University of Toledo Student Sues Over Hazing
(Toledo, OH)
A University of Toledo student is suing her sorority and school claiming she was paddled and forced to do demeaning things as part of her initiation.
The lawsuit brings back the issue of hazing on campus. How bad is it at the university? Officials admit that it's bad enough that the university kicked a fraternity and a sorority off campus in the last decade.
It's quiet on campus this week, including in the Greek Village, home to 14 of UT's 30 fraternities and sororities, because it's spring break. But this hazing lawsuit may have students buzzing when they get back.
Thirty years ago, the cult classic film "Animal House" poked fun at hazing rituals on college campuses, including paddling new recruits. In one scene, a recruit can be heard saying, "Thank you sir; may I have another?"
But times have changed since then, and so has the tolerance for hazing rituals like the one in the movie. In fact, the University of Toledo now has a zero tolerance policy against hazing.
"Any organization found to have hazed a member, typically in the past we have disbanded the organization from the university, removed them from being part of the university," says Lori Edgeworth, UT's Director of Student Judicial Affairs and Greek Life.
UT student Jonetta Reed filed a lawsuit against her sorority Sigma Gamma Rho, its national leaders, and even university president Dan Johnson.
Reed claims two sorority sisters paddled her as part of her initiation last March. Reed also contends she suffered "emotional abuse," because she was "kept awake long hours" on purpose, "forced to do maid services and run errands," and was subjected to "vulgar and demeaning" insults - all because she wanted to join the African-American social sorority.
Reed wants more than $200,000 damages, claiming she was "bruised and suffered internal bleeding" and had to receive "emergency medical attention" all from a hazing ritual that left her "humiliated and intimidated."
Reed and her lawyers refused comment, but the lawsuit claims she complained to national Sigma Gamma Rho leaders, who did nothing about it.
University officials say they were never notified of the accusations until the lawsuit was filed.
"Not that I'm aware of as director of judicial affairs, no complaint was ever brought to my office," says Edgeworth.
Edgeworth says the lawsuit will trigger an investigation by her office, and she intends to call in campus police to help.
UT's hazing policy clearly bans typical hazing incidents like preventing recruits from "having at least six hours sleep in any 24-hour period," "causing excess fatigue, mental and physical," "paddling," or "acts which would cause discomfort, pain, fright, disgrace, injury, or degradation."
If the lawsuit claims are true, the sorority and some of its members directly violated at least three parts of the policy. As a result, Edgeworth says the sorority could get kicked off campus, members could be disciplined up to expulsion from school, and face possible criminal charges.
University of Toledo President Dan Johnson declined comment on the lawsuit through a spokesman, and calls to the national headquarters of Sigma Gamma Rho were not returned.
Kevin Milliken 03/09/2005
http://www.onnnews.com/Global/story....7&nav=LQlCXKBl
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