University Cheerleader With Down Syndrome Denied From Every Sorority on Campus

[homeward*bound]

Originally Posted by navane

Is she regularly matriculating bachelor's degree student and also a participant in MasonLIFE? I ask because, in the news article interview I read, she says that she is a MasonLIFE student.


Regardless......the fact that there is currently a MasonLIFE student with Downs Syndrome as a member of Gamma Phi Beta at GMU, I have a hard time understanding the Heigl family's claims that AnnCatherine was specifically discriminated against because of her disability.

The MasonLIFE brochure includes a photo of a group of students and one is wearing an Alpha Xi Delta letter shirt. Here -- https://masonlife.gmu.edu/documents/...-brochure.pdf/

The university VP is quoted in this article as saying that other MasonLIFE students have been in fraternities and sororities -- https://www.indystar.com/story/news/...ty/1357681002/


SO.....is the bottom line here perhaps is that this young lady, like many others across the country, went out for rush and simply didn't get a bid? It happens. Just because she has a unique quality, that doesn't mean that the sororities "have" to take her any more than they "have" to take anyone. We've already established a pattern the GMU sororities do accept MasonLIFE students; so, perhaps there is more to this story.

Yes, I believe she participates in both programs. She was admitted to GMU under the same standards as others -- SAT score, high school GPA etc. I didn't know if that might make a difference when it came to membership selection as some speculated. If there's an AXiD sister who only participates in the MasonLIFE program, then that seems to negate the claims of this young woman and her family.

[navane]

Originally Posted by homeward*bound

Yes, I believe she participates in both programs. She was admitted to GMU under the same standards as others -- SAT score, high school GPA etc.

In the article, it was mentioned that she indeed graduated from DC Public Schools with a 3.7 GPA and full high school diploma.

33girl mentioned the other site. I just went and looked - over there they are insisting that she was invited back to two chapters. George Mason Panhellenic's statement was, "This past weekend, it was brought to the Panhellenic Executive Council’s attention that a student in the MasonLife program was released from our Formal Panhellenic Recruitment process." Was she completely released or did she withdraw? I can imagine the upset that a young lady would have when she takes cuts from 8 down to 2. Perhaps she was just too upset over the cuts (or didn't like the chapters she had left) and withdrew. We see it here all the time with girls at universities from all over. Though, the older sister's statement said that she was released on Sunday morning, which appears to the 3rd and final round before Bid Day. So, she was invited back to round two and released before pref?

If she was invited back to two chapters, then I think Panhellenic and the university need to clarify this.

[APhi2KD]

Originally Posted by navane

If she was invited back to two chapters, then I think Panhellenic and the university need to clarify this.

Agreed! I can guarantee she would not have been the only girl that dropped to two houses. And they’re also saying she rushed (and dropped) last year.
??