SAE Involved in Car Accident- Possible Hazing

ZTAngel · #1 10-20-2003, 07:18 PM

(ZTAngel shakes her head)

Hazing suspected in fraternity collision
The Central Florida Future- 10/20/2003
By Ben Baird

Sigma Alpha Epsilon is under investigation for possible hazing following a head-on collision between two pickups early Thursday morning on Aquarius Agora Boulevard.

Fraternity pledges who were in the back of one truck ran from the accident with their hands bound with tape, and at least one was pledge limping, witnesses said.

According to UCF Police, the collision involved two trucks, a Ford F-150 that was carrying members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and a Toyota pickup carrying fraternity pledges.

"I spoke with the driver of the Ford pickup, and he said that he swerved into the oncoming traffic just to play a trick on his pledge brothers, and when he swerved back into his lane his cell phone fell into the floor of his truck," UCF Police Officer George Penvose wrote in his report of the accident. "He said that when he reached down to pick the phone up, he looked back up and realized that he was still in the on-coming traffic lane and that he hit the white Toyota head-on."

"First and foremost, the members that were involved in the accident are all OK," Richard Frucci, the fraternity's UCF chapter president, wrote Friday in an e-mail. He said Dustin Brown, who sustained the most serious injury while riding in the back of the Toyota with three other pledges, was admitted to Orlando Regional Medical Center; Brown has since been released. His nose reportedly was almost severed in the accident.

Witness Tiffany Clark, a resident assistant at Lake Claire Apartments, the on-campus housing complex located behind the SAE fraternity house, told police she saw one of the men in the truck's bed with his hands either taped or tied together. She said the men involved in the accident pulled off their shirts, saying that police would not know they were SAE members if they took off their shirts.

Daniel Collins, another resident assistant at Lake Claire Apartments, told police he saw a man limping away from the accident with his hands duct-taped in front of him. The man asked Collins if he had a way to cut the tape from his hands. Collins said there was a strong smell of alcohol coming from the man.

All the RAs who were witnesses described the collision as "a hazing incident that happened to go wrong," according to the police report. After making their statements to officers, those RAs lead police to a Dumpster where they found a piece of duct tape with human hair on it.

Frucci objected to the police report's portrayal of the events. "There are two major facts that are false in their report and need to be known," Frucci said in his e-mailed statement after declining to be interviewed by the Future over the phone. "No one in the Toyota pickup was subdued or duct-taped in any way. There was absolutely and not at any point alcohol involved."

Frucci also said that, contrary to the police report, there was only one active brother of SAE involved in the accident.

The question of hazing has since been turned over by police to UCF's Office of Student Conduct, which can investigate and impose punishment including expulsion from UCF of those involved.

Greg Mason, director of UCF's Office of Greek Affairs, was out of town and could not be reached. Ryan O'Rourke, president of UCF's Interfraternity Council and a member of SAE, did not respond to interview requests.

The matter is also being reviewed by SAE's national office. "We're investigating right now," said Ryan Weiers, assistant executive director for SAE's Southeast Region, who was contacted by phone Friday at the fraternity's headquarters in Evanston, Ill.

The next step, he said, is to determine whether hazing occurred and, if so, to what degree. Weiers noted that as of Friday afternoon, he had "not determined anything."

Weiers declined to comment on possible disciplinary action. "SAE fraternity does not condone hazing and we take it very seriously," he said. Weiers traveled to UCF from SAE headquarters on Saturday for a previously scheduled event, but said he would be using the time to continue his investigation.

"The chapter does not condone these incidents and wants to reassure the alumni, parents and all others that this was an isolated incident and not the mind set or habits of the chapter," Frucci said.

The1calledTKE · #2 10-20-2003, 07:36 PM

The residents seeing the pledges bound with duct tape will get them busted. Espically after they found some of the duct tape witha human hair. If they try to match is to one of the pledges then they are really in trouble.

CC1GC · #3 10-20-2003, 07:48 PM

Can we save the value-judgements until more information is released? Thanks.

CatStarESP4 · #4 10-21-2003, 03:29 PM

(CatStarESP4's jaw drops and shrugs her shoulders in disbelief! Her eyes are wide open as she reads the article.)

These guys are lucky that no one got killed in the accident and that there were hardly any serious injuries (okay one guy nearly lost his nose). I agree with CC1GC on waiting until further info on the case is released to judge the incident.

LXAAlum · #5 10-21-2003, 04:03 PM

All the RAs who were witnesses described the collision as "a hazing incident that happened to go wrong," according to the police report.

Oxymoron Alert!

Tom Earp · #6 10-21-2003, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LXAAlum
All the RAs who were witnesses described the collision as "a hazing incident that happened to go wrong," according to the police report.

Oxymoron Alert!

Now, My question is,

who are RA's to make a statement that this was true?

If they were All "Pledge Brothers" but one Active, who so deduced that it was Hazing by The Chapter

DeltAlum · #7 10-21-2003, 05:26 PM

OK, innocent until proven guilty. I agree.

But, help me out here. You've got a bunch of guys together who are all actives or pledges of the same fraternity. Some or all of the pledges have their wrists taped together.

After the accident, everyone takes off their letters (shirts) and make the comments quoted in the article.

If I'm the investigator from the Police, University or the Fraternity, what would you (and other witnesses who saw the same thing) tell me to make me believe this is not hazing?

I'm pretty much at a loss. Got a bad feeling these guys are busted.

EM1843 · #8 10-21-2003, 05:29 PM

I'm gonna keep my comments short here because one of my fraternity brothers biological brothers was there that night. From what I've been able to find out it was a hazing incident. This was most definately a dumb thing to do but I was also wondering when this was gonna get on these boards cause I heard about it days ago. We shall see what UCF determines happened but from what I know of the UCF greek system it has some deffinate hazing problems...at least on the fraternity side.

hoosier · #9 10-21-2003, 05:31 PM

I have never been able to take off my shirt after my wife ties my hands together.

ZTAngel · #10 10-21-2003, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hoosier
I have never been able to take off my shirt after my wife ties my hands together.

Oh wow....that was waaaaaay too much information.

sherbertlemons · #11 10-21-2003, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EM1843
I'm gonna keep my comments short here because one of my fraternity brothers biological brothers was there that night. From what I've been able to find out it was a hazing incident. This was most definately a dumb thing to do but I was also wondering when this was gonna get on these boards cause I heard about it days ago. We shall see what UCF determines happened but from what I know of the UCF greek system it has some deffinate hazing problems...at least on the fraternity side.

Um, yeah, I agree. Sororities don't have issues with it, that I know of, but the fraternities (most, maybe not all) definitely do and don't keep it secret.

I was wondering too about when it was gonna hit the boards, but I really didn't want to post it myslef.

ZTAngel · #12 10-21-2003, 06:23 PM

I contemplated posting it. Then one of my sisters told me that it had made national news. At that point I realized everyone was going to find out anyways.

The UCF sororities do not have a problem with hazing. At least none that I have heard of.

The fraternities...well...that's another story. I will say that there are fraternities who have done FAR worse than SAE. The only difference is that SAE got caught.

SAEbrother18 · #13 10-21-2003, 08:56 PM

This WAS an isolated incident by one member who is not even an active member of the fraternity.

But our name as a whole has been dragged through the mud this week with all the media based on a unfactual police report. We have been hounded on our front door by reporters and photographers and even hounded while walking to class. And the worst isnt over. It is Tuesday now, and the Future, Channel 2 and others are seen across campus interviewing Lake Claire residents and snapping pictures of our house for who knows what. Maybe a follow-up.

One UCF Future reporter even spit on our lion in front of the house as he rode off on his bike after being asked to stay off property.

We look horrible right now, in the eyes of parents, students, teachers, alumni, ZTA (our homecoming partner that we can't participate with), and our own national office. Even our own brothers.

For what? One stupid mistake by one individual not affiliated with the school or the fraternity...

