MSU investigates underage drinking report

Contact: Maridith Geuder

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State University officials are investigating reports of underage drinking at a Wednesday night (Jan. 30) party at a campus fraternity house.

MSU police and student affairs staff interviewed representatives of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity chapter on Thursday and plan to be in contact Friday with the national office of the organization.

Vice President for Student Affairs Bill Kibler said the continuing inquiry seeks to determine whether university regulations and state laws were violated.

"Alcohol abuse is a very serious matter, particularly when minors are involved," Kibler said. "We intend to investigate in detail the circumstances surrounding the party and take appropriate actions based on our findings."

Both individual students and student organizations are subject to university sanctions for violation of university alcohol policies, and off-campus legal proceedings may also result when state laws are broken, Kibler said.

For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.