guy, so... - THEY LAUGH
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- Well, thanks.- You're welcome.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Jordan is a cool guy. He's going to have a lot of questions later on.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41So anything he does or needs help with, I'm going to be the one guiding him, I'd say.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Becoming a good man, a better man, is what we're trying to do.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54With a big brother's support, pledges are expected to represent
0:24:54 > 0:24:57the fraternity's image in every way.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01What are we working? Our upper body?
0:25:01 > 0:25:06We're doing tri's and a little bit of bi's, mainly the triceps.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Usually the scrawny kids don't get love like that.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12The bigger ones do, so...
0:25:12 > 0:25:14There you go.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17They used a call me concave chest. Like, my chest was, like, indented.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I was very scrawny, I had braces,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23just an unpleasant looking kid, to be honest.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27I joined the frat. The first thing that happened was my braces.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30I was, like, I really don't need these any more. The girl's don't like them.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35I got nail clippers and I just took them all off.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Everyone saw the change. Like, "Oh, shit. That's actually pretty cool." I got a confidence boost in that.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Try not to rock a little bit.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43I talked to Frank. I'm, like, yeah, I need to get a little bit bigger.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Everyone's getting on me for my concave chest, so...let's start going to work out.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Before he looked like his chest was indented,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53so now you can tell it's opening up a little bit more...
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- I see some growth.- One more set and then we'll get into it. Control it, there we go.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01'We don't want to be the goofy fraternity, we want to be the good-looking fraternity, I guess.'
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Which is mad, like, shallow of me, but...
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Whatever, it's like a shallow organisation. Fuck it.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11- Do you know what I mean? It is what it is.- What do you mean by "it's a shallow organisation"?
0:26:11 > 0:26:15I mean, through appearance, through sororities and fraternities. If a girl doesn't find you attractive,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19she's not going to give you the time of day. And if she finds one of my brothers unattractive,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22she's going to classify all of us unattractive individuals.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25As a brother, you look cooler,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28that you get a lot of girls, that you can talk to a lot of girls.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31But, like, me personally, like, I'm not the type of guy
0:26:31 > 0:26:34that is going to bring home ten different girls in one month.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38No, I'm probably only going to do two or three girls, because that's the way I am.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39- Looking good, man.- Mm?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43See that? See that?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46- See that, see that?- Ooh!
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Being able to talk to girls, it increases sorority relations. - Exactly.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53The better we are with sororities, the more girls will come round.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54Let me see.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Do you want to play ball?
0:26:57 > 0:26:58SHE LAUGHS
0:26:58 > 0:27:00All right, Jen, you're up.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Am I playing? Do I have do go from, like, a certain...
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Hooking up with sororities is crucial to being a successful fraternity.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Oh, that's good!
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I think sororities are the best people ever.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20- Do an impression. Do an impression. - IN GIRLIE VOICE:- Are you going out tonight?
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Jen is a sister in Zeta Tau Alpha.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26- Sorority girls are actually rude girls.- I mean, that's slightly accurate.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30A sorority with close relations to the Gazoni Family.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34'When you're in a fraternity, like, want the older brothers to think you're cool.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36'You want to be accepted.'
0:27:36 > 0:27:38If a guy gets with a girl in a sorority and she's really hot,
0:27:38 > 0:27:43or she's in a good sorority, it definitely looks good on them.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Girls love us! Every girl loves us.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49If they hear you're a Gazoni, they're going to love you.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Getting girls, it's probably, like, the number one thing
0:27:53 > 0:27:55on their priority list sometimes.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58It's numbers with guys, for sure.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Like, "Oh, how many girls have you had sex with?"
