FIRE criticizes IU over fraternity event ban, says restrictions punish “innocent groups”

Staff report

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — November 19, 2025

A national free speech group is urging Indiana University Bloomington to roll back sweeping restrictions on fraternity events that currently bar 27 Interfraternity Council chapters from hosting most social activities following a series of hazing allegations.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, which is already targeting IU with a billboard campaign over what it calls a “free speech crisis,” said the university’s response to hazing crosses a constitutional line by punishing chapters that have not been found responsible for misconduct.

In a statement provided to The Bloomingtonian, FIRE attorney Zach Greenberg said IU’s approach violates students’ First Amendment rights to associate and hold expressive events.

“Guilt by association has no place at America’s public universities,” Greenberg said. “The First Amendment is clear—schools cannot punish innocent groups and students merely because they share a Greek alphabet. IU must rescind these restrictions and limit its discipline to only those groups responsible for misconduct.”

Hylton letter restricts most fraternity events

The restrictions stem from a letter allegedly sent last week by Vice Chancellor for Student Life Lamar Hylton to the Interfraternity Council, which represents 27 fraternities at IU. The letter, reported by multiple media outlets, bans IFC chapters from hosting social events, parties with alcohol, tailgates, large events with high-profile performers, philanthropy events, brotherhood events, new member education and other group activities after several chapters were accused of hazing.

At least four fraternities — including Phi Kappa Psi, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Beta Chi Theta and Tau Epsilon Phi — have recently been placed on cease-and-desist status for hazing or related conduct, and Chi Phi was added to that list this week.

Hylton’s letter also directs IU housing staff to stop granting exemptions that would allow first-year students to move into fraternity houses, citing “unhealthy and risky behaviors” and warning that the “risk is too high to continue this arrangement given the status of the IFC community.”

While social life is sharply curtailed, fraternities are still allowed to conduct some activities, including chapter operations, internal standards meetings, community service with outside agencies, small informal gatherings as individual friends, intramural sports, elections, officer transitions, awards ceremonies and required programming.

Letter leaked to outlets, not posted publicly

The text of Hylton’s letter has been posted or quoted by several news organizations and at least one station WTHR has published the full PDF online.

However, as of Wednesday, The Bloomingtonian has not obtained the letter directly from Indiana University and has not independently reviewed the original document. The letter did not appear on IU Bloomington’s publicly accessible Office of Student Life or student conduct webpages during a search by The Bloomingtonian on Wednesday evening.

FIRE ties Greek restrictions to broader “free speech crisis”

FIRE’s intervention comes just days after the group launched a high-profile billboard campaign in Bloomington accusing IU of censorship and “unaccountability” on free speech issues, including its handling of protests at Dunn Meadow, the suspension of a Palestine-related student group, the cancellation of an art exhibit by Palestinian-American painter Samia Halaby, the cancellation of an LGBTQ+ health conference, and the university’s move to halt print publication of the Indiana Daily Student earlier this fall.

FIRE ranks IU 255th out of 257 schools in its 2026 College Free Speech Rankings, calling it the worst-ranked public university in the country for campus expression.

The group has already written the university over the Dunn Meadow protest crackdown and the student media dispute. It now plans to send another letter specifically challenging the fraternity restrictions as unconstitutional “guilt by association,” according to FIRE’s statement to The Bloomingtonian.

FIRE argues that while IU can discipline chapters found responsible for hazing, a blanket clampdown on all IFC fraternities — including those not accused of misconduct — impermissibly burdens students’ rights to associate with one another and hold expressive events.

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