Ark. State U. Newspapers (with SX story) Stolen

[hoosier]

Thursday, January 27, 2005 · Last updated 8:42 p.m. PT

Ark. students return stolen school papers
By KELLY P. KISSEL
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Four members of a fraternity returned thousands of stolen campus newspapers and apologized for taking the copies in an attempt to quash publicity about a party at which a 17-year-old girl suffered possible alcohol poisoning.

The members of the Sigma Chi fraternity at Arkansas State University admitted taking 3,000 copies of The Herald, the newspaper serving Arkansas State University's Jonesboro campus, according to Jory Taylor, the fraternity's international director of chapter development in Evanston, Ill.

Much of the paper's 6,500-paper run was taken from a number of distribution points Monday night, editor Dustin Faber said. The edition featured a story about the possible alcohol poisoning at a Sigma Chi party Jan. 14.

Sigma Chi's parent organization directed the four to return the missing papers, apologize and pay the $745 needed to reprint and distribute the copies, Taylor said Thursday.

"When I read the front page article, emotions overtook my good judgment and irrational behavior was the outcome of my emotions. I am terribly sorry," one of the four wrote to The Herald.

The four have not been charged with a crime. They said others in the chapter were not involved with taking the newspapers.

The university told Sigma Chi on Wednesday that it couldn't hold any more social events the rest of the semester and that there could be more sanctions.