Warrants issued in Youngstown State hazing case
Police issued warrants for eight people Thursday in connection with the beatings of two Youngstown State University students in what is believed to be part of a fraternity initiation.
All eight people charged face two counts each of felonious assault for the beatings of Resean Yancey, 20, and Breylon Stubbs, 22, over a period stretching from January into February.
There were at least six and maybe as many as nine beatings, police said Wednesday. The beatings took place at a North Side home on Woodford Avenue.
Only one of the suspects, Trey McCune, 21, is a current YSU student. The other seven were former students, and all were members of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, which has since been suspended by the university.
In a statement, YSU President Dr. Cynthia Anderson said the university is conducting an internal investigation of the fraternity that could lead to a revocation of its charter on campus.
City Prosecutor Jay Macejko said the case was hard to crack at first, but once they interviewed the victims, the pieces began to fall into place.
”Once we obtained the cooperation of the victims, the case came together quickly,” he said. ”I was surprised by the severity of what was going on.”
The investigation is ongoing, police said. Youngstown State University police are assisting.
None of the suspects has a record, Macejko said.
The investigation started when Yancey was hospitalized for injuries he received in a Feb. 2 beating.
According to Youngstown State University’s website, the Beta Pi chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi was established at YSU May 5, 1946, as the first black Greek-letter organization, and it is the oldest chapter of any fraternity on campus.
Kappa Alpha Psi was suspended under the YSU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct, which prohibits hazing. As a result, the fraternity is denied access to the campus and is prohibited from participating in any university activities.
Last week, university officials met with representatives of all fraternities and sororities to go over the policy on hazing, Anderson said.
”Any campus student organization or individual participating in any activity that threatens the safety of the campus community will be dealt with promptly and severely,” Anderson said in her statement.
