Police arrest fraternity president

[moe.ron]

If you are an officer of a chapter, you maybe criminally liable for your chapter's action.

Police arrest fraternity president
By Domingo Ramirez Jr.
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DENTON - Michael Ramsey began the night of Oct. 11 in a Sigma Alpha Epsilon ritual called Big Brother Night, in which he and other pledges were instructed to consume a keg of beer in an hour.

Ramsey, 18, wound up unconscious near a trash can on Oak Street, wearing pink panties and a Denton Ryan High School Raider drill team outfit.

The episode, outlined in the affidavits released Wednesday by University of North Texas police, led to arrest warrants issued Monday for six members of the fraternity. All are accused of providing alcohol to a minor on Oct. 11.

The fraternity chapter's president, Korey Joe Stamp, 21, walked into the UNT police station about 6 a.m. Wednesday. Stamp, of Carrollton, was in the Denton County Jail on Wednesday on suspicion of furnishing alcohol to a minor, a Class A misdemeanor.

Stamp was expected to be released on $500 bail about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

The other five fraternity members, who also were officers in the fraternity, are expected to surrender, university police said.

The incident prompted the university and the national fraternity to suspend the UNT chapter.

Ramsey, of Grapevine, could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

The affidavits gave this account of the case:

Ramsey and other pledges were told to arrive at the fraternity house about 9 a.m. Oct. 11. The pledges were divided into groups and escorted to the home of a fraternity member, where they were ordered to drink.

Hours later, Ramsey was taken to the apartment of an unidentified woman after he became "very intoxicated." At the apartment, he was made to put on the panties and the drill team outfit.

UNT police Sgt. Laurie Crain found Ramsey unconscious about 1 a.m. Oct. 12 in the 1700 block of Oak Street.

Ramsey was taken to Denton Community Hospital, where he was treated and released.

Ramsey told UNT police that he could not remember how he ended up near the trash can. His blood alcohol level was 0.291. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08.

After being treated at the Denton hospital, Ramsey was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.

Stamp and the other five fraternity members told police that they were aware that alcohol was made available to pledges and that the pledges were under the legal age, according to the affidavits.

If convicted, each of the six faces a maximum of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

No additional charges are expected, said Deputy Chief Ed Reynolds of the UNT police.

The students are also under administrative investigation by the university, UNT police said. University officials said they could not discuss their investigation.

Generally, any student found to have violated conduct policies could receive a written warning or be expelled.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the sixth UNT fraternity suspended in connection with drinking or hazing incidents since April 2000.

The others are Alpha Phi Alpha, Sigma Lambda Beta, Lambda Chi Alpha, the Kappa Alpha Order and Theta Chi, university officials said.

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