Northwestern Suspends DTD: HQ & U Investigating
 

The Daily Northwestern reports that both the university and fraternity HQ are investigating allegations related to a party about ten days ago:

http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vne.../4016167968ec3

Really unfortunate if the allegations are found to be true. Actually, unfortunate for the young lady and the fraternity no matter what is found, due to the rather sensational nature of the story.

This is sad. If it's true, what the hell were they thinking?

I'm sure glad I don't have to help investigate this one. What a mess. We have no tolerance for stuff like this. I know Garth Eberhart (Delt official quoted), and he is a straight shooter. If the allegations are true, that chapter is history for at least a few years.

Can someone help me with one question about the article, though? Is the alleged victim (The Communications major), the girl who was "having sex" with someone in the Library as per the "tradition?" In other words, did these guys and "photographers" interrupt her and the "pledge" during sex? Or did I misinterpret the story?

Not that it makes the alleged actions of the group any better.

Damn.

DA, I interpreted the article the same way you did. I found myself wondering if the young woman knew about the "tradition" ahead of time or has heard rumors of it since the incident.

Dee

She knew this happened and still did it.

-Rudey
--It seems to me the only thing she's upset about is the fact that they have proof she did it.

From the article - the alleged victim states:

"I do know they have this tradition. I've heard they've done that to several girls in previous years."

Not a very bright decision on her part. Not that it at all excuses the actions of these "pledges/brothers" of a fraternity. Still, all things considered, based on the article - she shares culpability in this case.

Wow.
:eek:

It's amazing how "judgement of your own actions" can take a vacation during your youth, isn't it?

If she knew about the tradition beforehand and willingly participated in it, then the act itself isn't the issue (in my opinion). In the article I didn't see where she was saying that she was having sex against her will. Course, I don't know that HQ would be happy hearing about that tradition...

I think the problem lies in the fact that other brothers/pledges came into the room, would not leave, and took pictures. THAT is the part that will get them into trouble. THAT is the unexcusable part of this.

If we're interpreting this article right, she does share culpability in the case.

PsychTau

As bad as I feel for her, its her fault for putting herself in that position if she did infact know that it was a tradition (as silly of a tradition it is). Its like bugs and a bug zapper - the lil bug watches all its friends get zapped, and still flies into the blue light!

Since I have been fairly outspoken and critical of other fraternities here in the past, I am very cognizant of not looking at this case differently because it is my own Fraternity. In fact, I may take a harder stance.

However, I've now re-read the article and tried to digest it more carefully.

If the alleged incident did take place, my brother Delts made a big mistake and deserve stiff punishment.

However, in her own words it appears that, knowing about this supposed "tradition" in advance, she decided to have consentual sex in the library with someone she doesn't even know! In the library -- not someone's room. I've been to the Northwestern Delt House, but didn't see the library -- but one would suspect that it is a "common area," and probably not particularly private. Of course that's speculation on my part.

Notice that there is no mention of alcohol, drugs or charges of assault or rape, at least to this point in time.

Then she comments:

"It has upset me that there are people like this at my school," she said. "I just think its really sick and I don't understand how these people were raised to make them think this is OK."

That road goes in both directions. I'm pretty disgusted with both sides in this one.

DeltAlum,

I'm interpreting the article to say that she knew who she had sex with. I'm going out on a limb and assuming that she knew the guy and he possibly let her know about the tradition and they arranged to "do the deed" so he could fulfil that tradition. But I don't think the pictures were part of the tradition. This statement in the article leads me to believe that:

But she said the tradition took a strange turn when about 20 fraternity members entered the library while she was there and refused to leave.

Of course, we're relying on only one newspaper article that is quite possibly slanted. Caveat emptor, I guess.

(Although I still love to analyze the hell out of things. Does that make me bad? :p )
PsychTau

Wow, this is a tough one, isn't it?

It does sound like this girl knew about the "tradition." However, tradition aside, when you choose to do anything of that nature in a public place, you are taking the chance that you can get caught. I agree that the boys shouldn't have taken pictures- it's disrespectful. But, if you want to keep those things private, do it behind a locked door.

Exactly..........

