The Herald-Sun
Durham, NC
May 14, 2003
Duke punishes frat for hazing, alcohol violations
BY HUNTER LEWIS, The Herald-Sun
DURHAM -- Duke University officials have issued sanctions against a
campus fraternity found guilty of hazing and making alcohol available
to minors after six of its pledges got drunk and were dropped off at
Duke Forest in April.
The university also found the Sigma Nu fraternity guilty of
irresponsible behavior, violating a clause in Duke's alcohol policy
and contempt. The contempt ruling stems from a party on the last day
of classes Sigma Nu held on April 23, eight days after it was
suspended by the university and ordered not to hold any
fraternity-related activities. No alcohol will be permitted in the
common areas of the fraternity's section of the dorm either.
As a result of the incidents, Sigma Nu will not be allowed to hold
any fraternity activities on or off campus during the fall semester,
said Sue Wasiolek, dean of students and assistant vice president for
student affairs. The only exceptions are brotherhood meetings or
group community service, she said. No individual members face
sanctions.
The fraternity must also post an ad in The Chronicle, Duke's daily
student newspaper, apologizing for the incident on two consecutive
days during the first week of the fall semester, Wasiolek said.
"[The ad] is a public apology as well as a public explanation of how
[the fraternity] plans to change their activities and operations in
the future," she said.
The fraternity is also required to send letters of apology to the
Duke School for Children, the Durham County Sheriff's Office and
Chapel Hill and Duke police, and to remove its wooden bench from
Kilgo Quad, Wasiolek said.
The six pledges, all freshmen, were dropped off at Duke Forest on
Erwin Road and expected to find their way back to campus early in the
morning on April 15. But a Chapel Hill police officer driving home
found some of the students wandering along the road near the Duke
School for Children, while others remained in a portion of Duke
Forest.
Two of the pledges were taken to the emergency room to be treated for
excessive drinking.
Dropping off pledges in Duke Forest is a common hazing practice for
some UNC Chapel Hill fraternities, Wasiolek said, adding that she has
heard students tell of the practice at Duke.
"Other fraternity members have come up to us in past and said, 'we
did this,' " she said. "The message is that this is clearly hazing
and it needs to stop.
"We take the incident very seriously, and the Greek Judicial Board
takes it very seriously," she said. "The good news is that the
chapter is permitted to continue and operate, but only under very
strict guidelines."
Wasiolek also said Sigma Nu must have a representative from its
national office educate fraternity members during the first two weeks
of the fall semester. David Glassman, a spokesman at Sigma Nu
headquarters, said he was unaware Tuesday of any specific penalties
meted out by the national office. However, he indicated that Duke's
chapter might go through the LEAD program, Sigma Nu's national,
four-phase "member development" program.
All chapters must undergo the first phase of LEAD, which involves
pledge education, he said. The next three phases are designed to
educate members about the fraternity's values and to promote
leadership in junior and senior members.
"We've had a cooperative series of talks with [Duke]," Glassman said.
"The university, fraternity headquarters and student leaders have a
shared commitment for a place for Sigma Nu at Duke."
Andrew Axelrod, a rising junior and president of Sigma Nu, could not
be reached for comment Tuesday.
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