Damage to Resort, Alpha Tau Omega to Pay (U. of Missouri)
 

The type of trash-the-place actions described in this particular Associated Press article (see below) tend to come up several times a year at resorts, campgrounds, etc. Sometimes we see GC posts commenting that the owners of the resort or whatever should have known better than to rent to college students / Greeks. Maybe so. In this specific instance one could mention that the $10,000 or maybe more might have done more good as a donation to a philanthropy, scholarship fund – you name it. Not my call, though.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/new...7?OpenDocument

Excerpts:

Associated Press

Fraternity members from the University of Missouri-Columbia left thousands of dollars of damage at a resort on the Lake of the Ozarks after a wild party during the weekend.
The damage estimate was at least $10,000 and was expected to rise . . . .
The damage was done by . . . members of the Alpha Tau Omega's Gamma Rho Chapter, according to a report filed with the . . . Sheriff's Department. The report said furniture, lamps and tables, barbecue grills and chairs were destroyed or thrown in the lake.
. . . Three officers of the chapter have said the chapter would pay for the damages. No arrests were made.

Edited to add: A longer article is in the November 14 issue of the Columbia (MO) local paper:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/2006/...114News002.asp

$10,000 is probably a threshold figure for determining what kind of filing fee to pay. In Oklahoma, there is a different (higher) filing fee for suit above $10,000 (you don't have to lay out the specific amount of relief requested on the initial pleading) and below.

This lawsuit could be shooting for $100,000, but the petition would only have to say that the plaintiff seeks in excess of $10,000 if Missouri law is anything like Oklahoma law (and the facts seem to indicate that they are similar).

Knowing the ATO boys at my school (Mizzou) I can't say I'm terribly surprised (they are a pretty rowdy bunch :) ), but honestly they're not the only fraternity there that would do something like this. I hope the matter gets resolved quickly and they learn from this mistake (one can hope, right?).

When I was an undergrad at my first school, I went to several formals of my then boyfriend's fraternity, two of which were held at an oceanside resort. After the second one, they were never invited back, due to an icident involving several golf carts, natural (protected) sand dunes, and "gross misuse of resort facilities". One of the brother's very financially secure fathers quickly made the situation disappear; charges were never filed, and the resort was well compensated above the estimated $16k in property damage.

This was in the very early 90s, though, and things were excused as "boys will be boys". Times sure have changed. Or have they?

How Stupid can people even Greeks Be?:mad:

I do not care if ATO's are mischevious boys. They are ignorant and dumb asses.

Fun to them and costly for the people who own the resorts.

Prosecute them to the fullest. I am sure they or the others that follow will not be allowed to return.

Edited to add, probably no other Greeks either.

I know the Ozarks very well.!

These people do not appreciate this type of thing and it will be passed along!

Good Luck ATO and anyother Greek Organization for screwing it up for all of us!

'Spice;
I have to agree with you based upon my own chapter. They did something very much like this while already on double-secret probation. Was the very last straw....:mad: :(

Update Nov. 16: More details and reports about investigations of the party and damage:

http://columbiamissourian.com/news/story.php?ID=22893

From the report, file charges against them.

De-Charter Them and do it soon!

It was stupid and ignorant!

This cost the people Money, Time, and Lost Revenue!

These are supposed to be Men?:mad:

Screw Them, They Desearve It!

Update Nov. 28 '06


News of developments in the situation are in the U. of Missouri student paper -- the school and ATO HQ are both still investigating:

http://www.themaneater.com/article.php?id=25507


Excerpts from article:

ATO Chief Executive Wynn Smiley said the national chapter is penalizing the individuals involved rather than the fraternity as a whole.

“The damage was done by a handful of upperclassmen, not the group as a whole,” Smiley said. “These individuals are going through the judicial process and will most likely be expelled from ATO.”

ATO’s Board of Trustees will make the final decision about how each individual is dealt with.

Smiley said that according to his knowledge, the members responsible for the damages have already paid . . . [the resort's owner] back.

I think it was pretty crappy of him to say that these kids would "probably be expelled." It sounds like they have their minds made up. Why bother with judicial proceedings?