Citadel investigation finds 19 cases of hazing among cadets

(Reuters) - Nineteen hazing cases have been confirmed out of 85 allegations of misconduct reported this year at The Citadel military college in South Carolina, according to findings released by the school on Tuesday. The hazing probe marked an unprecedented effort by the college to take stock of such behavior. The investigation began in February after the school's commandant of cadets ordered all freshmen to report any possible hazing incidents they had experienced or witnessed. The school said the cadets involved in the confirmed hazing cases are in the appeals process after being recommended for suspension, dismissal or expulsion from the college, located in Charleston. Nine cadets already have withdrawn or resigned, a school statement said. "There simply is no place for hazing at The Citadel," said Citadel President Lieutenant General John Rosa. "It does not represent what we stand for, it is not consistent with our core values and it does not prepare our cadets to be leaders of character." More than half of the reported incidents were found to be training violations, such as unauthorized physical activity, against freshman cadets rather than hazing. Those cases resulted in on-campus punishments including the loss of leave passes, the school said. A spokeswoman for the military college could not immediately say how the number of confirmed hazing cases compared to previous school years. (Reporting by Colleen Jenkins in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Editing by Sandra Maler)