0:28:00 > 0:28:03"Oh, 30!" Ugh, gross.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Yeah. Ugh. Some guys are really gross, too.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Like, ugh, God.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12A fraternity at Duke University is suspended this morning.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14It stems from rape allegations
0:28:14 > 0:28:18at an Alpha Delta Phi fraternity party earlier this month.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20The school president took that action over the weekend
0:28:20 > 0:28:24after a female student's graphic account of being gang raped
0:28:24 > 0:28:26at a university fraternity house.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29This is the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house here behind me.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32The suspects in this case are being held without bail tonight.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35They're charged with first and second degree rape.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39Greek life is currently at the centre of a national controversy
0:28:39 > 0:28:41about rape on campus.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Marissa is in her final year at college.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55She has witnessed first hand how the set-up between fraternities
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and sororities can leave female students vulnerable.
0:29:01 > 0:29:02MUSIC PLAYS
0:29:02 > 0:29:06That's, like, if you look up fraternity in the dictionary and it's that.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11I think fraternity and sorority Greek life is just
0:29:11 > 0:29:14the personification of patriarchy.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Like, they're totally in the position of power in these situations.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20They're setting up the parties, they're in control of alcohol,
0:29:20 > 0:29:24they're in control of the set-up. Like, it's at that their house. It's their stomping ground,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Like, they're so much in control and, like,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30they want to feel masculine, they want to hook up with girls.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35They want to party, they want to feel cool and there's honestly, like, a pressure.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Like, there's a time in the night where you see the switch in the party.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40I've had guys try to dance with me,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43I tell them no and they just won't leave me alone
0:29:43 > 0:29:46and I've had to, like, scream in their face and tell them to leave me alone.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50It's, like, I shouldn't have to do that. Like, I shouldn't feel so uncomfortable
0:29:50 > 0:29:56and I shouldn't have to, like, tell someone no multiple times to not touch me.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57It's crazy.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02Two years ago, Marissa went to a frat party where events spiralled out of her control.
0:30:03 > 0:30:08I had a beer and then the next thing I know I, like, don't remember anything.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12Like, just such a clear blackout that I've never experienced before.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Especially, like, for how little I drank and then how fast it happened.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22And then I woke up and I was at an apartment, not at the fraternity house any more.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26I, like, woke up in this bed with no clothes on
0:30:26 > 0:30:30and I had no idea where I was and I was so scared.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32I had some bruises on my arms.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37It looked like I was grabbed and I had some on my legs, too.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41So, I obviously knew something happened and that was really hard
0:30:41 > 0:30:45and so I just wanted to go home and shower and just forget about it.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51At most American universities, allegations of rape and sexual assault
0:30:51 > 0:30:54are initially dealt with by the college itself.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57But Marissa didn't report what happened to her.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02There's just not a proper system in place that women feel comfortable reporting it
0:31:02 > 0:31:06and feel confident that they're going to have their case dealt with properly.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11Because I can't even name one person that has successfully gone through
0:31:11 > 0:31:16every step of the process and gotten their assailant expelled or suspended.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Not one person.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25This is the counselling centre right here.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27So we pass through fraternities coming here.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30So, and there's more on the other side.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33No matter what angle you're coming from, you could walk by
0:31:33 > 0:31:35where you were raped in order to get help.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Many American universities are private institutions
0:31:40 > 0:31:42and rely on donations.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47It's estimated that 75% of donations come from former Greek members.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51I think that the schools have a motive to want to sweep
0:31:51 > 0:31:53fraternity sexual violence under the rug
0:31:53 > 0:31:56and not necessarily expose it and root it out.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Schools benefit a lot from having fraternities on their campus in many ways.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Financially, in recruiting and admissions, and access to alumni.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09The university wants to keep it within the school
0:32:09 > 0:32:12and keep it more of a student affairs issue.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16"Oh, this just happened. Let's talk it out and figure it out." Like, no.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19This is a violent crime and it needs to be treated that way.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Most people will call the counselling centre.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Call up the sexual assault helpline,
0:32:25 > 0:32:29but they rarely get to that point where they file criminal charges.
0:32:29 > 0:32:34Just because every school has to, like, release the amount of sexual assault reports...
0:32:35 > 0:32:37..and no-one wants to be the rape school.
0:32:40 > 0:32:46The institution is set up in a lot of ways that allows for sexual assault to thrive.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50We have vulnerable victims that are accessible.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Two, we have interested perpetrators,
0:32:52 > 0:32:57and then, three, we have an institutional motive to sweep sexual violence under the rug,
0:32:57 > 0:32:59because it's going to make them look bad.
