ATO at the Univ. of Memphis got suspended for 1 year
From the Daily Helmsman:
Local Greek chapter breaks rules for rush
ATO suspended for 1 year
by Jennifer Halman
Staff Reporter
September 27, 2005
The Interfraternity Council sentenced Alpha Tau Omega, better known as ATO, to a one-year suspension for breaking a cardinal rule of recruitment.
The chapter was accused and found guilty of providing alcohol to rushees during recruitment week.
ATO plans to appeal.
Until then, the chapter will remain active. If the appeal process still finds ATO guilty, the suspension will start immediately.
“I think we have a very solid case for an appeal. At our hearing, we provided plenty of evidence to prove this was not an ATO party,” said ATO president Jason Piyavunno. “The verdict of this hearing was unfair in that this party was in no relation to ATO or rush.
“These guys throw parties constantly and were in no way asked to do so by an ATO,” Piyavunno said. “It is impossible to regulate the parties these guys throw at their own home.”
IFC held formal recruitment the week of Sept. 13. Every day of recruitment, the potential new members visited each fraternity house to decide which frat they wanted to join. The last day of recruitment, or preference night, was the final chance a young man had to decide which group he wanted to join. Once preference night is over, the potential new members were supposed to leave. The next day, which is bid day, the young men were to find out which fraternity they were invited to pledge.
Preference night ended Friday, Sept. 17, at around 9:30 p.m. A party was held about two hours later at 3841 Spottswood, the address of an ATO alumnus. Another ATO alumnus came to the party. Later, several rushees arrived at the house.
Since rushees and ATO alumni were at the same party where alcohol was distributed, chaos arose.
“The ATO alumni present at the party are not allowed to be at our house or any of our events, especially rush,” Piyavunno said. “Yes, they have alum status. However, they are cut off from ATO matters. They wouldn’t recognize a rushee if they saw one,” he said. “Technically, they will not be recognized as active alumni until they graduate.”
Some members of other fraternities were concerned that members of ATO were dirty rushing, or trying to persuade rushees to join their fraternity. Since so many men were concerned, they took it upon themselves to call Jonathon Lemmons, the president of IFC, and Whitney Rice, U of M Greek affairs adviser.
Once Lemmons and Rice were notified, Lemmons went to the party to see if ATO was breaking any rules. He recognized that rushees and ATOs were there and demanded the party be shut down.
Two rushees, who wish to remain nameless, said they attended the party. They said they had no idea that any ATOs were there.
“We were just looking for something to do,” one said.
The two men said they were not invited by any ATOs. They noticed there was a party and decided to go.
The two nameless witnesses said they did not overhear any conversation about recruitment. One of the men had not visited the ATO house all week. He was not interested in joining that particular fraternity because he already knew in which he would feel most comfortable.
After IFC found out about the party, they prohibited ATO from having a bid day. ATO could accept their new pledges, but could not speak to them on bid day.
After days of review, IFC held a hearing Sept. 22. The allegations were announced and witnesses testified. ATO and IFC had a chance to state their positions.
One witness for ATO testified he did not attend The U of M, and it was his idea to host the party. He lived at the house and said they have parties at least four times a month. To his knowledge, he said, this party was no different from any other.
One witness for IFC said he heard about the party. He went to the house, but the party was already breaking up.
IFC declined to comment on these matters.
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