From the online version of The Daily Texan (UT's student paper) at :
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/vnew...5?in_archive=1
Fraternity: Press release was fake
Sigma Alpha Mu waits for official report from dean
By Jonathan York (Daily Texan Staff)
November 14, 2002
A press release on Sigma Alpha Mu letterhead announcing that the fraternity's UT chapter had been suspended was forged, fraternity officials and the InterFraternity Council president said Wednesday.
"I've been an adviser at [Sigma Alpha Mu] for 11 years, and the fraternity has never released a quote-unquote press release," said Wayne Pappert, the fraternity's adviser.
Pappert said he verified that the release had not come from the fraternity's national office, either.
Ryan Griffin, Sigma Alpha Mu president, called The Daily Texan Wednesday night after a story in Monday's newspaper used information from the press release. Griffin asked for information on who sent the press release, but because it was sent from an anonymous fax machine, it is unclear who sent the press release.
The main points of the Texan story - including the fact that the fraternity was on interim suspension pending the outcome of a investigation of hazing allegations - are true, Griffin said. However, the story cited the press release to say the fraternity's Atlantic City party had been canceled.
In fact, the party was not canceled until Tuesday night, Pappert said.
The Texan also repeated a statement in the press release that the fraternity had not attended mandatory IFC meetings.
"They have not had poor attendance at IFC meetings," IFC President Matt Mackowiak said. "Their rep has had the best attendance record of any of the 23 IFC representatives."
The Texan received a second press release Wednesday that contained specific allegations of hazing and a copy of a letter claiming to be from the national Sigma Alpha Mu office.
"[The letter] doesn't sound familiar at all," Pappert said. "I'm not going to completely deny that I've received it."
Both press releases bear Sigma Alpha Mu insignia at the top of the page. Each is written in newspaper style with a "-30-" symbol - the traditional sign for the end of a newspaper story - at the bottom of the page.
"All freshman parents were sent a letter at the beginning of the year," Griffin said. "Some of us think that letterhead could have been taken from [that] letter sent earlier."
The fraternity is waiting for an official report from the dean of students on the veracity of hazing complaints.
"My understanding, from speaking with Dean [Teresa Graham] Brett, is that this is a serious case, and there is some substantial evidence," Mack-owiak said. "But I have full faith in the leadership of this particular chapter and that this hazing case is an isolated incident, and that they will cooperate fully."
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