0:32:59 > 0:33:04Study after study shows that fraternity men are three times more likely to sexual assault
0:33:04 > 0:33:05than non-fraternity men.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12I can certainly say that, you know, nothing about
0:33:12 > 0:33:17sexual relations with somebody else is part of the fraternity system period.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21It's not something that is any part of our operations, our ritual,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24the things that we believe in.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Do those type of things happen because you've got guys
0:33:28 > 0:33:33who are of a certain age and together and maybe there's a little bit of peer influence?
0:33:33 > 0:33:38Or the same way that there would be with the military or with a sports team?
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Perhaps, yes.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44A study commissioned by the American Association of Universities
0:33:44 > 0:33:49found that one in four female college students reported unwanted sexual contact
0:33:49 > 0:33:53and more than one in eight experienced serious sexual assaults.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59I honestly have lost track of how many people that I know
0:33:59 > 0:34:01that have been sexually assaulted.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05It's hard to, like, look at all the houses and be, like...
0:34:05 > 0:34:09when you know your closest friends were raped there, it's really hard.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Yeah, this is...
0:34:12 > 0:34:15..a love/hate relationship with this place.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Fond memories and bad.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Syracuse University says it has been at the forefront
0:34:21 > 0:34:24in the fight against sexual and relationship violence
0:34:24 > 0:34:29and it has a strong structure in place to prevent and respond to sexual and relationship violence.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Last year, 16 students were suspended or expelled.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41In Florida, there's just a week left of pledging.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Cheers, cheers. Good morning, good morning.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51And the Gazoni Family have an important men-only event planned.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55All right, let's go! Let's go!
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Today's our brotherhood retreat event.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02We are at ManChild Land, pretty excited. I don't know what to expect from it.
0:35:05 > 0:35:06It's bonding time.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12One, two, three.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14THEY CHEER
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Yo, we're here!
0:35:24 > 0:35:29Today's event takes place in the extensive grounds of one the brother's family homes.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31We're at ManChild Land.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35We've got a tiki hut, private beach. We've got everything.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43All right, y'all. Listen up. This is an exercise that we call Over The Rope.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48The object - your entire class has three chances
0:35:48 > 0:35:52to make it over the rope and however you do that is up to you.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56But you cannot go under the rope, you cannot touch the rope.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01If you do not get in three tries, you fail. All right?
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Let's get a move on, team.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06The idea behind Over The Rope is for all of our new guys
0:36:06 > 0:36:09who are looking to be initiated at the end of this semester
0:36:09 > 0:36:13to learn that, you know, we're stronger as a group.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15One, two, three... Whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:36:15 > 0:36:17THEY CHEER
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Let's go. One, two, three.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Jump. Fuck, yeah.
0:36:22 > 0:36:27You know, as the group of guys getting over the rope gets smaller and smaller,
0:36:27 > 0:36:29it becomes more difficult to get the next person over the rope.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33- ALL:- Ooh! - KEEP IT GOING! Let see it.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36- ALL:- One, two, three.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38THEY CHEER
0:36:54 > 0:36:56All, right, guys - come here - bring it in.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Yo, bring it in!
0:36:58 > 0:37:01So what this is supposed to symbolise to you guys is...
0:37:01 > 0:37:04that we're stronger as a unit and as you guys divide up
0:37:04 > 0:37:06and you become individuals,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08the task becomes a lot harder.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Remember that if you are lucky enough to become brothers.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Go drink!
0:37:13 > 0:37:16CHEERING AND CHATTER
0:37:22 > 0:37:26Tomorrow, the brothers will decide who makes it into the fraternity.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31No-one wants to fuck up, but...