I've been asked more than once if I've ever "done it in a public place" and this would be why I will always answer NO.

Psych Tau,

I think you may be right after yet another reading of the article.

ETA here is a link to the story in the Trib. It doesn't add much with the exception that the University apparantely hasn't decided yet whether the incident is bad enough to warrant a "full" suspension. Which seems strange given the gravity of the article in the student newspaper. I suppose it could be that the university is being purposely careful in it's approach -- or that the student paper might have overblown this a little. Obviously, I hope the latter is the case -- but I'm not holding my breath.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...-newslocal-hed

Here's a short excerpt from the article:

"The university has not turned its investigation over to police and has not determined whether it will do so, Pendleton said.

"At this point we don't know the outcome or where this will be adjudicated," he said.

Delta Tau Delta has not had previous trouble at Northwestern, officials said.

"It's the first time we've had to do an investigation like this in recent history," said Garth Eberhart, assistant executive director of Delta Tau Delta International.

"We've done a joint suspension, with Northwestern University and Delta Tau Delta, until we can determine the facts of what happened here," he said. "We're not at the point where we can provide a written statement of fact. We should be able to wrap this up by the end of the week."

The university has suspended five fraternities during the last six years because of inappropriate behavior, Pendleton said. Delta Tau Delta's situation differs from the others because the university hasn't decided whether a full suspension is warranted, he said."

Da article
 

I wonders if the 'watchers' were the other pledges or the brothers?
I think we can say goodbye to another one at NU.
-------------
Officials examine incident at Delt

Chapter suspended during inquest; female freshman says lewd photos were taken
By Jerome C. Pandell
January 27, 2004

University officials have suspended Northwestern's chapter of Delta Tau Delta fraternity pending the investigation of an incident involving a female Communication freshman that she says took place at the chapter house more than a week ago.


Kyle Pendleton, NU's associate director of fraternity and sorority life, said the suspension -- which prevented the chapter from participating in Gone Greek Night activities on Friday -- was endorsed by the fraternity's national headquarters and requires Delt members to cease all chapter operations, including meetings, formals and social exchanges with sororities.

"The university is currently partnering and working with Delta Tau Delta's national organization to conduct an investigation into an alleged incident that occurred the weekend of Jan. 17," said Pendleton, who added that he could not speculate when the investigation would be completed. "We hope to be expedient."

Drew Suszko, president of Delt's now-suspended NU chapter, said he could not comment on why the fraternity was suspended.

"We are cooperating to the fullest extent with the university's investigation in the hopes of a quick and appropriate resolution," said Suszko, a McCormick sophomore.

Pendleton also said he could not comment on the nature of the incident or who was involved.

A female Communication freshman, who asked not to be named, told The Daily on Monday that the incident involved her and one of the fraternity's freshman pledges. She said the incident took place during a floor party sponsored by Delt to kick off "walk-in night," a Jan. 17 event at which the new pledges slept overnight in the chapter room of the fraternity house.

"Some guy is supposed to have sex with the girl up in their library on that night," the Communication freshman said. "I do know they have this tradition. I've heard they've done that to several girls in previous years."

But she said the tradition took a strange turn when about 20 fraternity members entered the library while she was there and refused to leave.

"I was screaming for them to get out and they wouldn't get out," she said. "They were all just standing around, laughing and joking."

The Communication freshman said three fraternity members took lewd photos of her before the group left the room three or four minutes later.

She said she then left the chapter house immediately.

University officials contacted her Wednesday about helping with the investigation, she said. Pendleton told The Daily that he could not comment on whether NU's Sexual Assault Hearings and Appeals System is involved in the investigation.

The Communication freshman said the photos taken of her were distributed to other students, including people not in the fraternity. She said she doesn't know if the freshman pledge she was with knew the members would enter the room.

Calling the past week difficult, the Communication freshman said many people have been very supportive.

"It has upset me that there are people like this at my school," she said. "I just think its really sick and I don't understand how these people were raised to make them think this is OK."

A national leader at Delt's Indianapolis headquarters said the organization supports NU's decision to suspend the chapter and will cooperate fully with the investigation.

"We're trying to sort it all out," said Garth Eberhart, Delt's national assistant executive vice president. "We've got a good, long history there at the university, and we expect that will continue going forward."

