U of Maryland SAE -- Hazing Charges Expected Next Week

[exlurker]

The Oct. 14 Diamondback reports that the U. of Maryland chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon will be charged with hazing. This follows up on "cease-and-desist" actions and investigations by the university and Sigma Alpha Epsilon national.

Story:

http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamo.../14/news1.html

[exlurker]

Sigma Alpha Epsilon HQ has revoked the charter of its U. of Maryland chapter, and the university has de-recognized it. Men living in the house have to move out by Oct 29. The hazing and alcohol violations are mentioned in the story in the Oct. 22 Diamondback

http://www.informumd.edu/News/Diamon.../22/news1.html

Now, as to the usual "when will they learn" mantra -- evidently in this instance, never; the chapter, according to the article, had been warned, had attention from SAE national, and was clearly being scrutinized by the university. So "personal servitude," underage drinking, "line-ups," and other nonsense for the pledges this fall would seem to be a lot less than rational and far beyond "one little mistake."

Too bad; apparently at one time in the past the chapter was one of SAE's best.

[hoosier]

Since your link doesn't appear to work any longer, I'll post this Batl. Sun article, which includes a report of a member's death in 2001.

-----------
UM fraternity's charter revoked after investigation of hazing
Sigma Alpha Epsilon was on probation over alcohol

By Justin Fenton
Sun Staff
Originally published October 24, 2004

A troubled fraternity at the University of Maryland, College Park had its national charter revoked last week and its members were ordered to leave their house on Fraternity Row by Friday because of hazing and underage-drinking incidents.

Members of the university's Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter were suspended from the fraternity after a member filed a complaint with the university's Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life that triggered an investigation into hazing allegations, the Diamondback student newspaper reported Friday.

"The national organization conducted their own investigation and removed the charter, and once they removed the charter, the university then worked with the national to try and identify what would happen from there," Matt Supple, UM's assistant director of fraternity and sorority life, said yesterday.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which has been recognized by the university since 1943, has had a string of problems, most notably the death of member Alexander Klochkoff, who was found unconscious on the fraternity's porch in September 2001.

The fraternity was placed on a four-year probation in April for alcohol violations and destruction of property. Violations in 2000 and 2001 also resulted in periods of probation with the warning that further violations would result in revocation of university recognition.

According to a report compiled by the university's Department of Judicial Programs, pledges reported being hazed this fall in "lineups" during which they were brought into dark rooms with music blaring, where 15 to 20 fraternity members shouted at them, shoved them, and required them to assume various physically demanding positions.

The university has an anti-hazing policy. Students found guilty are subject to suspension or expulsion from the university and, in the case of student groups, denial of recognition from the university. State law also prohibits hazing.

Copyright © 2004, The Baltimore Sun

[AGDee]

It is clear that there have been significant problems on this campus, outside of SAE also. The first article link works and this is from that one:

The incident is not the first of controversies to hit the Greek community. Last December, an 18-year-old female student told police a man raped her at the SAE fraternity house, located at 4 Fraternity Row, but later decided not to press charges.

Alexander Klochkoff, a 20-year-old university student and member of SAE, was found unconscious on the fraternity's porch Sept. 5, 2001, and was later pronounced dead. Club drug gamma hydroxybutrate, or GHB, was listed as a contributing factor in his death, according to the medical report.

Phi Sigma Kappa pledge Daniel Reardon was found unconscious outside the fraternity's house Feb. 8, 2002 and died a week later. Reports that hazing contributed to the student's death were not confirmed; however, new chapter members were in a room of the fraternity's former house at 7 Fraternity Row drinking bourbon the night before Reardon was found.

In 2002, Dave Westol, a former fraternity hazer and current advocate against hazing, spoke to several hundred members of the Greek community using hypothetical examples to show how hazing can lead - and in some cases has led - to death.


So, no, they don't learn. The U of Mich article posted in this forum illustrates this too. They had deaths two years in a row, are trying to to fight the administration on imposed regulations about having a house mother in every house, deferred recruitment and alcohol free housing, yet at the same time, they continue to haze and break the rules. How do they expect to convince anybody that they deserve respect and autonomy if they can't obey the law?

Dee

[hoosier]

I think this sucks - not that the chapter is thrown out, but that the members are eligible for other university housing.

And no refund?

I hope the SAEs get lawyer.


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Oct 25, 2004
Closing time on No. 4 Frat Row
Booted Sigma Alpha Epsilon members find themselves in tight quarters
By Hadass Kogan
Staff writer


When Jesse Rothman and Chris Jennings move out of their room inside 4 Fraternity Row Friday, it won't be the last time they share a living space. In fact, the two former Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members plan to spend the rest of the semester in close quarters.

"We are going to be sleeping together on a couch," Jennings said.

Jennings and Rothman are two of 27 former members of the university chapter scrambling to find housing after a national charter revocation last week disbanded the organization on the campus. Officials told residents they must vacate the house by Friday and won't be allowed to live in any university-sponsored housing as a result of the expulsion.