0:37:31 > 0:37:34at the same time, you don't want to try and suck up to them all day,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36they're probably not going to like that either.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Just be yourself, that's what they've said
0:37:38 > 0:37:40from the start of the semester.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Some of the brothers have got their doubts
0:37:42 > 0:37:43about Jordan's commitment.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46He hasn't been coming around often, like, he has a lot of work.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50He had to take a test on the fraternity,
0:37:50 > 0:37:51didn't do too well, like...
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Brothers take that accountable and it might hurt him,
0:37:54 > 0:37:58but he has today to like, bring that back, know what I mean?
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Um, this is what we call circle of brothers.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05And basically, what I'm going to kick off,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09I'm going to kick off what this organisation has done for me
0:38:09 > 0:38:11and what I would like to do to help
0:38:11 > 0:38:14this organisation in the future.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16So this organisation,
0:38:16 > 0:38:17it has...
0:38:17 > 0:38:19truly made me a man.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25It just solidifies the fact more that this is exactly what
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I want to do, so.... And it was important to come out today,
0:38:28 > 0:38:29this is a big bonding event for the brothers
0:38:29 > 0:38:33and it's one of your main bonding events this semester, so they
0:38:33 > 0:38:36would have looked at it a bit like, OK, maybe you don't want to be here.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37In the future,
0:38:37 > 0:38:40I want to make good connections outside the fraternity,
0:38:40 > 0:38:44help out any brother who needs help with work, anything like that.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46In the future, when I make a good amount of money, come back
0:38:46 > 0:38:50and like Tim, make some donations and stuff like that.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- OK, Jordan, let's go.- Not to be able to enjoy it any more after this
0:38:53 > 0:38:57- would kind of suck.- I see this and I want to do this as a brother.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Since the day I've been here, I've wanted it, really bad, like.
0:39:00 > 0:39:01I wanted it so bad.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04I can smell the other side, put it that way, and I want it.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- I'm doing it.- Yeah. - There's no stopping me.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22It's time for the brothers to decide who will get through to initiation.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28THEY CALL OUT NAMES AND NUMBERS
0:39:29 > 0:39:32The brothers have a final vote on who gets in.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34We're not going to be there to see the vote.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40I've put in a lot of time and effort this semester, as have all the other pledges.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43I think there's always a chance that they could say no.
0:39:44 > 0:39:45INDISTINCT
0:39:45 > 0:39:48..Initiate Jordan Cole - are there any objections?
0:39:48 > 0:39:49- Yes.- Let's go.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Jordan is the first to be discussed.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55As you guys know,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59I'm pretty adamant that this kid not get included in this initiation.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02The way I see it, we all worked hard to get to where we are and, um...
0:40:03 > 0:40:07I'm not about to devalue the entire pledge process for one kid
0:40:07 > 0:40:11who did not come around to any of the events that he was
0:40:11 > 0:40:15asked to come to up until this last week. I would think he has
0:40:15 > 0:40:19put in the least amount of work as any pledge I've seen here.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23The final vote is,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27you need 87.66% approval rate.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30There's not a single thing about where we came from, how we
0:40:30 > 0:40:33started or where we're going, and I don't want to take him with us.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37There's cons and pros, we talk about it, a lot of speeches go on.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43So, I have assigned him multiple things to do.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47I don't know if you guys are aware, but multiple weeks, he does not turn
0:40:47 > 0:40:51in any interviews and just tells me, "Oh, I'll get you ten next week".
0:40:51 > 0:40:52"I'll get you ten the next week."
0:40:52 > 0:40:56I like the kid as a person, I think he's a cool-ass kid, but do I think
0:40:56 > 0:40:59he's putting in the effort that we all have put in to become a brother?
0:40:59 > 0:41:01No, I do not.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03So, I'm his big brother.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06The only time he missed the five interviews was
0:41:06 > 0:41:08when he was in Chicago.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Five interviews, that's all he missed from you. And, uh...
0:41:11 > 0:41:14- That's not true, by the way.- Well, then he's lying. Someone's lying.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17I didn't think he's lying, cos he showed me all the others.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Any more questions?
0:41:23 > 0:41:28Yo! All in favour of initiation of Jordan Cole, raise your hands.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33INDISTINCT
0:41:33 > 0:41:35PHONE RINGS
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Damn. Yeah, what's up?
