KA Omicron chapter exonerated
 

KA National Office lifts suspension of UT at Austin chapter

(Lexington, VA.- February 14, 2003) - Officials at the Kappa Alpha Order National Administrative Office announced today they have completed an investigation of recent parties at Omicron Chapter at the University of Texas at Austin. According to an article in The Daily Texan, the university newspaper, some guests at the party may have been attired in racially insensitive shirts.

After meeting with members of the chapter and university officials, Kappa Alpha Order concluded that no laws or customs of the Order had been violated.

“The events held at the chapter house were not intended to be offensive,” said Larry S. Wiese, Executive Director. “If any mistake was made by the chapter, it was by not asking those guests who chose to wear possibly objectionable clothing to leave.”
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A question to those who referred to this group as "a bunch of idiots", etc, etc, etc..........

Has your opinion changed? Or are they still guilty until proven innocent--and they'll never be innocent?

I reiterate: when accusations against GLOS for whatever reason, be it racial insensitivity, hazing, or any other bad conduct start flying around, it does more for Greek unity to withhold judgement until the facts are in.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)

I do think there should have been SOME punishment, as what people wear and how they behave at functions associated with our GLOs does influence the public opinion of the group. The members of this chapter should have been responsible enough to kick out the people wearing inappropriate clothing. Still, I don't think that the punishment should be too harsh if it wasn't members of KA who were participating in the offensive behavior.

I'll stand on my position that people should not ever be punished for being offensive -- at least by a regulatory group. They should be given the chance to apologize and make things right. If they don't want to that's their own business. If KA didn't like it they'd do something about it and they are the ONLY people that should be able to do that -- unless you have grass roots protesting, etc.

I agree. Being a minority, I am no fan of racially insensitive actions of any kind but people have a right to think, feel and act as they please in their own fraternity. Thats the bottom line. Even if the whole rest of thew world doesn't agree, they have that right

something we've got to keep in mind -- these are 18 - 21 year olds we're talking about. They make mistakes. They DEFINATELY need to learn from them, but the punishment should be different than it'd be for 50 year olds committing the same act.

If it were a 50 year old committing the same act no one would do ANYTHING to them if no actual crime was committed in the process. The only answers we can find for punishment for fraternity men when they do something as stupid is this will come from their own HQ. If public, a university cannot infringe upon your free speech no matter how offensive and stupid it may be.