Sigma Sigma Sigma Closes Missouri State U. Chapter

[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.