0:41:39 > 0:41:40All right, bro.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43See ya. Oh, shit!
0:41:44 > 0:41:47I have to go down the boys' house. At 11.40.
0:41:48 > 0:41:49Damn.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55I've been told to come to the President of the fraternity's house,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58Ando's apparently there as well, so...
0:42:00 > 0:42:04I have no idea what's going to happen, so...we shall see.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08After hours of waiting to know if he has been accepted,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Jordan has one final tradition to endure.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15We just tell them after the vote that, "Hey, come over,
0:42:15 > 0:42:17"we really want to talk to you about what happened."
0:42:17 > 0:42:20And we'll bring him in, surround him,
0:42:20 > 0:42:22"Hey, I'm sorry, but you just didn't make it."
0:42:22 > 0:42:25We let 'em walk out of the house, they're all upset,
0:42:25 > 0:42:26he doesn't know what to say.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31And then you're like, "Hey, just kidding! You made it through!"
0:42:31 > 0:42:33LAUGHTER
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Congratulations!
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- Did we get you?- You guys!
0:42:43 > 0:42:47Just freak him out a little bit, it's just a tradition we got going.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50We all had to go through that, it was a very bad feeling.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Congrats, you're in, good luck.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54You've got a long week!
0:42:54 > 0:42:57It just makes you realise how much you can lose by losing this
0:42:57 > 0:42:58brotherhood and how much you like it.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00I mean, I was in tears when this happened to me.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04I'm like, "No way, no way this is happening". It was funny.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Oh, man!
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Yeah, it was... They got me good!
0:43:08 > 0:43:11I won't lie, they got me really good.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14That was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16I'm very happy about that.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21Jordan has been ordered to come straight to the house to join
0:43:21 > 0:43:26the other successful pledges for a week of initiation rituals.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30- Any ideas what they have planned? - Haven't got the slightest clue.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36- Well, good luck.- Thank you, sir.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44HORNS BLARE
0:43:49 > 0:43:52It's our secret, yes, they all talk about it,
0:43:52 > 0:43:54and you're not supposed to ask,
0:43:54 > 0:43:58but they make it very clear that, you know, what happens in the
0:43:58 > 0:44:03process is part of the brotherhood, and it stays within the brotherhood.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06During his second year at university,
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Terence was initiated into a fraternity.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13The first thing that we learned, I'll never forget it,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16it was like a greeting, and you say,
0:44:16 > 0:44:20"Greetings, sir, we are pledges of Tau Kappa Epsilon
0:44:20 > 0:44:24"and we will do whatever it takes to obtain brotherhood, sir."
0:44:24 > 0:44:27- They would have us take this deep breath and we'd go... - HE INHALES
0:44:27 > 0:44:31And they went, "OK, hit the floor" and then with the blindfolds on,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34we'd have to just fall down onto our hands
0:44:34 > 0:44:36and then we'd start doing push-ups
0:44:36 > 0:44:38or whatever else they wanted us to do.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48The hegemon is the person who administers the physical
0:44:48 > 0:44:50discipline, you know,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53for the fraternity, and he was huge.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59His job is to make sure that the people getting
0:44:59 > 0:45:04inducted into this brotherhood, that they have, like, paid their price
0:45:04 > 0:45:08and they are proving that they're worthy to be called brothers.
0:45:10 > 0:45:15Very often, fraternity brothers that have been hazed together
0:45:15 > 0:45:18then are in fact turning
0:45:18 > 0:45:21the tables the next year
0:45:21 > 0:45:24and trying to make it so that either the new pledges go through
0:45:24 > 0:45:27exactly what they went through,
0:45:27 > 0:45:29or certainly maybe even more.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30If it's easier,
0:45:30 > 0:45:35then they're not demonstrating their commitment to the fraternity
0:45:35 > 0:45:38and how they are worthy to be joining this fraternity.
0:45:38 > 0:45:39So they make it harder.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45Initiation rituals involved Terence being beaten with a boat paddle.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50They called it the hostage position.
