Twenty-three national fraternities and sororities have joined a new hotline, 1-888-NOT-HAZE, designed to prevent hazing in fraternities and sororities.
Callers are automatically forwarded to a voicemail, where they can leave messages reporting hazing either anonymously or with contact information.
E-mails are then sent to two attorneys at the Cincinnati-based Manley Burke law firm, who then forward the violation to the national chapter of the appropriate fraternity or sorority.
Penn too has an anonymous option for reporting hazing issues to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.
OFSA forwards complaints to the Office of Student Conduct, which investigates and recommends courses of action.
As a result, "I don't think [the hotline] is something we'd go out of our way to promote," InterFraternity Council president and Wharton senior Austin Pena said.
Other Greek members say any additional resources against hazing are useful.
College sophomore John Blahnik, a member of Delta Phi, or St. Elmo's, said an anonymous hazing hotline would be a "worthwhile resource" for reporting hazing.
While Blahnik was never hazed himself, he said anonymity is important for people who want to report hazing.
"There's a certain reluctance," he said.
Engineering freshman Mohona Paul, who is considering joining a sorority in the spring, said she'd "probably" take advantage of the hotline if she encountered hazing.
If Manley Burke receives a report, the firm sends the national chapter only basic information about the law and the reported offense - not any legal advice.
The chapters may then hire Manley Burke to further deal with the matter.
At Penn, some Greek leaders encourage hazing victims to volunteer their identity when filing reports so that the issue be dealt with as quickly as possible.
College senior Alex Tryon, president of the Panhellenic Council, said it is harder to investigate anonymously reported infractions, and that anonymity allows disgruntled members or rival houses to abuse the system.
Dan McCarthy, one of the two attorneys who handles the voicemail messages, said cases are not weakened by the anonymity of most the reports.
As of Friday evening, the hotline had received two calls, both anonymous.
