| By Bob Weaver
A Glenville State College fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) could have its' charter revoked following what has been described as a hazing incident where a member of the fraternity was reportedly branded.
The fraternity claims the incident happened at a party, and was not a hazing.
WDTV in Clarksburg is doing stories regarding the matter, after the station discovered a video of the branding on YouTube.
The video has since been removed, according to TKE spokesperson Lynn Frederick.
Frederick told the Glenville Pathfinder, "We've filed a complaint with YouTube and had it removed. We don't know who put it on there, but we're looking at bringing a slander suit against them."
YouTube says "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by TKE branding."
The video reportedly shows a male, stretched out on the floor, being branded with a metal object after it was heated with a blow torch.
During a partying atmosphere, while the branding was happening, individuals were reportedly invoking "TKE" during the process which required multiple efforts over a period of time.
"The GSC fraternity has apparently been exposed in branding a TKE brother, an action which was placed on several Internet sites by on-lookers..," reported the Pathfinder.
Glenville State College's student affairs head Jerry Burkhammer told the Glenville paper that the college is taking action to have TKE's charter revoked.
National TKE officials are investigating, with spokesperson Frederick saying the incident wasn't a hazing, but a voluntary choice of the student.
TKE, the nation's biggest fraternity, says on their web site, "The word "pledge" and all the unflattering remarks which accompany it does not exist within Tau Kappa Epsilon."
"The new member (TKE) education program is based on a no pledge-ship and no hazing commitment. Every fraternity will claim that they do not haze, but TKE was the first fraternity to implement a new member program that replaces senseless tasks with educational and inspirational programming."
Still, there are numerous national reports of hazing-like incidents with TKE.
The Glenville State College student handbook prohibits such activity, indicating legal consequences.
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