0:45:50 > 0:45:56You lie on the floor with your hands behind your head with a blindfold on
0:45:56 > 0:45:59and as you progress, you start to lose pieces of clothing.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Yeah, I got a beating so bad...
0:46:04 > 0:46:06There was broken glass on the floor
0:46:06 > 0:46:09and sludge and rocks and dirt
0:46:09 > 0:46:12and you're all scratched up. I just remember I was lying there
0:46:12 > 0:46:17on that floor and, uh, I didn't think I was going to make it.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21By the end of the week, Terence passed out...
0:46:24 > 0:46:26..and woke up in hospital.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35They'd split my skin open. The blood had pooled, became infected.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37My liver started to shut down.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41And, uh, they told me I came really close.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49They did four surgeries on me altogether, they gave me three
0:46:49 > 0:46:53units of blood to keep me alive and, er,
0:46:53 > 0:46:56I was in the ICU for a week.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00But this is my branding. The triangle.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04So they have a cattle brand that they had specially made
0:47:04 > 0:47:06for us and they heat it up over
0:47:06 > 0:47:10a fire like they do with cows and I got held down and...
0:47:11 > 0:47:13From his hospital bed,
0:47:13 > 0:47:16Terrance learned he had made it into the brotherhood.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19I was in. You know?
0:47:19 > 0:47:20I'd made it through.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23I earned the right to be part of the brotherhood
0:47:23 > 0:47:26and got a T-shirt with the letters on it, but when I realised that they
0:47:26 > 0:47:30weren't coming to the hospital, nobody came to visit me...
0:47:30 > 0:47:32Uh...
0:47:32 > 0:47:34They checked up every once in a while,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37but they were just so concerned with themselves.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41After that, I just realised that I didn't want to be a part of it.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49Back in Florida, it is time for Jordan and the other pledges
0:47:49 > 0:47:52to be initiated into the Gazoni Family brotherhood.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00One of our goals this week is to really break these guys down,
0:48:00 > 0:48:04you know, find out, you know,
0:48:04 > 0:48:07what we can do to build them up into better men.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11This is something that is strictly within our brotherhood.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14It's truly a treasure that you want to keep close to your heart,
0:48:14 > 0:48:16so you don't want to share with anyone else.
0:48:16 > 0:48:21The Gazoni Family have asked us at this point to stop filming.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37The two primary reasons that we can't have cameras around this week
0:48:37 > 0:48:41is because we have events where brothers really open up emotionally.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45The second reason is, these events are private and if...
0:48:47 > 0:48:50..they were filmed and shown to people, then it wouldn't be
0:48:50 > 0:48:54a surprise to the incoming pledges about what we do.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57See, I thought that it was about putting pledges through
0:48:57 > 0:49:01a lot of kind of mental and physical pain.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05I'm going to take the Fifth on this one.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08- I just... - What do you mean?- I don't know.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11I don't know how to respond to that, honestly.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14Does hazing go on?
0:49:14 > 0:49:16No.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19I can assure you we do not beat kids. Does not happen.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22That is something I can tell you 100%.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36I want justice, because what they did to me was...awful.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Terence was beaten so severely, it put him in intensive care.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46His former fraternity have handed him an out-of-court settlement,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49but Terence now wants to sue the individual brothers
0:49:49 > 0:49:51he says were involved.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55- Hey.- Good to see you.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57Good to see you.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59I haven't seen you in a while!
0:49:59 > 0:50:02- You know Karen?- Hi, Karen.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04To have hurt Terence this much and to have put him
0:50:04 > 0:50:08in hospital for this long with such life-threatening injuries is
0:50:08 > 0:50:11absolutely unprecedented.
0:50:11 > 0:50:12Why don't you sit here
0:50:12 > 0:50:15and we'll just talk about the way the deposition is going to work.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19We're going to prepare the case to be presented to a jury.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24- You've never had your deposition taken before?- No.- OK...
