Bad Stuff in CU Boulder

[DeltAlum]

Yeah, the thought occurred to me. You know how weak we Delts are when it comes to those special feminine powers.

[DeltAlum]

Here's the latest update: Good news and bad...

Associated Press
December 7, 2001

Sorority sisters ticketed after students suffer alcohol poisoning

BOULDER, Colo. -- Two sorority sisters have been ticketed for
providing alcohol to a minor the night of a sorority function that
left two University of Colorado students hospitalized with alcohol
poisoning.

Katherine E. Koban and Cameron K. Reed, both 19, were issued
summonses for the municipal charge, said Boulder police Sgt. Paul
Reichenbach. The women are members of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

Police said there is not enough evidence to pursue hazing charges in
connection with the sorority event. However, the function has spawned
a hazing inquiry by CU officials and the indefinite suspension of the
Kappa Alpha Theta sorority's CU chapter.

Reichenbach said about 25 newly-initiated Kappa Alpha Theta members
gathered Oct. 29 at a field on campus for a party organized by
sophomores in the sorority. The group drove to three locations,
eventually ending up at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Sorority
members consumed alcohol at each location.

After the party, two women were taken to the emergency room at
Boulder Community Hospital with alcohol poisoning.

One victim, a 17-year-old, may have been assaulted after arriving
blindfolded at the fraternity's house and drinking 11 alcoholic
beverages.

Reichenbach said the incident does not meet the criteria in
Colorado's statute on hazing because the women were already members
of the sorority.

He said the university was conducting its own investigation and may
take disciplinary action.

The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity has also launched an investigation
into its CU chapter.

(c) 2001 The Associated Press.

[mmcat]

so now what???
mmcat

[Optimist Prime]

Thats messed up. A list of drinks?? The girl may or may not have been assulted??

[DeltAlum]

OP,

There's some question whether the injured woman was assaulted or suffered facial injuries in a fall. Falls due to too much alcohol consumed by people at fraternity parties are very common. They make up significant part of fraternity insurance claims.

That, of course, is one reason why so many nationals are pushing third party vendors and off site parties -- to limit liability.

[shadokat]

OP--

There is no question that these women were WAY over the legal level of intoxication. The news stories indicate that. Whether this girl fell down on her face or was assaulted, we'll probably never know, but allowing a 17 year old to drink that much and then walk home is reprehensible in itself.

[Optimist Prime]

I'm not saying that it was a good thing. I hope I didn't come off like that. No, I just meant that why would they assume an assualt, and make it seem that way in the article??

[DeltAlum]

OP,

Because her face was a mess when she got to the hospital, and she couldn't or wouldn't explain what happened.

Emergency Rooms generally assume the worst since that's what they see the most of.

[Optimist Prime]

DA,

Oh...thanx man.

[DeltAlum]

This is interesting.

I would rather see the groups cooperate for a number of reasons, especially if there was, in fact, an assault. That's pretty serious stuff.

On the other hand, the ongoing university investigation creates a kind of "double jeopardy" (not in the legal sense of the word) which is troubling in a town like "The Peoples Republic of Boulder" as it is sometimes called in these parts. Others call it, "thirty-five square miles, surrounded by reality."

The university/Greek/town relationship there is strained at best. Although the police department there has taken its' lumps for the sterling handling of the Jon Benet Ramsey case, I would feel more comfortable for them to find one way or another so there can't be some kind of university "kangaroo court." The university administration seems to have a purposful "hands off and let them hang themselves, then we'll close them," attitude.

All of which sounds like constructing a circular argument. But, that's Boulder. Due to that, I think I'd rather see this handled by the cops and courts where there is at least due process.

Colorado Daily
University of Colorado
December 11, 2001

Police stonewalled at U. Colorado

By Jessika Fruchter, Colorado Daily

Boulder, Colo., police have stopped investigating the alcohol
overdoses of two underage women after the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority
and the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, who are both believed to be
involved, refused to cooperate with police.

According to authorities, the Oct. 29 incident was initially believed
to be a hazing ritual, but was later determined to be a
post-initiation sorority event, involving 20 to 25 newly initiated
Kappa Alpha sorority sisters.

The women met at Farrand Field on the University of Colorado campus
and were eventually brought to a party at the Phi Gamma Delta
fraternity's house. After the party, the women were dropped off at
their respective dormitories. The two women in question, who are 17
and 18 years old, were transported to Boulder Community Hospital
shortly thereafter and treated for alcohol poisoning. The incident
has been investigated by Boulder police and the sorority's national
office and is still being investigated by University officials.

While the sorority's national office has imposed sanctions on Kappa
Alpha Theta, Boulder police say their investigation of underage
drinking has come to an end because the sorority and the Phi Gamma
Delta fraternity have remained tight-lipped about the specifics.

"Initially the sorority was pretty cooperative," said Boulder police
Detective Jeff Kessler. "But then they decided they didn't want to
give names out."

