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Update
Jan. 01, 2005
Fraternity appeals proposed sanctions for alleged opossum stunt
Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. - A fraternity at the University of Missouri-Columbia said it will appeal any sanctions imposed over the alleged abuse of opossums during a bizarre roundup stunt.
The university has not announced any sanctions against Alpha Gamma Rho, but Greek Life director Janna Basler said Friday the fraternity already has said it will appeal to a campus committee.
"They've been very open with us," Basler said. "They just want to do what's best for their chapter."
The Nov. 19 stunt led to criminal charges against two fraternity members.
Zachary W. Faumliner, 20, and Adam P. Thomas, 19, are charged in Boone County Circuit Court with two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possessing wildlife without a license. They are free on bond and have not entered a plea.
Police said Alpha Gamma Rho members placed 20 live and 20 dead opossums and two dead raccoons in a 60-gallon barrel at the fraternity house. The animals allegedly had been collected by fraternity members, who earned two points for each live opossum and one point for each dead one.
The Missouri Department of Conservation quoted fraternity members as saying they planned to release the opossums into the yard of another fraternity house.
The school's vice chancellor for student affairs, Cathy Scroggs, will decide whether to impose sanctions after hearing the committee's recommendations, which are not binding. The Committee on Student Organizations, Government and Activities will consider the appeal sometime after the start of the spring semester on Jan. 18, Basler said.
The national office of Alpha Gamma Rho has not announced penalties against the chapter, executive director Philip Josephson said last week, but he anticipates it will. Josephson said the national fraternity's decision likely will depend on any action taken by the university.
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