OU says RUF/NEK students banned

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma officials Wednesday banned all current members of the RUF/ NEKS spirit group from official university events, citing evidence of alcohol abuse and hazing.

The OU Office of Judicial Services investigated the group this semester after hearing complaints of misconduct, according to a statement issued by university spokesman Blake Rambo.

Investigators found evidence of RUF/NEKS abusing alcohol and hazing pledges in various ways, the news release states, including “sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, demeaning actions and the potential for physical harm.”

“The university has standards, and we are going to hold groups to those standards,” OU President David Boren said. “We will not tolerate any group that doesn’t respect the safety, dignity and wellbeing of individual students.”

Boren said the investigation into the RUF/NEKS started this fall after several calls were made to OU’s anonymous hazing hot line.

“We felt we simply had to stop this matter right now,” he said.

Boren said about half the 20 pledges dropped out this year. They and the remaining pledges may continue as RUF/ NEKS this year. But the 25 RUF/NEKS members are banned from the group.

More sanctions may come

OU is looking into other sanctions against the students, but Boren said he couldn’t give details without violating student privacy.

While individuals were banned from university activities, the RUF/NEKS as a group were not. Pledges and former pledges will be allowed to be part of the spirit group for the remainder of this football season, and the group will be reorganized under the athletic department’s direction beginning with the spring semester.

Boren has asked for, and will review, a plan for moving the RUF/NEKS into the athletic department.