SPE suspends W&L Chapter
 

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

W&L fraternity suspended

___The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at Washington and Lee University has been suspended for three years by its own national board.

___ In a letter to parents of the 40 chapter members, the Richmond-based organization cited alleged alcohol abuse, "questionable membership activities" and "regular disdain and combative relations" with its alumni, volunteers and headquarters staff. The chapter also failed to correct a slipping grade point average, the letter said.

___ The fraternity's behavior failed to improve despite intervention by its headquarters and its housing corporation, a group of alumni who manage the chapter's business and household affairs.

___ The fraternity did nothing that violated W&L's policy against hazing pledges, according to outgoing W&L Dean of Students David Howison.

___ Underclassmen who lived in the university-owned fraternity house will be housed in a dorm when they return for school in the fall, Howison said. Upperclassmen can move into a dorm or reside off campus.

___ Sigma Phi Epsilon is the fourth W&L fraternity to be suspended in Howison's 13 years at the school, but the first to be shut down by its own national headquarters.

This is the news of the summer at my school. Totally came out of the blue--they're a great chapter.

Two comments:

1. Who in the world closes a chapter in the middle of the summer??? I mean how are they going to be sure everyone is notified? Soooooo bogus....

2. This may be the first time I've heard "disdain" used as a reason for closing a chapter. Sounds like some asses are unhappy that they weren't getting kissed.

That's pretty much it.

The theory is that the house mother that they fired at the end of the school year ratted to nationals about something random.

May be another reason we never had a House mother!:)

There had to be something more than that to Have Your Oen National Yank Your Charter!:confused: