Fraternity Cuts Ties with Baruch Chapter After Death of Queens Student

The Pi Delta Psi Fraternity has severed its ties with a Baruch College chapter after an Oakland Gardens student died while taking part in an initiation ritual earlier this month.

Chun Hsien Deng, a freshman at Baruch, died after suffering “major brain trauma” while taking part in a ritual known as the Glass Ceiling, during which a fraternity pledge is blindfolded, has a heavy item placed on his back and must navigate his way to a person calling to him while others try to tackle him.

Deng, who is from Oakland Gardens, was taking part in the game on Dec. 8 during a retreat in the Poconos and died the following day.

In a statement, Pi Delta Psi Fraternity wrote that it had “revoked and terminated all affiliation” with the Baruch College chapter.

The fraternity wrote that the Baruch chapter “has violated the values and rules of our organization, including our strict no hazing policy.”

“As such, they shall no longer be recognized as having any association with Pi Delta Psi,” the statement read. “Additionally, we will revoke the individual memberships of any member found involved in this incident.”

Police and the county’s district attorney are investigating the incident. A spokeswoman for Baruch College, which is part of the City University of New York, said the pledging event was “unsanctioned.”

The college also suspended the rights of the fraternity on campus.

Deng, 19, had graduated in June from the Bronx High School of Science and was studying finance at Baruch.