Weinberg junior Mitch Holzrichter, who is outgoing risk management chairman of the Interfraternity Council, said IFC leaders would wait until the completion of the investigation by NU officials before taking any action. Holzrichter, who recently was elected IFC president, also serves as advertising manager of Students Publishing Co., which oversees The Daily.

Pendleton said he could not speculate about the outcome of the investigation. In past cases, however, suspension of a fraternity often has resulted in NU administrators and national fraternity leaders deciding to revoke a chapter's charter.

University officials suspended Kappa Sigma fraternity in June for improprieties at a spring formal at the Shedd Aquarium. The suspension caused Kappa Sig's national organization to revoke the fraternity's charter after NU cited Kappa Sig for vandalism, alcohol use, safety issues, animal endangerment and reckless behavior.

In May 2001, NU administrators indefinitely suspended the operations of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity after two members were sent to the hospital in February 2001 following an off-campus party.

NU's chapter of Sigma Chi, which will return to NU in Spring Quarter, had its charter suspended by the fraternity's executive committee in August 2000 because of alcohol and probation violations. At the time, the fraternity was on probation because chapter members had brought two strippers to their house for an April 1999 pledge event.

A quick hijack.

One of the things I think we do reasonably well in Delt is deal with the media in this kind of situation.

Two things to note:

In the student newspaper, only the chapter president was quoted. That is the way it should be -- either the Chapter Advisor, the President or a designated media relations member or someone from the (inter)national office.

Second, in statements from the Central Office, there is no stonewalling and no game playing. A high ranking official points out the actions that have been and are being taken, says that he can't yet comment on the outcome of the investigation since it's still in progress, and gives a date when he hopes he can provide more information.

It makes the Fraternity seem cooperative and very above board and gives no reason for a reporter to suspect that anything is being hidden.

So, to review briefly, chapter members should not talk to the media, the media should never be lied to or misled, but rather be cooperative and forthright.

DeltaAlum, excellent points about media relations.

The NBC TV station in Chicago has their version of the story on their web site in the "education" section.

http://www.nbc5.com

Not too much new info, but the report does say that fraternity members say there is no such "tradition," and also say that the photographs and negatives have been destroyed (not, apparently, shown widely around campus).

I did not find any kind of update in the Daily Northwestern today, but here is a link to a couple of letters to the editor:

http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vne.../4018a4a3c0d3e

It is beginning to sound a bit like the student newspaper may have gone just a little overboard publishing possibily unsubstantiated claims by an anonomous young woman -- although it would be natural for an alum or older member (letter number one) to come to the chapters defense. Not knowing anything really about the woman who wrote the second letter, it's hard to react to anything except the face value of her comments.

Two things make me wonder. First, that I could find no followup in today's student paper. If this were that serious, I would expect to find another story with more "facts" if they were available. Second, if the case were as black and white as the first article seemed to indicate, I think that both Northwestern and Delt might have made much stronger statements about suspension.

Of course, the usual disclaimers that this is all total conjecture on my part and the alleged (although it seems to be admitted) taking of the pictures is still totally out of line.

Finally, the fact that the school has not turned the investigation over to law enforcement and hasn't decided, "where this will be adjudicated," adds more questions than answers.

Re: Da article
 

Given the other things that have happened in the interim, let's not rush to judgement just yet. This case doesn't seem to be quite as strong as most we see.

I would definitely agree with you on this point, DA - you guys are doing a fabulous job of handling what could have been a PR nightmare.

I also think this seems fishy. I mean, the girl obviously knew what she was doing, and it seems she consented - when you have sex in the common area of a house, you're going to get busted!

Last night on channel 5 news in Chicago they interviewed a girl on campus and she said that : "this does not reflect the actions of the entire greek system." I thought that was refreshing!

But pretty much everyone in the room with me thought the whole story was nuts. The news basically said she went there to have sex and got caught on camera and was mad about it. It was consensual it seemed.

Letters to the Editor
 

I think the first letter - from a Delt - continues the real sharp DTD response so far.

