Investigation into Hazing at Texas SAE

[LaneSig]

http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...8/8hazing.html

Prosecutors investigating whether hazing preceded UT fraternity pledge's fatal fall
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is focus of probe after death of 18-year-old Tyler Cross.

This is the case where the pledge accidently fell from a 5th floor balcony of a dorm.

[exlurker]

Update August 17 '07: Investigation Continuing

Station KVUE has an article about the investigation on its site:

http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories....3e7f6663.html

Other Texas news sources, like the Austin American - Statesman and other stations, have stories too.

[Tom Earp]

"IF" they did and it is proven, how do they spell STOOPID in Texas?

Way to go guys!

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

"IF" they did and it is proven, how do they spell STOOPID in Texas?

Way to go guys!

Probably better than you.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Probably better than you.

I do not doubt that a bit.

[EE-BO]

I think this is a good time to remember these are two separate issues.

Tyler's death was an unforunate tragedy with known circumstances that happen periodically to Greeks and non-Greeks alike. This does not excuse potential liability of any of a number of persons for any role in this specific situation, but this particular event was not the direct result of something unique to Greek Life.

The hazing is another matter entirely- and that is the business of the chapter, SAE and the appropriate city authorities to deal with.

What bothers me is local media making use of Tyler's death to attack the hazing issue. It adds a sensationalistic edge to a legitimate issue facing all Greeks and it plays on the stereotype of the evil frat guy.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by EE-BO

I think this is a good time to remember these are two separate issues.

Tyler's death was an unforunate tragedy with known circumstances that happen periodically to Greeks and non-Greeks alike. This does not excuse potential liability of any of a number of persons for any role in this specific situation, but this particular event was not the direct result of something unique to Greek Life.

The hazing is another matter entirely- and that is the business of the chapter, SAE and the appropriate city authorities to deal with.

What bothers me is local media making use of Tyler's death to attack the hazing issue. It adds a sensationalistic edge to a legitimate issue facing all Greeks and it plays on the stereotype of the evil frat guy.

You know as well as I do how the media (The Statesman, etc.) in Austin treats Greeks. They present articles and information with an extreme amount of bias and a general disdain for everything associated with us, especially the fraternities.

It's been an extremely long and difficult ordeal, we hope to get it resolved soon.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by macallan25

You know as well as I do how the media (The Statesman, etc.) in Austin treats Greeks. They present articles and information with an extreme amount of bias and a general disdain for everything associated with us, especially the fraternities.

It's been an extremely long and difficult ordeal, we hope to get it resolved soon.

Brother,
You are all in our thoughts.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by macallan25

You know as well as I do how the media (The Statesman, etc.) in Austin treats Greeks. They present articles and information with an extreme amount of bias and a general disdain for everything associated with us, especially the fraternities.

It's been an extremely long and difficult ordeal, we hope to get it resolved soon.

I certainly wish you all well in that- and yes, I well remember how the papers treated us. Mostly the Daily Texan back in my day though- the involvement of city newspapers was less common.

When that young man died last fall who was in that newer GLO located over by 19th and Rio Grande, it not only got Statesman coverage but there were several articles in the Houston Chronicle as well.

Not sure why the trend, but my first theory is that city newspapers in general are moving in a direction where they pick up and sensationalize stories like this in an effort to emulate the more successful cable network format and try to hang on to their readership as the newspaper format becomes less relevant and relied on in general.

Back in my time, the Daily Texan ran articles for MONTHS because someone had been photographed indoors at a private fraternity party (not a Beta party, but one of the other big houses at the time) wearing blackface- and he was photographed by someone who illegally entered the party for the paper, thus violating one of those key risk management concepts (no open parties) that our critics like to think we ignore.

Granted, if I ever dropped by my chapter and saw someone in blackface I would be pretty pissed, but there is no grounds for such a thing done indoors on private property to be broadcast in the media.

Come to think of it, maybe I should not be so surprised about the ethics of many journalists considering what a lot of the student journalists at Texas were practicing in their formative years. (To be fair, the Daily Texan appears far more responsibly run now than it was back then.)

[macallan25]

Haha, yeah, The Daily Texas is nothing short of a terrible publication.

.....they hate us.

[exlurker]

Update April 28, 2007

The pleas and sentences, as reported by the Austin newspaper:

http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...429hazing.html

[srmom]

Wow, at first when I read the article in the statesman, I thought it wasn't that big of a deal. But, in reading the 13 page agreement, there are some really hefty rules and regulations, and the penalties for breaking them are severe.

IMO, It almost seems as if they are being set up for a fall - Unscheduled visits by the APD, TABC, or DOS - police state with no privacy protection. All the restrictions on rushing, pledge period, parties, etc. with no wiggle room seems like a recipe for failure. Also, there is the repeated stipulation that SAE and its members, by agreeing to the terms of the agreement, waive all rights to appeal any decision by the DOS (excluding disciplinary action by the president). So, any violation of any of the rules and they, as a group or individually, are dumped with no recourse.

Maybe this is the type of document that pushed KA away from the IFC table, where they said to he** with you, we're going out on our own.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by srmom

Wow, at first when I read the article in the statesman, I thought it wasn't that big of a deal. But, in reading the 13 page agreement, there are some really hefty rules and regulations, and the penalties for breaking them are severe.

IMO, It almost seems as if they are being set up for a fall - Unscheduled visits by the APD, TABC, or DOS - police state with no privacy protection. All the restrictions on rushing, pledge period, parties, etc. with no wiggle room seems like a recipe for failure. Also, there is the repeated stipulation that SAE and its members, by agreeing to the terms of the agreement, waive all rights to appeal any decision by the DOS (excluding disciplinary action by the president). So, any violation of any of the rules and they, as a group or individually, are dumped with no recourse.

Maybe this is the type of document that pushed KA away from the IFC table, where they said to he** with you, we're going out on our own.

srmom; I have read the agreement three times already, and I still am getting my mind around it.
And I have to wonder if this is going to be extended, in one form or another to the rest of the GLO's on campus?

[macallan25]

It will most certainly be very interesting to see what happens.

I'm not going to really comment on it. For one, I'm about to graduate and my involvement with the chapter outside of paying dues and attending a few of our big events a year and game day tailgates over the past couple is pretty small. Two, this is an internet forum and I just don't really think details of something like this need to be discussed.

I think the agreement is pretty fair....although something that will most certainly test the RESPONSIBILITY of our chapter over the next five years. For all of the allegations, penalties, etc. that SAE here has endured over the past few years......I think the stipulations outlined are pretty fair. Although it will be far more structured......the house can still rush, can still treat pledges somewhat like pledges, and can still have social events.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by macallan25

It will most certainly be very interesting to see what happens.

I'm not going to really comment on it. For one, I'm about to graduate and my involvement with the chapter outside of paying dues and attending a few of our big events a year and game day tailgates over the past couple is pretty small. Two, this is an internet forum and I just don't really think details of something like this need to be discussed.

I think the agreement is pretty fair....although something that will most certainly test the RESPONSIBILITY of our chapter over the next five years. For all of the allegations, penalties, etc. that SAE here has endured over the past few years......I think the stipulations outlined are pretty fair. Although it will be far more structured......the house can still rush, can still treat pledges somewhat like pledges, and can still have social events.

Thank you Brother for your insight into this matter.
The very best to you and the Chapter.