0:50:24 > 0:50:27- So let's talk about it. - I don't even know what it means.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30It's a part of the legal process that involves him
0:50:30 > 0:50:34being questioned by the defendants under oath.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Which is a process that usually attorneys control,
0:50:37 > 0:50:42and they use to try and get information from the victim
0:50:42 > 0:50:46that can be used against them in their own case.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48There's going to be defence attorneys,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50- are there going to be defendants? - No.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52The defendants are ALLOWED to be there,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55but it's VERY unlikely that they will be there.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58- Even in a case like this? - Yes, even in a case like this.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01Because I feel that that would be intimidating.
0:51:01 > 0:51:06If they do show up, they can't say anything. If they do...
0:51:06 > 0:51:09indicate in some way that they're trying to threaten you,
0:51:09 > 0:51:13we'll stop the deposition and cancel it.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15And they'll have to schedule it again.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17I want this to go through
0:51:17 > 0:51:22and the only thing that I guess I'm a little worried about is
0:51:22 > 0:51:24if you know, the individuals showed up
0:51:24 > 0:51:28and then I have to sit in the room with a whole team of attorneys
0:51:28 > 0:51:31plus the people who have done this to me,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34who I'm still kind of fearful of, you know, just staring into my eyes
0:51:34 > 0:51:38while I try to tell the truth - that's a little intimidating.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41- Are you confident for Terence? - Very confident.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46Done correctly, the truth prevails.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50So individuals who will try to circumvent the system
0:51:50 > 0:51:53and to disclaim responsibility for what they did to him,
0:51:53 > 0:51:55they'll be found responsible.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01The individuals Terence is suing deny any wrongdoing.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05The university says hazing would be a violation of its code of conduct.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08The national fraternity have closed the chapter involved.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14When you have tradition
0:52:14 > 0:52:17and when you have people
0:52:17 > 0:52:20so ingrained in commonality
0:52:20 > 0:52:22and something that is just...
0:52:24 > 0:52:27..expected, it is very difficult
0:52:27 > 0:52:30to break that tradition.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34Congresswoman Frederica S Wilson
0:52:34 > 0:52:36is a proud member of a sorority.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40But she has been a prominent campaigner against hazing
0:52:40 > 0:52:44and has successfully introduced a state law in Florida making
0:52:44 > 0:52:47it a criminal offence.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51But she has no illusions about the scale of the problem nationally.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55It's a feeling of wanting to belong, that's what it is.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57I-I...
0:52:57 > 0:53:02chose this organisation and if this is the criteria for belonging,
0:53:02 > 0:53:04I'm willing to do this.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07I'm willing to take the pain, because I want this so badly.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11And that has to stop.
0:53:11 > 0:53:12That has to stop.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15If chapters are following the ritual
0:53:15 > 0:53:18and those things we really ascribe to, then they do well.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22Whenever you have, again, somebody who deviates from that and
0:53:22 > 0:53:28decides to do something to somebody or do an act that is not consistent
0:53:28 > 0:53:31with our values or morals, that's where we see the problem.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34The problem is, that gets more attention because it is
0:53:34 > 0:53:37something that is completely out of line with what is expected.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Lianne Kowiak's son died while he was pledging for a fraternity.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49Now she campaigns to raise awareness of the risks.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52There is a lot of hazing that goes on.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55It may not be spoken about openly,
0:53:55 > 0:53:58there's a lot that is in a shroud of secrecy.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03She's alerting young people about the dangers of hazing before
0:54:03 > 0:54:05they leave for university.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Well, good morning, good afternoon everyone -
0:54:08 > 0:54:10I'm really excited to be here.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13Today, she is talking to the senior students at her daughter
0:54:13 > 0:54:15Emma's school.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18In order to belong to a group, whether it's Greek life,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21whether it's athletics... You don't need to be hazed.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26There's this like, image I see at my school where
0:54:26 > 0:54:30they think frat boys are cool, but they don't know the true reality.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33I really hope that my mom's speech really does help and give them
0:54:33 > 0:54:36an insight into what it's really like.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41If I can save one life, then that's one life that I have saved.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43It's time well spent.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46And to me, making a difference is very important.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52I felt it was really informative,
0:54:52 > 0:54:54showed me a lot about what to do
0:54:54 > 0:54:58if you're in a situation that you don't think you can get out of.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02I think this just kind of would help what I would hope to do
0:55:02 > 0:55:05and really execute that when I go into a sorority.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07I don't think that a fraternity is right for me.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10I'll try to make some friends when I'm in college,
0:55:10 > 0:55:13but I don't think a fraternity is the way to go with it.
