The fraternity denounced a Facebook statement made by the university linking it to allegations of possible mistreatment of the goat. The Sigma Pi statement said the university’s Facebook release left “us and other organizations as open targets for harassment and ridicule by the media and community at large.”

The university posting named the fraternities as suspended pending a full investigation.

Carpenter wrote in an email on Thursday that the university acted deliberately on available information.

“Enforcement of an interim action may be deemed necessary to maintain safety, order or to facilitate the investigative process,” Carpenter wrote. “The university’s statement regarding the interim suspensions was accurate and did not specify what possible conduct violations were being investigated.”

The investigation was sparked by an internet uproar that appears to have stemmed from a post via the “Goats of Anarchy” Instagram account. The account referred to abuse of a goat nicknamed “Phillip,” and at one point it offered a $500 reward for information leading to the animal’s location.