FSU suspends all fraternities and sororities after pledge's death

Florida State University has indefinitely suspended all Greek life on campus after the death of a student who was pledging to a fraternity.

"For this suspension to end, there will need to be a new normal for Greek life at the university," FSU President John Thrasher said in a statement. "There must be a new culture, and our students must be full participants in creating it."

Three days ago, FSU student Andrew Coffey, a 20-year-old pledge at Pi Kappa Phi, died after being found unresponsive after attending a party. The Tallahassee Democrat reports few details have been released about the circumstances surrounding his death. Unrelated to Coffey's death, FSU is also using in its reasoning to support the suspension the arrest of Garrett John Marcy, a 20-year-old Phi Delta Theta fraternity member, on charges of sale and trafficking of cocaine. The Democrat reports 22 percent of FSU undergraduates, almost 7,600 students, belong to a Greek organization during this school year.

During the interim suspension, fraternities and sororities are banned from from holding new member events, meetings, tailgates, socials, philanthropic events, retreats, intramural sports and organized participation in certain events, though members are allowed to remain as residents in their fraternity or sorority house.

"Like most universities, we worry about alcohol and drug abuse and other dangerous behaviors, and we are doing all we can to educate our students," Thrasher said in a statement. "But all of our student organizations — Greek organizations and the other recognized student organizations on campus — must step up. They will have to participate in the solution."