SPE-Wake gone; but the pig is happy

[hoosier]

Wed, May 8, 2002
WFU suspends frat for 3 years
Sigma Phi Epsilon members are cited for incident with pig

By Michael Biesecker
JOURNAL REPORTER


Wake Forest University officials have suspended the local Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter for three years after 23 fraternity members were cited for animal cruelty involving a raucous party that featured a live pig.

The suspension came after a hearing last week before the dean of student services and an advisory panel of university faculty members, students and staff.

"The university considers this a substantial punishment," said Kevin Cox, a spokesman for Wake Forest. "This will essentially take them out of campus Greek life. They won't be able to have any parties or sponsor any social events."

Forsyth County Animal Control officers cited 23 fraternity members with abandoning a pig, a misdemeanor under the state's animal-cruelty laws. Of the 23 members, 21 were also cited for allowing livestock to run at large, also a misdemeanor.

The charges came after a party April 20 held by the fraternity under a rented picnic shelter at Tanglewood Park. The hog was found the next morning in some nearby woods - dehydrated, burned from exposure to heat lamps or the sun, and unable to stand. Park officials said that the pig was drunk.

University officials said in a written release yesterday that the party, which had a "redneck" theme, was held without the school's authorization or supervision.

If the individual fraternity members are found guilty of the offenses in court, Wake Forest might take further disciplinary action. The students are scheduled to appear in court May 9.

During the suspension, the fraternity will not function as an organization at Wake Forest and will forfeit the residence-hall lounge on campus it uses for fraternity activities. Members residing around the lounge may be reassigned to other campus residence halls.

Wake Forest now officially considers the fraternity a "probationary group." Members will be allowed to meet exclusively for the purposes of rehabilitation, community service and education according to conditions established and supervised by the university.

Any violation of Wake Forest rules during the suspension will result in permanent loss of the fraternity's charter, university officials said yesterday.

The fraternity will be able to apply for reactivation for the 2004-2005 academic year. By that time, many of the current members are likely to have graduated.

University officials said yesterday that an educational program would be established for the fraternity that will deal with a wide range of subjects, including organizational ethics, alcohol abuse and the ethical treatment of animals. The students also will be required to complete community service specifically related to the care, ethical treatment and protection of animals.

Sigma Phi Epsilon's national headquarters in Richmond has also suspended the local chapter's charter pending its own investigation.

The nearly 200-pound hog, which has been named "Famous Amos" by animal-shelter employees after the national media attention garnered by the case, has recovered from its ordeal. Barbara Cassidy, the director of Forsyth animal control, said that the pig would probably be placed for adoption within the next month.

"He's doing superb," Cassidy said. "He looks really happy, especially considering how he was when he came in. Several people have expressed interest in adopting him as a pet, and we will find him a really good home."

[hoosier]

Fri, May. 10, 2002

Frat president's attorney once accused of animal cruelty

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The attorney for a fraternity president, one of 23 Wake Forest University students accused of mistreating a pig at a party, once was accused of animal cruelty for castrating his dog at home.

Nate Pendley was tried for animal cruelty in 1995 after performing an at-home castration on his dog. He was found innocent after a judge ruled that the procedure was not considered willful, unjustifiable abuse under state law. Pendley told the judge hearing his case that he castrated his 40-pound mutt to try to make him less aggressive after the dog snapped at a child and bitten the clothes of two other people.

After a hearing Thursday, a security guard who was supposed to testify said Pendley asked him to say a particular student wasn't at the party.

That occurred Thursday, when the case against the students was postponed until Sept. 5. Their attorneys said the students were unable to attend because it is exam week at the university.

Pendley, representing fraternity president Andrew G. Smith, said he wanted to proceed with the case Thursday. Judge Laurie Hutchins denied the request after the district attorney said all the students should be tried together at the later date.

Forsyth County Animal Control officers cited 23 fraternity members with abandoning a pig, a misdemeanor under the state's animal-cruelty laws. Of the 23 members, 21 were also cited with the misdemeanor of allowing livestock to run at large.

The charges came after a April 20 party held by the fraternity under a rented picnic shelter at Tanglewood Park. The hog was found the next morning in nearby woods, dehydrated and unable to stand. Park officials said that the pig was drunk. The hog is in the custody of county animal control officers.

This week, Wake Forest suspended the fraternity's charter for three years and said that the students may face further disciplinary action depending on the outcome of their criminal cases.

Both the national fraternity and the school have suspended the WFU chapter. Craig Templeton, Sigma Phi Epsilon's executive director, said Friday he was pleased the students had been given the chance to finish their exams.

"We're working with the university to map out where we go from here," he said Friday.

After the hearing, Pendley said the students never gave the pig anything to drink. "If that pig was drunk it's because Barbara Cassidy got it drunk," Pendley said, referring to the director of Forsyth County Animal Control.

On Friday, Pendley disputed the wording of the remark and said he had made it as a joke. He also said he did not believe the pig was drunk.

"It was never intended as a serious allegation," Pendley said. "It was simply lampooning the situation."

Cassidy rejected Pendley's claim.

"That's utterly absurd. There's probably not much more I can say about it," she said Friday.

And Templeton said he had seen no evidence that Cassidy was involved with the pig's condition. "In talking to her and the students, we haven't seen any reason to believe that she did anything," he said. "I haven't seen anything to lead me to believe any of those statements."

He pointed out that Pendley represents an individual fraternity member and not the fraternity.

During the hearing Thursday, a security guard from Tanglewood set to testify in the case told Hutchins that he had been approached by a lawyer outside the courtroom and that the man had tried to get him to say that he had never seen a particular student who was at the party.

"I told him that I would tell nothing but the truth," said Steve Greenlee, a guard with Budd Security Services who works at Tanglewood. "When I did, the man started yelling at me."

A few moments later, Pendley entered the courtroom and Greenlee identified him as the lawyer who had approached him. Pendley later said that he had talked to Greenlee, but that it was the security guard who got agitated.

"The man seemed to think it was wrong for him to discuss the case with a defense attorney," Pendley said.