Black Face Frat BACK ON THE YARD AT AUBURN

[Swamp Thang]

.. Auburn settlement allows Beta Theta Pi to remain on campus

Associated Students May 16, 2002

Auburn, fraternity settle lawsuit; Beta Theta Pi to remain on campus AUBURN, Ala.

-- A fraternity that was ordered off the Auburn University campus because some of its members were photographed wearing racially offensive costumes at a Halloween party will be allowed to remain under the terms of the settlement of a lawsuit. Beta Theta Pi fraternity agreed Wednesday to settle its $100 million lawsuit against the university. The fraternity will not receive any money but will be able to remain on campus, said Steve Becker, administrative secretary for the Beta Theta Pi national organization in Oxford, Ohio. The university suspended 10 Beta Theta Pi members and withdrew its recognition of the fraternity after members were photographed wearing wigs and celebrating in black face. A judge later ordered the students reinstated. Romaine S. Scott III, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said Beta Theta Pi members did not mean to offend anyone. Becker said he hoped students had learned a lesson from the incident. "The behavior that gave rise to this situation was unacceptable," he said. The university declined to discuss the settlement. "The matter has been resolved by agreement," said David Boyd, an Auburn University lawyer. "The parties will be submitting to the court a written settlement document that reflects the terms of the agreement." Another fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, also was suspended from campus because of racially offensive conduct at its Halloween party. That fraternity was not involved in the lawsuit settled Wednesday. (c) 2002 The Associated Press.