Blackface Students re-instated at AUburn

Swamp Thang · #1 11-27-2001, 11:16 AM

More From Today's Birmingham News News

Judge orders 10 Auburn frat members reinstated 11/24/01

BENJAMIN NIOLET and ADAM GOLDMAN News staff writers

A judge Wednesday ordered Auburn University to reinstate 10 white Beta Theta Pi fraternity members suspended for wearing blackface and racially offensive costumes at a Halloween party. Lee County Circuit Court Judge Robert Harper's ruled at a hearing Wednesday after the Auburn University chapter sued the university, several administrators and the fraternity's national office. Harper, however, did not grant a request to bar the university from pursuing further discipline, including expulsions. The chapter president of Delta Sigma Phi, which was suspended from the school for similar antics, said Wednesday night that his fraternity plans to go to court as well. Matt Furin said the chapter wants its five suspended members reinstated and their fraternity restored to campus. "We are taking legal action," he said. Auburn interim president William Walker suspended 15 members of the traditionally white fraternities after pictures of members at separate Halloween parties were posted on the Internet. The pictures showed members wearing blackface and dressed as Ku Klux Klan members. Some of the photos portrayed mock lynchings. The university and the national offices of the fraternities closed the Auburn chapters last week. Lawyers for both the Beta chapter and the university declined comment Wednesday night. The lawsuit, which seeks $300 million in compensatory and punitive damages, names Walker, the Auburn University Board of Trustees, Auburn's director of student affairs Wes Williams, and Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, claims that Auburn officials and the national office of the fraternity violated the students' constitutional and civil rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of association and privacy guaranteed by the First and 14th Amendments. The Betas also claim the university's standards on student conduct, primarily dealing with racial issues, are unconstitutionally vague and cannot be enforced. They say university officials defamed them by identifying them as racists. The chapter claims university officials had ulterior motives for suspending the students and kicking the chapter off campus. The suit said university officials used the incident to defend their failure to meet court-required minority recruitment. Reached at home Wednesday night, Walker said he was pleased with the disciplinary steps the university had taken, but declined to discuss the court action. Williams, the Auburn vice president for student affairs, said Wednesday, "I think they have the right to go to the courts. I'm disappointed that this has been elevated to the courts. I thought we could work it out." The Beta chapter was founded in 1964 by Edward Taylor, 79, who said Wednesday he and the suspended members felt helpless and wronged by the university's decision. "I feel like we got a raw deal in having the chapter suspend us," the Auburn resident said of the chapter and the students. "We weren't able to do anything about it." News staff writer Tom Gordon and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Swamp Thang 4 Cards / 20 Pearls / Gold Boots

PositivelyAKA · #2 11-27-2001, 01:34 PM

these folks really felt good about what they did and now they are trying to sue the University. perhaps if they had to go fight in the middle east or have a relative die in the wtc or of anthrax they would have deeper and more constructive things to do. i doubt any of them would deny medical treatment from a black Dr. who happens to be a Que, if it were a life or death situation. some people are just so simple. if we allow people to insult/degrade others we only validate their ideas which generally will lead them to actions unthinkable.

darling1 · #3 11-27-2001, 03:20 PM

WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERIKKKA!!!!!

sphinxpoet · #4 11-27-2001, 03:45 PM

I knew they could be succesful in a appeal for one strong reason. They can claim that the university did not provide them with due process. That is part of the reason the judge did not shield them from furhter sanctions. More importantly if they are succesful in suing their frats(winning) then we as Greek Lettered orgs(all) have a problem because it means our ability to suspended and sanction can be undermineded by the court System.

Sphinxpoet

Swamp Thang · #5 11-27-2001, 04:29 PM

I just talked to my DR. The Bruhs are problably going to sue Delta Sigma Phi and Beta Theta Pi for defamation of charicter.. (funny how they wanna sue Auburn for Defamation of charicter because Auburn used the term Racist in suspending them) They aren't agents of Omega Psi Phi, so they had no permission to wear/use our letters. The Omega Legal Team will now kick in... But you know the old adage... He who sues 1st.... and they sued 1st..

So, now the postering and what not will go to the courts in earnest.

Let's sit back and see how everything comes out... let the justice system run it's course.

ClassyLady · #6 11-27-2001, 04:55 PM

There are two lawyers in my family, so it pains me to say this. Sometimes the American justice system makes me want to round up all of the lawyers and just . . . . well, that's too graphic for such a friendly forum. But sometimes, I just want to hurt them.

It never ceases to amaze me how someone can do something that's just dead wrong, then hire a lawyer and turn themselves into the victim.

"I know that I killed 37 people but I only did it because I watched cartoons as a kid and I was the victim of television violence."

"I know that I dressed up as a black man and got one of my friends to pretend to lynch me, then took pictures and posted them on the internet but I'm not wrong because my school called me a racist, so now I'm the victim of my own crime."

AKA2D '91 · #7 11-27-2001, 05:12 PM

I know everyone out there in cyberspace is NOT surprised!

darling1 · #8 11-27-2001, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Swamp Thang
I just talked to my DR. The Bruhs are problably going to sue Delta Sigma Phi and Beta Theta Pi for defamation of charicter.. (funny how they wanna sue Auburn for Defamation of charicter because Auburn used the term Racist in suspending them) They aren't agents of Omega Psi Phi, so they had no permission to wear/use our letters. The Omega Legal Team will now kick in... But you know the old adage... He who sues 1st.... and they sued 1st..

So, now the postering and what not will go to the courts in earnest.

Let's sit back and see how everything comes out... let the justice system run it's course.

Amen!!!! I pray that your organization gets justice!!!!

AKAtude · #9 11-27-2001, 09:52 PM

Yeah, I hope Omega sues them for $300 million, but I wasn't surprised either.

Steeltrap · #10 11-28-2001, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Swamp Thang
I just talked to my DR. The Bruhs are problably going to sue Delta Sigma Phi and Beta Theta Pi for defamation of charicter.. (funny how they wanna sue Auburn for Defamation of charicter because Auburn used the term Racist in suspending them) They aren't agents of Omega Psi Phi, so they had no permission to wear/use our letters. The Omega Legal Team will now kick in... But you know the old adage... He who sues 1st.... and they sued 1st..

So, now the postering and what not will go to the courts in earnest.

Let's sit back and see how everything comes out... let the justice system run it's course.

This will be interesting to watch as your case goes through the court. And I hope that the message that is sent is that people need to think.

I also read a bizarre article in the Chronicle on Higher Education where the father of one of the suspended Betas(a lawyer) actually said that these c&%$@ did the blackface as a "tribute."

Idiocy is truly alive and well in 2001.

Sugar_N_Spice · #11 11-29-2001, 05:11 PM

If the University was ordered to reinstate them, then why didn't the Judge bar the University from expelling them?? Does this mean that they have to have a hearing to expell them ("due process")?? This doesn't make any sense to me--people sue for any and everthing these days..

Many chapters get kicked off campuses for various reasons, w/out suing the Universities...I could see if they were "inoocent" and did nothing wrong, but PICTURES are available of them, so they can't deny anything...

Well, I hope Omega Psi Phi gets justice...