--------------------------------------------------------

Letters to the Editor

January 29, 2004


Daily coverage of Delt incident will hurt today's brothers, alums

A story in Tuesday's Daily about the suspension of Delta Tau Delta included serious allegations against both current and former members of the fraternity.

An anonymous Communication freshman, recounting an incident between her and a Delt pledge, said, "Some guy is supposed to have sex with the girl up in their library. I do know they have this tradition. I've heard they've done that to several girls in previous years."

Reporter Jerome C. Pandell then wrote that "the tradition took a strange turn" when 20 other fraternity members entered the room and refused to leave while three members took lewd photographs of her.

As told, the incident is no doubt abhorrent. But the story left the impression that the pledge was simply following a custom endorsed by fraternity members past and present.

That is not the case.

I will not deny that consensual sex took place in Delt's chapter room -- not library as reported -- while I was a student. The participants, however, were fulfilling their lust, not some crude fraternal ritual.

Let me be clear: I applaud The Daily for publishing the accuser's version of events, and for doing so anonymously to avoid resulting harassment. But printing an assertion -- based on unverified hearsay -- that the incident resulted from a "tradition" was irresponsible journalism._

In my view the culprits were those who barged into the room and took photos and, if he was in on the plan, the pledge who lured her upstairs. Now, thanks to The Daily, other current and recent Delt members, especially those on the job market, could well suffer from guilt by association.

Ben Winograd

Medill '03

Former Daily staff member

Delta Tau Delta member

Anonymous woman must look at own actions, not blame others

I was positively astonished by your article "Officials examine incident at Delt." I am a woman, I was at Delta Tau Delta that same night and I consider myself to be a strong proponent of women's rights, especially in cases of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Please keep that in mind when I express what I have to say.

The events stated by the female "who asked to remain nameless" are grossly exaggerated.

She says, "I just don't understand how these people were raised." I find it ironic that, at that time, she was engaged in sexual relations with a pledge on a mattress in a commons room that people trafficked in and out of during the night. Pictures should not have been taken, but perhaps she should reflect on her own immodest behavior before pointing fingers at other people.

She also seeks to inform us that this is a tradition. I am a senior and have known and respected the members of that house for the past four years. I might not know their national secret rituals and formal ceremonies, but I know their unofficial chapter traditions passed down from the seniors we looked up to when we first arrived on this campus.

To the freshman: Thank you for educating us of the traditions of this campus -- you must really have a rich knowledge from all the things you've learned over the past three months.

She also claims she wants to remain nameless. Apparently she does not understand how to handle this matter privately, because if she did she would never have granted an interview to The Daily. I would want to be careful about blaming-the-victim syndrome here, but I cannot seem to find the victim. I only see someone who participated in a consensual act in a public place and was caught.

Jacqueline G.

Weinberg senior

Checked the Daily Northwestern again today, and again no follow-up. In a sense of fair play, here is a letter to the editor which takes the opposite view of the second letter above.

"Freshman's morality irrelevant in examining incident at Delt

Despite Jacqueline G's claim in her Thursday letter that she wasn't seeking to "blame the victim," she missed the central issue entirely.

People at Northwestern have sex; this should come as no surprise. The morality of the freshman is by no means relevant to the allegations that numerous fraternity members disrespected her and potentially damaged her NU experience by taking pictures that now could be making the rounds online.

By no means is every member of Delta Tau Delta undeserving of respect, but part of being in a fraternity is that you are a member of a brotherhood, and everyone in the house, guilty or not, will suffer as a result of this.

I applaud the freshman for speaking out. It's scary as hell taking on the wrath of an entire Greek house, but she made the campus aware of her story.

So can you really blame her for not telling the entire campus her name? Her privacy has already been violated enough.

To Delta Tau Delta: If these allegations are true, and it wasn't a ritual and it wasn't planned, then what exactly were your reasons? Because I'm at a loss.

Rachel Feldman

Medill sophomore"


DA Note: The reality is that in the courts -- but more importantly, in the court of public opinion, the young woman's morality will be questioned. Fair or not, that's just the way it is.

ETA Nothing new in the Tribune or WMAQ (NBC Station) either.