0:55:16 > 0:55:21In Syracuse, to try and help victims of sexual assault on campus,
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Marissa and her friends have set up a support group called
0:55:23 > 0:55:25The Girl Code Movement.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29I think the misconception about consent
0:55:29 > 0:55:33and the misconception about what rape really is comes from a
0:55:33 > 0:55:38lot of intersection of drinking and sexual assault on campuses...
0:55:38 > 0:55:42Right after my best friend's assault, she was like,
0:55:42 > 0:55:45"We need to do something about this". We're here to be, like,
0:55:45 > 0:55:47"I believe you, I support you and I'm here to help."
0:55:47 > 0:55:51Like, those three things, like...
0:55:51 > 0:55:52mean a world of difference.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56Pretty much everyone probably does have someone they know and just
0:55:56 > 0:56:00because they haven't talked about it, doesn't mean that you shouldn't care about it.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Through all of that anger and frustration
0:56:02 > 0:56:04and pain of what happened, like,
0:56:04 > 0:56:08now I can say that I'm supporting other people
0:56:08 > 0:56:12and that's like the best thing that I can be doing.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16750,000 undergraduate students
0:56:16 > 0:56:18are currently pledged to
0:56:18 > 0:56:20a brotherhood or sisterhood.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24And with rumours of them even spreading to British
0:56:24 > 0:56:28universities, Greek life is more popular than ever.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39MUSIC PLAYS
0:56:39 > 0:56:42In Florida, after seven days of initiation rituals
0:56:42 > 0:56:44behind closed doors...
0:56:44 > 0:56:46RAUCOUS BANTER
0:56:46 > 0:56:49..Jordan and the other pledges have finally been accepted
0:56:49 > 0:56:51into the Gazoni Family.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58Gentlemen, you guys just put in a very long, enduring week,
0:56:58 > 0:57:02welcome to the greatest family in the history...
0:57:02 > 0:57:05This week was, uh, it was definitely an experience!
0:57:05 > 0:57:08It was an experience I would never have anywhere else,
0:57:08 > 0:57:11but it was worth it, it was a good experience, so...
0:57:11 > 0:57:14He proved everything he needed to prove, I promise you that!
0:57:14 > 0:57:15What do you mean by that?
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Proved that he was a man, he wants to be a good man.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21They put you through the ringer a bit, to build you up,
0:57:21 > 0:57:23to make sure like, you know that they'd have your back.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27It builds a strong brotherhood with the people you pledge with, as well.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30ALL: # Here's to brother Jordan who's with us tonight
0:57:30 > 0:57:33# He's happy, he's jolly, he's fucked up like us
0:57:33 > 0:57:34# So drink, motherfucker
0:57:34 > 0:57:37# Drink, motherfucker Drink, motherfucker, drink! #
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- CHEERING - Keep on going!
0:57:40 > 0:57:41Keep on going!
0:57:43 > 0:57:47He did great. He's finished with his initiation, he's finally a brother!
0:57:47 > 0:57:51Gosh, it's like the next step, you can't wait for your own pledges.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54It's incredible! You get to get in a circle, you're part of the family,
0:57:54 > 0:57:57you finally feel like on the same level as everybody
0:57:57 > 0:57:59instead of a step away, it's incredible.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02THEY SING DRUNKENLY
0:58:02 > 0:58:03# ..is long
0:58:03 > 0:58:07# With many a winding turns
0:58:08 > 0:58:12# That leads us to who
0:58:12 > 0:58:16# Knows where
0:58:16 > 0:58:20# Who knows where. #