Nmu

[Tom Earp]

The Albuquerque Tribune
November 2, 2005

Fraternity suspended following complaint

By Megan Arredondo
Tribune Reporter

Members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity at the University of New
Mexico are suspended, said Dean of Students Randy Boeglin, meaning
they are no longer recognized as an organization and not allowed to
hold social and philanthropic events.

The suspension comes after a 19-year-old woman told UNM police she
was raped at the fraternity house at 1815 Sigma Chi Road on Aug. 4,
according to a state District Court search warrant affidavit.

According to the affidavit, the woman had been drinking alcohol with
a 20-year-old fraternity member in his room.

The woman began to feel sick and decided to take a shower when the
suspect made advances toward her, the affidavit states.

She went back to his room to get her clothes and was raped, the
affidavit says. Another fraternity member heard the woman cry for
help and stopped the attack, after which the police were called.

According to the affidavit, UNM police searched the home on Aug. 5
and took evidence including rum bottles, clothes and bedding.

Lt. Pat Davis said UNM police completed their investigation and
referred the case to the violent crimes division of the District
Attorney's Office on Sept. 30.

"It's standard procedure in these cases," Davis said.

Davis would not release names of the victim and suspect until the
case is returned from the district attorney.

The fraternity was put on emergency suspension days after the complaint.

A hearing was held Oct. 5 to address the suspension, which is
independent of criminal charges the fraternity may face, Boeglin said.

A committee of students and administrators ruled then that fraternity
would be suspended until January 2007. The deadline to appeal the
suspension passed last week.

The fraternity must reapply to get its charter back.

The international organization is aware of the suspension and is
awaiting details on the case, said John Holloway, director of chapter
services for the fraternity's international offices in Indiana.

The international group may cease affiliation on the UNM campus,
where it has fewer than 15 active members, Holloway said.

"It's up to the international organization whether they want to
remain active," he said. "Right now, we're discussing with campus
administration the terms of the suspension."

Holloway said that the organization typically pulls out of a
university if it is not recognized as an organization.

"Either we're there or we're not," he said. "We don't do suspended status."

Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity began at UNM in 1949 and is one of 20
fraternal organizations on campus.

The fraternity had previously been placed on a one-semester emergency
suspension in 2001 for alcohol and risk management violations.

Copyright 2005, The Albuquerque Tribune. All Rights Reserved.




Just FYI.