A complaint filed by a fraternity member led to an investigation including interviews with at least eight fraternity members. The organization was charged with violating the university's hazing and alcohol policies, including forcing pledges to drink underage, clean the house and participate in late-night lineups in the house basement during which brothers screamed at and pushed them. Pledges were also forced to reveal embarrassing experiences while under the influence at a Sigma Alpha Epsilon-sponsored party with a sorority.

As a result, the house on Fraternity Row no longer belongs to the organization, nor does the university recognize the chapter as an official student group. The event could hurt the national organization's attempt for reinstatement in 2008.

Many house residents still do not know where they will live after Friday. Some said they are considering moving back home and commuting to school for the rest of the semester. Another three have signed a lease to live in an apartment on Knox Road.

With almost $4,000 worth of housing and meal fees lost without refund, many say they cannot afford the financial burden of signing another lease this year, much less the inconvenience of searching for an off-campus home midsemester.

Rothman said he will pack up his room this week and spend his birthday driving a carload of possessions back to his home in New York before moving onto a friend's couch.

And he and new couchmate Jennings consider themselves lucky.

"A lot of kids still don't know where they are living," Jennings said. "We are lucky we found people to look out for us."

Nick Ziegler, spokesman for the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon office, said residents are being assisted in their searches for alternative housing options, a claim that many denied.

"That's bulls---," Jennings said. "Absolute bulls---."

He said only four residents boarding inside the house - with no affiliation to the fraternity - received help coordinating living arrangements. The boarders were given priority for on-campus housing, said Mike Hayes, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. ÿÿ

[Lil' Hannah]

Originally posted by hoosier
I think this sucks - not that the chapter is thrown out, but that the members are eligible for other university housing.

And no refund?

I hope the SAEs get lawyer.

The same thing happened when Phi Sigma Kappa was disbanded.

[Tom Earp]

While it may sound unfair, this seems to be something that has been boiling for some time.
"IF" this had been a continuing problem, then it should have been taken care of in house.

Sue who for their stupidity?

The old saying, "Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword". They fell on it by themselves.

God it seems that there are more attempts at education and less listening to what is taught.

We as Greeks are showered by limelight everytime someone dies or has a hazing problem.

[madmax]

Originally posted by Tom Earp


Sue who for their stupidity?

The school. The school has a housing contract with the members of the organization. If the organization is suspended that doesn't mean the school no longer has to fulfill their end of contract. If the students were not expelled they why should they lose their housing?

[IvySpice]

None of the students were expelled so why should they lose their housing?

Because (I'm certain) they broke their lease. If a landlord has to evict you because you're committing illegal activity on the property, he has no obligation to rent you a different room in one of his other buildings. You've shown yourself to be a troublesome tenant; you forfeit your deposit and his obligation is over.

Now, is it wise for the school to do this? Maybe and maybe not; it's certainly detrimental to the students' education for them to be sharing a couch all semester. On the other hand, the school wants more than anything to avoid headaches, and it is entitled to be wary about renting space to these kids again so soon after it had to evict them.

[aabby757]

As an alumn of this school, what I have seen and heard what has been happening is tragic and sad to me. But it also makes me angry because this has been going on for some time and losing your charter for hazing is inexcusable. They deserve to lose their charter, in my opinion.

This schoold has lost so many fraternities and sororities since the early 90s that it's a wonder there is still a greek system. And SAE is a HUGE loss to the system since they were one of the "best."

However, these kids losing their life is obviously more of a loss and I just shake my head at the thought of how the actions of a few affect so many.

[Tom Earp]

Granted madmax,

they will be sued. So where does the problem end?

Why do you think that many times that the School wants to do away with GLOS? Maybe it is just for SHIT like this!

Is it really The Schools Fault, The IHQs Fault, or the People who are supposed to be manning the Chapters The Active Members!??

Are We supposed to be grinning and saying oh, it is just kids?

Not only Hell No, but What ???

[madmax]

Originally posted by IvySpice
Because (I'm certain) they broke their lease. If a landlord has to evict you because you're committing illegal activity on the property, he has no obligation to rent you a different room in one of his other buildings. You've shown yourself to be a troublesome tenant; you forfeit your deposit and his obligation is over.

Now, is it wise for the school to do this? Maybe and maybe not; it's certainly detrimental to the students' education for them to be sharing a couch all semester. On the other hand, the school wants more than anything to avoid headaches, and it is entitled to be wary about renting space to these kids again so soon after it had to evict them.

That is just a bullchit excuse that schools use to get rid of fraternities. Most of the members probably were not charged with anything. "joe" get charged with hazing so "tom, dick and harry" get evicted. A student at MIT challenged an eviction and a judge ordered the house corp to move the student back into the house.

http://www-tech.mit.edu/V119/N27/27sigep.27n.html