Here's something from Tuesday, 2/3:

Investigation of Delt continues; woman has not filed UP report


By Jerome C. Pandell
February 03, 2004



Northwestern's chapter of Delta Tau Delta fraternity remained on temporary suspension Monday as officials continued to investigate an incident that a female Communication freshman says took place Jan. 17.

Kyle Pendleton, NU's associate director for fraternity and sorority life, said Monday that he had no idea when university officials and leaders from Delt's parent organization, the Indianapolis-based Delta Tau Delta International, might complete the investigation.

Assistant Chief Daniel McAleer of University Police told The Daily on Monday that the female Communication freshman has been in contact with UP regarding the incident, which she said took place at the fraternity's chapter house during a floor party.

"We've heard from her, but she's not filed a report," McAleer said.

The Communication freshman told The Daily last week that about 20 Delt members entered the chapter house's library while she was in there alone with a freshman pledge, and the members refused to leave. She said about three or four fraternity members then took lewd photos of her before leaving the room.

In the days following the incident, the Communication freshman said she was told by other students that it is a Delt tradition for a new pledge to have sex with a girl in the fraternity's library.

But some alumni members of the fraternity have said such a tradition does not exist.

Anil Hurkadli, who graduated last spring, described Delt as "low-key and mature" during his four years at NU.

"I've never heard of that tradition before," said Hurkadli, Communication '03. "We never really were into traditions or anything crazy. People may have thought that we were a crazy fraternity house, but it never was like that."

University President Henry Bienen said in a Friday interview that typically only a few people can get a fraternity in trouble and that the "nontrivial number of not-good things" that cause fraternities to be suspended should not be associated with the whole fraternity.

"Almost every year since I've been here, we've had problems somewhere," said Bienen, who added that each fraternity's national parent organization should be more involved in overseeing chapter activities. "Often, the nationals are not, I think, doing all they could to monitor the behavior of their chapters."

"It's important as to whether there is some sort of 'supervision,' and that supervision often can be done by the nationals," he said.

But campus and national fraternity leaders had mixed opinions on whether national involvement could deter violations.

"I think national involvement on a day-to-day (basis) is unlikely to affect these individual incidents," said Interfraternity Council President-elect Mitch Holzrichter, a Weinberg junior. "National organizations can make a difference over the long term in how chapters respond to violations and sanctions."

Holzrichter, who also serves as advertising manager of the Students Publishing Co., which oversees The Daily, said Delt's parent organization, which has dispatched an official to Evanston to help the investigation, has been very involved compared with other suspended fraternities' nationals. Kappa Sigma's national organization first made contact with IFC at a Spring Quarter hearing to remove NU's chapter of Kappa Sig, he said.

McCormick junior Julius Marchwicki, who is outgoing recruitment chairman for Pi Kappa Alpha, NU's only unhoused fraternity chapter, called Pike's parent organization one of the strongest in terms of chapter involvement.

"Every week or so, anyone who holds a leadership position in the house has a meeting with a chapter adviser who is an alumni," said Marchwicki, who added that an adviser also typically attends chapter and pledge meetings.

"I think the type of involvement not only helps in keeping matters of risk at a minimum," he said. "It also helps with everyday activities, such as brotherhood and rush, especially."

Norval B. Stephens Jr., who serves as chairman of the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation, said increased national involvement in a chapter's day-to-day activities would not prevent misconduct, the root cause of which he said is a culture on college campuses that allows students to consume alcohol excessively.

"As the colleges and universities are realizing, they are admitting (students who drink heavily) before we pledge and initiate them," said Stephens, who added that he is not familiar with Delt's suspension. "What we're seeing increasingly across the country is that the alcohol incidents have been not chapter-oriented."

The Daily's Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

Delta Tau Delta Receives Sanctions
 

An update from the Feb. 26 Daily Northwestern

The chapter has received sanctions from the national fraternity as a result of their HQ's investigation. It looks like it's very unlikely that the chapter will be closed.

http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vne.../403db17fad35a

Thanks for posting ExL...

Just back from a week on the road and hadn't checked recently.

Interesting that no sanctions were taken vis a vis the alleged picture incident. I'd sure like to know the whole story -- but we probably never will in order to protect both sides.

It does sound like the victim's allegations were at least discounted.