Interesting legal battle over GLO membership

[PenguinTrax]

Sorority recruitment case back in court
By JAMES L. ROSICA
Copyright 2000 Tallahassee Democrat

A Florida A&M University sorority chapter is getting a chance to persuade a local judge to lift his order banning the group from recruiting new members.

Circuit Judge Terry Lewis granted Delta Sigma Theta's request for a new hearing on April 17, according to court records.

Lewis "permanently restrained" the chapter from accepting new members after the group did not respond to a summons for a lawsuit filed against it in February.

Daria C. Dawson, a junior, sued the sorority Feb. 25, saying she was denied membership in the sorority's Beta Alpha chapter after chapter president Julye Williams and others "applied an arbitrary standard for admissions that was inconsistent with past applications," the suit said.

Dawson said the denial "aggravated" her Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disorder of the digestive system that can cause chronic abdominal pain and weight loss, according to medical literature.

Instead of damages, her lawsuit asked for a permanent injunction, which would prohibit the sorority chapter from accepting new members. Dawson's attorney, Gary Roberts of Tallahassee, did not return a call Wednesday.

Williams, however, never responded to legal papers informing her of the lawsuit. Because she did not answer, the chapter was found to be in "default" and Lewis ruled for Dawson.

Tallahassee attorney Robert King High Jr., who is representing the sorority with law partner Deeno Kitchen, said Williams was waiting for the sorority's national headquarters in Washington, D.C., to be served.

"We're hoping the default and final judgment will be set aside and the case will be heard on its merits," High said.

Court filings explain that Williams thought the national sorority's lawyers would handle the suit. Lewis, then, will consider that and other arguments to reopen the case.

This week is the sorority's annual Delta Week on campus, which includes parties, contests and other activities. The chapter is allowed to conduct such activities as long as they're not intended to recruit new members.
http://www.tdo.com/news/local/0406.loc.sorority.htm



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Fraternally,
Barbara
Zeta Tau Alpha Alumna

If you have to go around telling everyone you're in charge you're not much of a leader.