ROANOKE, Va. – Members of James Madison University’s Sigma Nu Fraternity pledge class stole the HokieBird statue from the Hotel Roanoke, according to the university.

On Sept. 27, 2019, the statue was stolen from its base on the south side of the hotel.

It was later found on the side of a road near Charlottesville later that day, according to police.

10 News reported then that JMU was investigating the possibility of its students being involved.

Now that the investigation is complete, JMU Vice President for Student Affairs sent 10 News this statement:

“We found that members of the Sigma Nu Fraternity’s new member class were involved in the incident. Their National Organization developed a set of sanctions to hold both individuals and the organization as a whole accountable and shift their culture as well as make things right with both the Hotel Roanoke and the artist whose work was damaged. We supported these steps taken by the National Organization and will continue to work with the remaining members of the organization to better align with their values and serve the JMU community.”