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UNLV suspends Kappa Sigma fraternity following 'Fight Night' death

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Posted at 6:14 PM, Dec 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-02 16:58:10-05

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — UNLV announced Wednesday that it placed Kappa Sigma fraternity on interim suspension, effective immediately, pending a review into the fraternity’s Nov. 19 “Fight Night” boxing event held at the Sahara Event Center in Las Vegas.

Nathan Valencia, a UNLV student and member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, died on Nov. 23 from injuries he sustained during the charity fundraiser.

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“Our hearts ache for Mr. Valencia’s family, friends, and loved ones,” said UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield. “We take our responsibility to review this tragic incident and the events leading up to it very seriously, and we are doing so both thoroughly and fairly to ensure something like this never happens again.”

In a statement released to 13 Action News, a UNLV spokesperson said, "Under the terms of the suspension, the UNLV Kappa Sigma chapter is required to cease all operations and activities, and its status as a registered student organization is revoked pending the outcome of an investigation by the university and its Office of Student Conduct."

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UNLV says it will cooperate fully with any other independent reviews by state and local agencies.

Thursday, the Kappa Sigma Fraternity also released the following statement:

"On November 29th, Kappa Sigma Fraternity suspended operations of our Kappa-Alpha Chapter at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Kappa Sigma's International Headquarters is currently conducting a review regarding whether Kappa Sigma's internal policies and standards were followed by the Chapter. Kappa Sigma Fraternity expects all of our chapters to conform with all applicable state and local laws. As is appropriate during any investigation, neither Kappa Sigma Fraternity nor our Kappa-Alpha Chapter will be providing further comment at this time."