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Fraternity appeals suspension charges

Published: Thursday, October 25, 2012

Updated: Thursday, October 25, 2012 08:10

 

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), a national men’s fraternity that has had the Florida Delta Chapter at USF since 1968 and has occupied a house in Greek Village since it opened in 2003, is now appealing a four-year suspension ruling after charges of hazing, harassment and other violations were brought against it.

The suspension would revoke its recognition as a fraternity, remove it from its on-campus house and ban the organization from participating in all USF-affiliated activities.

According to an emailed statement from Patrick Romero-Aldaz, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, SAE was found responsible for violating three university policies outlined in the Standards for Student Organization Conduct: harassment; hazing; and adherence to individual student organization, local and national policies.

The incidents the chapter was found responsible for involved “the alleged use of exercise-type activities and verbal degradation of potential members as a means of testing knowledge about the chapter members, organization infor- mation, etc,” University spokes- woman Lara Wade-Martinez said in an email to The Oracle.

No physical injuries have been reported, Wade-Martinez said.

University Police (UP) also did not have records of open cases, complaints or charges against the fraternity or its members, according to UP Public Information Officer Lt. Chris Daniel.

Wade-Martinez said further information on the incidents that led to the investigation, case and hearing could not be provided.

“(Federal and state laws) require that the university make a reasonable determina- tion that any student informa- tion released cannot be directly or indirectly traced back to any individual student,” she said in an email to The Oracle.

SAE is in the process of appealing the ruling to remove it from campus. The fraternity, had been investigated in a process similar to individual conduct code violations, Romero-Aldaz said.

“The chapter has the right to appeal and sanctions levied are not final until either the appeal period expires or an appeal, is filed and a decision made by the appellate hearing,” he said.

A decision regarding the appeal should be made within the next week, Wade-Martinez said.

If the appeal does not go through, the fraternity will work with the Department of Housing and Residential Education and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life in regards to handling the members’ eviction from the house, Romero-Aldaz said.

Five SAE members contacted declined to com- ment.Executive Board mem- bers of USF’s Interfraternity Council and the SAE national office could not be reached for comment.

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4 comments

Anonymous
Mon Dec 10 2012 22:51
USF's greek life is poorly run compared to the greek life at other older Florida Universities. The aforementioned greek systems have been around a lot longer so perhaps they should use these schools as models in enriching the overall greek experience at this school. Getting kicked off campus for the specific acts associated with this organization would not hold up at any other university that has any sort of competence of tradition within the fraternity realm.
Anonymous
Sun Oct 28 2012 13:13
Anonymous, however eloquent, your point is missing some key factors. There are many different types of team-building exercises a fraternity can utilize to build the organization and to build membership, berating your new members and physically draining them should not be part of that.

Making the new members feel less adequate or less of a human being than yourself only has shown to divide the organization. The new members that are being rigorously hazed tend to band together and it becomes more of a niche group. They also tend to multiply the hazing that they received on the next class, causing it to become increasingly more dangerous. There are many positive techniques that an organization can utilize that don't psychologically torment the new members, all while still building that sense of brotherhood that is supposed to come with a fraternity.

Also, as far as the military goes, college men should never have to undergo the same hazing that happens in the military. Men in the military have to undergo serious mental stress and may even have to kill another human being one day. These men have to be conditioned to withstand torture tactics and be able to survive in a foreign country with little to no help. Fraternity men do not have to deal with any of this.

I do not commend this organization, for they are physiologically tormenting these men. Getting yelled at with racial slurs, being derided by someone you're supposed to call your friend in front of your supposed equals isn't team-building. Having to do pushups on bottle-caps isn't team-building. Sleep-deprivation, humiliation, and isolation is not team-building. It is no different than the abusive father turning his child into an abuser as well. I encourage you to do more research behind hazing and read some of the 'harmless' hazing stories that have led to death of a student.

I, for one, am glad this organization is being made an example of and I hope the school continues to fight hazing.

Anonymous
Sun Oct 28 2012 09:13
I wonder why the frat areas have no black or Hispanic houses there. Lots of offspring of rich white families. Spoiled little boys and girls who can't control their intake of booze and aderall pills.
Anonymous
Thu Oct 25 2012 14:06
I'm trying to understand what exactly this organization did wrong here. I understand from the University's viewpoint regarding risk management and ensuring no egregious activities occur regarding hazing. There is not doubt a serious issue where you are subjecting young men to potentially injurious activities. However, in this particular instance, the actions equate to the exact same which most if not all high school up to NFL football teams go through as well as, every branch of our military.

"The incidents the chapter was found responsible for involved "the alleged use of exercise-type activities and verbal degradation of potential members as a means of testing knowledge about the chapter members, organization information, etc,""

A fraternity is not a club nor is membership open to everyone and it is an exclusive organization to those who are members of said organization. Just like sports teams and the military (exclusive/elite groups) certain "exercise-type activities" are used as team building and leadership inspiring activities. In the military and sports teams, participants are not forced to undertake the activities and they are free to quit whenever they so choose. The overarching policy behind these types of activities is to inspire participants to better themselves and to better the group as a whole. This is the exact mentality that fraternities should have as this is how an organization betters itself through its members proving their ability to act as leaders as pull through adversity. However, "the alleged use of exercise-type activities and verbal degradation of potential members as a means of testing knowledge about the chapter members, organization information, etc,"" is hardly adversity compared to what struggles they will face outside of college in the real world.

I commend this organization for making it a practice to better prepare their members for dealing with the hardships of the real world. Shame on this university for taking the stance it has and labeling these young men and their organization as they have.





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