SMU Kappa Kappa Gamma Member Sues Sorority Over Racy Video

[navane]

One of the articles seems to imply that there were concerns about the criminality of the acts that were alleged to have occurred.


Quotes below are from the WFAA news article - http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/dalla...wsuit/98523039

"Embarrassed by this ritual, one of the seniors tried to participate wearing a vest to cover up her chest," the suit reads. "As that senior was about to enter the Chapter room, girls on Chapter Council (Kappa Chapter officers) and a couple of seniors pulled off the vest the senior was wearing."

Rangitsch, the sorority's national director of standards, was sent to investigate the incident. However, the suit alleges she interrogated members and threatened to show the video to SMU administrators. She then advised members to call their parents and hire lawyers "because they had violated Texas laws and could be prosecuted for sex crimes and end up as registered sex offenders."

This is where I think we're hitting the crux of the issue. How bad was the actual behavior? Regardless of if they were in underwear or topless or whatever, "forcing" or pressuring members to perform in a compromising situation is hazing. I think it would be especially bad if the one young woman indeed had her top ripped off as described. Someone could bring the ripping off of the vest up as a sexual battery (Kevin, opinions?). Also, I'm not sure if forcing new members to watch a sexualized/naked dance number could be some kind of crime. I think that might be what Ms. Rangitsch was alluding to.

The suit alleges the Kappa House mom secretly recorded video of the "required ... ceremony" on a security camera.

Welllllll......this makes it sound like the Kappa House Mom intentionally set out a video camera in order to specifically tape this event. Or.....was it a previously installed and known security camera that has the video feed to a monitor in the house mom's suite?

Also, I wonder if the house mom is the "Kappa national agent" mentioned in the lawsuit. You know, because she's been hired by the house corporation board, therefore, she's an "agent" of the sorority. (?)

The affidavit states a Kappa chapter advisor in her 60s and 10 chapter council members were present at the time of the ceremony, which lasted five to six minutes.

The chapter adviser was there and approved of this event????

"This is a sad, long term pattern," the suits alleges. "Kappa knows of and even endorses many of Kappa's rituals and traditions that many people consider to be hazing."

Wellllllllll....again.......I cannot personally speak to the rituals of Kappa Kappa Gamma; but, I have a hard time believing that national Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity has official naked dance "rituals" or that it endorses hazing traditions. Let's not play with words here. Your chapter maybe had a secret tradition of having the seniors do a questionable performance for new members....but that doesn't mean it was ok or endorsed by the national organization. Good grief.