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The local chapter of Theta Chi was stripped of recognition by the UA over a 鈥渂izarre male-bonding exercise鈥� in which older fraternity brothers hazed new members by hitting them with paddles hard enough to leave marks.

The chapter also was accused of racism by a member who told UA investigators that fraternity brothers talked openly about excluding those 鈥渙f Asian or Middle Eastern descent,鈥� the university said.

The Theta Chi fraternity house is located off-campus on the northeast corner of North Campbell Avenue and East Sixth Street.

The UA鈥檚 dean of students recently investigated after viewing a photograph 鈥渙f a Theta Chi member鈥檚 buttocks with visible welts,鈥� the school鈥檚 May 19 letter to the fraternity said.

Investigators confirmed that the practice of paddling new recruits has 鈥渙ccurred every semester from fall 2011 to fall 2014,鈥� the letter said. Some were paddled with 鈥渆xtreme force,鈥� witnesses said.

鈥淭hese findings and the serious and dangerous nature of the allegations support the sanction of loss of recognition,鈥� said the UA鈥檚 letter, addressed to the chapter president. The president鈥檚 name is blacked out of the copy of the letter made public by the university.

The chapter president told the UA that the incidents didn鈥檛 constitute hazing because the students took part willingly and there was no intent to harm them. He characterized such conduct as 鈥渕achismo horseplay,鈥� the letter said.

The UA will consider reinstating the fraternity in 2019 if Theta Chi鈥檚 national headquarters submits a viable plan, the letter said.

The racism allegation against Theta Chi will be referred to the UA鈥檚 Office of Institutional Equity to 鈥済uard against potential future discriminatory practices鈥� if the chapter is reinstated, it said.

Six other former UA fraternity chapters 鈥� Phi Kappa Psi, Delta Chi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Pi Kappa Phi, Phi Gamma Delta and Delta Sigma Phi 鈥� have been booted from the UA campus since early 2012, either by the university or by national fraternity organizations.