Members of fraternity suspended from Mississippi university campus now face cyberstalking charges
Published 5:31 am Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Members of a University of Mississippi fraternity, suspended from campus in November, have been arrested on cyberstalking charges.
The Jackson Clarion-Ledger newspaper reports that seven Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity members were arrested Friday in Lafayette County.
Baylor Reynolds, Christian Parten, Cole Goretski, Miles Baker, Peyton Newcomb, Walker Holden and Wyatt Johnson are accused of sending harassing emails and text messages to a former fraternity member who had informed university officials of hazing incidents last fall.
All posted $5,000 bond after an initial court appearance and were released Friday. The men are scheduled to be at their next court date in February.
In November, the fraternity was suspended from campus until May 1, 2025, after investigations into hazing by the university.
The decision was made in response to a hazing incident in the fall of 2020. The hazing incident reportedly took place in October 2020, when bleach or cleaning fluid was sprayed onto blindfolded pledge members. The incident led to charges against James Bowes Higgins, who a pledge said sprayed cleaning fluid into and around his mouth, causing him to suffer severe burns to his esophagus.