But why put us in the media? What about the Kappa Sig pledge who was duct taped to the ADPi lion 2 days earlier. What about the fraternity brawl on Sunday night. What about the girls in the hospital getting their stomaches pumped. Why us?

We are constantly in the spot light and we don't even want to be. We are a high profile fraternity, I guess. Producing leaders that have occupied a president or vice president position in SGA the last 14 or 15 in 30 some odd years. Having more open-house parties and alcohol violations than every other fraternity combined. Maybe we sometimes put ourselves in the spotlight. Who knows?

A pledge in the hospital with severe injuries, and the Future publishes the most apprehensible illustration I have ever seen. Show some compassion. The rest of us were right at his bedside after this incident.

What happened was a tragic accident, caused by an individual. And the rest of us are suffering for it. Morale and zeal at an all time low. Questions and curiousity from the active brothers while the leaders go through meeting after conference call after interview to deal with the situation.

The chapter itself did not do anything wrong. We can't speak for our bad apples. When I was a pledge, I did not do anything that I would not tell my own mother about. Compare that to other fraternities that make them eat straight spaghetti and tobasco sauce and scrub tile floor with their knuckles and bleach. People need to quit judging us as a whole for the mentality and habits of a few.

Thank you to all who have supported us in this rough time, especially ZTA and TKE thank you for your card.

Phi Alpha to all fellow brothers.

Like our Phoenix, our Fraternity will rise again from it's ashes, only to be born again even stronger.

SAEalumnus · #14 10-21-2003, 10:14 PM

There are really a few issues to be considered here.

First, the car accident seems to be a simple matter of inattention on the part of the driver who went fishing for his cell phone. As far as that is concerned, he (or more to the point, his car insurance company) would be responsible for repair of damages to both vehicles and to payment of medical expenses for anyone who was injured. While this was certainly an unfortunate accident, it appears to have been nothing more than exactly that. It is also worth remembering, as was previously mentioned in this thread, that members of the chapter were at the bedside of the hospitalized member.

Second, is the allegation of hazing. As an alumnus of SAE who has interacted extensively with representatives from both SAE's national office and regional governments (during my term as president of my chatper and during my two trips to the national leadership school), I can definitely agree with the claim made by Ryan Weiers that SAE does not condone hazing and will certainly thoroughly investigate the matter and take whatever action in response that it feels is necessary and reasonable.

Third, and finally, the media.... I expect no one here can deny that the media focuses more on increasing ratings through sensationalistic and often biased reporting of "facts" so as to pretend that they are giving the prosecution's closing arguments against the Greek system and its constituent organizations and members. The actions of the news media described by those living on and near that campus is a perfect example of their complete lack of respect, compassion, and professional ethics. The only difference between the mainstream media and the poparazzi (sp?) is that one hides behind the name of a corporation and the other does not.

I hope that this all gets worked out quickly, fairly, and with due consideration for those personally involved. Phi Alpha to my brothers at UCF and good luck!

sherbertlemons · #15 10-22-2003, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SAEbrother18

A pledge in the hospital with severe injuries, and the Future publishes the most apprehensible illustration I have ever seen. Show some compassion. The rest of us were right at his bedside after this incident.

I definitely agree with you- that cartoon in The Future was low. Very low. If it makes you feel any better, I don't know anyone who thinks that The Future is exactly the paragon of journalistic integrity, though.

Quote:

The chapter itself did not do anything wrong. We can't speak for our bad apples. When I was a pledge, I did not do anything that I would not tell my own mother about. Compare that to other fraternities that make them eat straight spaghetti and tobasco sauce and scrub tile floor with their knuckles and bleach. People need to quit judging us as a whole for the mentality and habits of a few.

Really, that's the challenge all Greek orgs face, though, isn't it? I mean, we can cry about that all we want to, but we will always be judged by the actions of a few. It'll never change. That especially applies when that few is playing right into the hands of people who hate Greeks.

I really hope that this gets resolved quickly and fairly. How is your brother that was injured doing?