Kessler said he thought the chapter's decision came after receiving
direction from the sorority's national office.

"I guess they thought they had taken care of the problem internally,"
he said. "I can kind of understand that Š but, I know that there are
more people (involved)."

Kessler added that he had repeatedly contacted the Phi Gamma Delta
fraternity and that officials would not return his calls.

"I finally contacted their advisers and they had no idea what was
going on," he said. "I definitely got the impression they (the
fraternity members) were keeping them in the dark."

Despite Kessler's frustration, at least one CU administrator seems
satisfied with the sorority's cooperation.

Bob Maust, principal investigator for CU's Matter of Degree program,
an alcohol-education program, said he thought the sorority had done
their part in addressing the issue.

He noted that as part of their punishment, Kappa Alpha Theta has been
required by its national office to sponsor an alcohol education
program for the entire greek community.

Maust added that sororities and fraternities are independent from the
University, as many of the other student organizations are.

"(For that reason) the sorority handled this matter internally," he said.

To date Boulder police have identified sorority members Katherine
Elizabeth Koban, 19 years old, and Cameron King Reed, 19 years old,
as being involved.

Kessler said he felt certain more people were involved with the Oct.
29 incident, but said no one could be identified.

Koban and Reed were issued summons for unlawfully procuring alcohol for minors.

Kessler said the charge carries a fine of only $ 100 dollars, but
noted that the women may also be subject to sanctions from CU's
office of judicial affairs.

"The university can not take action against an organization," he
said. "But, they can take action against individual people."

(C) 2001 Colorado Daily

[DeltAlum]

Here's the latest:

Associated Press
December 20, 2001

CU students may be suspended in hazing

BOULDER, Colo. --Eight University of Colorado students could be
placed on probation or suspended because of their involvement in an
October sorority event that school officials said was a hazing.

Five students have been charged with violating the university's
prohibition on hazing, officials said Wednesday. Three others face
sanctions for providing alcohol to minors.

Under CU's disciplinary action, the students cited for violating the
university's code of conduct have been asked to report to the Office
of Judicial Affairs to schedule a hearing.

Should those students be found in violation, they could face
penalties ranging from probation to suspension, said Andrea Goldblum,
CU's judicial affairs director.

During the Oct. 30 sorority party, two sorority members were admitted
to Boulder Community Hospital suffering from alcohol poisoning.

One of the students, a 17-year-old who since has withdrawn from CU,
suffered broken teeth and an injured nose. Police could not determine
whether she was punched or fell.

Boulder police detectives cited Kappa Alpha Theta members Cameron
King Reed and her roommate Katherine Elizabeth Koban for supplying
minors with alcohol but didn't pursue hazing charges.

"The reason we didn't do that was that the people involved were
members already," Detective Sgt. Paul Reichenbach said. "It just
didn't fit the statutory requirement for the law."

CU officials, citing federal privacy codes, declined to identify the
students facing charges or to say whether they are members of the
sorority or the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, which also is under
investigation.

Reed said neither she nor Koban have been charged by CU's Office of
Judicial Affairs. Both have denied involvement.

(c) 2001 The Associated Press.

[LXAAlum]

Hey DA...
One thing I have noticed, although the members were Theta's, it appears the fraternities involved should share in the liability....has anything happened to the Phi Delts as a consequence (not individual members, but the chapter as a whole)?

It's a sad scene all around. For a real depressing view of current greek life, take a drive around CSU's greek houses...the number of closed/boarded/renamed houses should be a wake up call not only to CSU (whose members unfortunately have all been "sleeping" through the wakeup calls), but to other campuses as well.

At CSU, since 1995, the following chapters have been closed/suspended, etc....: Alpha Phi, Alpha Tau Omega, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Phi Kappa Tau, Pi Kappa Phi, Lambda Chi Alpha , Sigma Kappa, Sigma Nu, Alpha Chi Omega, and Beta Theta Pi. There may have been others that I missed, but these are the ones I recall, and have been involved with the CSU Greek Alumni Council as well....granted, most of the closings were indeed needed due to behavior (or lack thereof), and a few to dwindling membership.

[DeltAlum]

LXA,

I agree that the Phi Taus share a fair amount of responsibility. I see that some of them are being called before the judiciary, but don't know what, if any, action is being taken against the chapter either by the university or their national office.

As for CSU, it really is a sad situation up there. Our chapter has hung in so far, but I worry about them in that climate.

[Corbin Dallas]

I'm confused, Phi Delts, Phi Taus or FIJI's? I thought the article said Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI)...

[DeltAlum]

Corbin,

You're correct. An "elder moment" on my part. At least one of the fraternities was FIJI (Phi Gamma Delta). As sometimes happens with our friend President Earp, my mind was moving faster than my fingers.

Hey, it's all Greek to me. (Sorry, that was a really sad attempt at humor)

I think I may have read in one of the Denver papers that the Phi Delts might also have been involved, but they don't seem to be a part of the later articles and/or police or university investigation, so perhaps that was incorrectly reported.