Sigma Sigma Sigma Closes Missouri State U. Chapter

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I also think it's sweet that she seems to think that high school and college kids never drank until now - they invented drinking!

Just like every generation invents sex. We all know our parents couldn't have ever done THAT.

[SWTXBelle]

WHAT??? We didn't invent sex??? I was sure we had in the 80s!

[exlurker]

The Story Continues -- A Lawsuit Begins (Update, May 16, 2008)

As experienced GCers probably expected because it's the way American society is, several women are suing Sigma Sigma Sigma national, the local chapter, the university, and so on.
Excerpt from article on the web site of the News Leader, a local paper:

Their hopes of experiencing the "college sorority experience" dashed, nine former members of a shuttered Springfield sorority filed suit against Missouri State University and several Greek organizations this week.

MSU freshmen Claire Walker, Nicole Buechler, Ashleigh Fountain, Mandy Kisker, Hope Allen, Jillian Otis, Brittany Ortman, Katie Zvacek and Alyssa Ruff all pledged to the local chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma in November.

Less than two months later, the sorority was shut down after an investigation found members had hazed pledges and played drinking games.

Under Greek rules, its members are now barred from joining another sorority, since they'd already pledged to Sigma Sigma Sigma.

So the nine plaintiffs filed suit Wednesday against MSU, the local and national chapters of the sorority, and a sorority oversight group. The petition also names as a defendant Dixie Williams, assistant director of student activities
. . .

Entire article:

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs...805160366/1007

Note: I think the author of the article probably misused the word "pledged," since merely pledging, without initiation, doesn't bar a woman from becoming an initiate of another NPC organization. Or is it possible that in some way the school and the local college Panhellenic are interpreting rules to mean that a "pledge" is still binding, even when the chapter is closed? Oh well, we'll probably hear more about this.

Edited Saturday, May 17, to add: In another article

http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=21151

there’s this bit of information:
. . .
The university says it was not the decision maker in whether the students could join another sorority. It will aggressively defend its case and has no plans for a settlement.

[NutBrnHair]

I'm guessing they were initiated?

So much for the shortened pledge period, huh?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by exlurker

Note: I think the author of the article probably misused the word "pledged," since merely pledging, without initiation, doesn't bar a woman from becoming an initiate of another NPC organization.

They were initiated. The author just used incorrect terminology. (Along those lines..."Greek rules"??? That sounds like something out of Family Ties or the like.)

Although they should probably have not included the claim that the school & national didn't do enough to prevent them from hazing as they've said they didn't think they were hazed.

I don't understand what the length of the pledge period has to do with this.

[NutBrnHair]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I don't understand what the length of the pledge period has to do with this.

If they waited for the new members to make grades, they would not have been initiated into Tri Sigma when the annoucement was made of the closing and they would have been free to join another NPC group.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by NutBrnHair

If they waited for the new members to make grades, they would not have been initiated into Tri Sigma when the annoucement was made of the closing and they would have been free to join another NPC group.

Or if they wouldn't have hazed their pledges and lost their charter, they would all still be active sorority members.

Or if they would have told their pledges they were on double secret probation and in danger of losing their charter, and let the pledges make the decision as to whether they wanted to initiate.

Or if the national office would have closed the chapter or done a membership review before initiation.

Or if those silly pledges would have refused to join anything but a sorority who holds its members over for grades, because any sorority that doesn't, must just suck.

[NutBrnHair]

See? It wasn't that difficult to understand.

[ComradesTrue]

That Zvacek chick needs to learn to keep her mouth shut. She whined to the press in the prior article, and is still acting like a child now. She knows no boundaries, no accountability, and no discretion.

Lest she forget... the internet is forever. Good luck with the job search, honey. There is *no* way I would hire someone like this.

[PsychTau2]

That article says that they're also suing NPC for not doing enough to prevent the hazing.

That's definitely an interesting tactic, if they truly mean NPC and not the college PC. I'd like to hear more of that argument (and the response).

Also, what exactly are they suing for? The only thing in the article I see is that they want their dues money back. That will be settled in a week...it would be WAY cheaper for Tri Sigma to just cut them a check for their dues instead of paying for this to be drug out in court, etc. (even though in their membership agreement somewhere it says dues aren't refundable).

PsychTau

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by Blondie93

That Zvacek chick needs to learn to keep her mouth shut. She whined to the press in the prior article, and is still acting like a child now. She knows no boundaries, no accountability, and no discretion.

Lest she forget... the internet is forever. Good luck with the job search, honey. There is *no* way I would hire someone like this.

Co-sign, she and her brilliant pledge sister have already pretty much blown their case with their on-record rants.

But I agree, Tri Sigma national should just stroke them each their dues refunds and be done with them. I don't see how they'd ever be worthy of more than that, though. And are these women now Tri Sigma alumnae? Or were they completely kicked out when the chapter shut down?

Originally Posted by Blondie93

That Zvacek chick needs to learn to keep her mouth shut. She whined to the press in the prior article, and is still acting like a child now. She knows no boundaries, no accountability, and no discretion.

Lest she forget... the internet is forever. Good luck with the job search, honey. There is *no* way I would hire someone like this.

She'd definitely get a job at Hooters if they glanced at her Facebook profile pic, that's for sure.