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(The amazing part of this story: "Jones said the fraternity had hired 16 security guards for the event")
Allegation of groping at parties
Presidents of PiKapp and ZBT say they expect their houses to be cleared and are cooperating with investigators.
By Rebekah Sanders
Published: Thursday, April 7, 2005
Reports of two sexual assaults at fraternities in one week has left some students shaken and prompted action by Greek leaders, university administrators and DPS to make students safer.
The incidents, reported first at Pi Kappa Phi and later at Zeta Beta Tau, have also put the two houses on interim probation. Leaders of both houses say they expect to be cleared when the investigations are complete.
The most recent incident allegedly took place Saturday at Zeta Beta Tau's "ZBTahiti" party, when a female student reported to DPS she was groped by an unknown man, according to DPS reports.
DPS officers performed "walk-throughs" twice during the night and reported that everything was all right once members turned the music down, said ZBT president Brandon Jones.
But at around 1 a.m., officers returned to the party following the sexual assault call just a few minutes earlier and the party was shut down. The hundreds of partygoers were gone by 1:30 a.m., Jones said.
Jones said the fraternity had hired 16 security guards for the event and wondered why the incident had not been reported to them at the time.
LAPD is now investigating the sexual battery case. Media relations officer April Harding said detectives have a suspect, but Jones said LAPD did not confirm a suspect to him.
"There hasn't been any suggestion to me that it was a brother in the house," said Jones, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.
The university has suspended all social activities at ZBT until the case is resolved by Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards. The fraternity has notified its national chapter, but no action has been taken, pending further investigation.
Pi Kappa Phi fraternity lost its charter from national headquarters temporarily on March 29 after DPS received reports of a sexual assault and large-scale fight at the house three days earlier. The house has been suspended for 60 days while national headquarters examines the allegations and has received social probation from the university. The fraternity is also facing a possible lawsuit.
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