Syracuse fraternity suspended for 'extremely racist' video

[ASTalumna06]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/syracuse-un...ry?id=54576696

Syracuse University suspended one of its professional fraternity chapters after video surfaced showing members of Theta Tau acting in an "extremely racist" and "homophobic" manner, the university’s chancellor said.

The video -- made public by the school's independent newspaper, The Daily Orange, on Wednesday -- shows the engineering fraternity using racist, ethnic and sexist slurs, and other offensive language, while pretending to perform sexual acts on each other.

[ASTalumna06]

The article has been updated to say that four Syracuse fraternities have been suspended this year. I'm surprised the school hasn't followed other universities and banned all fraternity/sorority activities yet. Perhaps now, after the news coverage and protests, they'll take it into consideration.

[ASTalumna06]

Theta Tau has been permanently expelled from the university.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/s..._headlines_hed

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Theta Tau has been permanently expelled from the university.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/s..._headlines_hed

Did some checking on Theta Tau.

It is a Co-ed Engineering Organization not a Social Organization like ours.

But of course, the problem is that they use Greek Letters which looks bad on all of us! As usual the News Media do not really care of the difference!

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Did some checking on Theta Tau.

It is a Co-ed Engineering Organization not a Social Organization like ours.

But of course, the problem is that they use Greek Letters which looks bad on all of us! As usual the News Media do not really care of the difference!

Why should the difference matter?

[Tom Earp]

Why not?

[Tom Earp]

The reason is because they are NOT one of The Governing bodies as we know them, that is why.

So, I hope that does answer the question that was raised!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

The reason is because they are NOT one of The Governing bodies as we know them, that is why.

So, I hope that does answer the question that was raised!

Theta Tau is a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. It is older than over 30 members of the NIC, and larger (in terms of number of chapters) than at least 20 members of the NIC.

[PGD-GRAD]

I think the response and concern over Theta Tau is absolutely warranted, primarily because THEY ARE NOT a member of NIC and a “social fraternity”. It’s much rarer to hear of this kind of behavior from an honorary or professional Greek group. The fact that Theta Tau is an engineering honorary is all the more shocking and elicits the response: “Now even the honorary frats are doing it!!!” (And I HATE the term frats; I’m using it as what a typical response might be!)
I’m not saying this reasoning is right, I’m just saying it is what it is.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by PGD-GRAD

I think the response and concern over Theta Tau is absolutely warranted, primarily because THEY ARE NOT a member of NIC and a “social fraternity”. It’s much rarer to hear of this kind of behavior from an honorary or professional Greek group. The fact that Theta Tau is an engineering honorary is all the more shocking and elicits the response: “Now even the honorary frats are doing it!!!” (And I HATE the term frats; I’m using it as what a typical response might be!)
I’m not saying this reasoning is right, I’m just saying it is what it is.

*NOT* an honorary, a professional. Professionals have chosen pledge classes, honoraries *don't*.

And membership in the NIC isn't anything like a limiting factor. Out of Kappa Sigma, Sigma Nu, Omega Psi Phi and Alpha Phi Alpha, two are members of the NIC, two are not, and that membership means very little to the press (or for that matter many of the students)

[PGD-GRAD]

Thanks for the specifics! I was, alas, dealing in generalities!

[Kevin]

NIC membership does say something about the organization in that it has met certain requirements, is organizationally pretty stable, etc. Not that Kappa Sigma or Lambda Chi Alpha have any problems because of their lack of affiliation.

There is a little context, which I think, if true, could mitigate some of the concerns a little bit. The students claim that the video of the gentlemen saying the racist things was part of a skit roasting a brother who was a conservative Republican--a student, they claim, who doesn't hold those views despite his political affiliation. If that's true, there perhaps wasn't a racist intent or any attempt to marginalize anyone other than, ironically, conservative Republicans. It does remind me of a Dave Chappelle sketch in which a blind black man, who apparently doesn't realize he's black, is the head of his local KKK chapter, While I'm not by any means comparing the talent or the level of irony achieved in the various sketches, if the students' explanation stands, is this something they should be expelled from school over?

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/23/us/ne...rat/index.html

The second video, I expect will have a similar explanation.

Syracuse is a private school though, so they can give any person or organization the boot. They're currently reviewing all of Greek Life.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by Kevin

NIC membership does say something about the organization in that it has met certain requirements, is organizationally pretty stable, etc. Not that Kappa Sigma or Lambda Chi Alpha have any problems because of their lack of affiliation.

There is a little context, which I think, if true, could mitigate some of the concerns a little bit. The students claim that the video of the gentlemen saying the racist things was part of a skit roasting a brother who was a conservative Republican--a student, they claim, who doesn't hold those views despite his political affiliation. If that's true, there perhaps wasn't a racist intent or any attempt to marginalize anyone other than, ironically, conservative Republicans. It does remind me of a Dave Chappelle sketch in which a blind black man, who apparently doesn't realize he's black, is the head of his local KKK chapter, While I'm not by any means comparing the talent or the level of irony achieved in the various sketches, if the students' explanation stands, is this something they should be expelled from school over?

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/23/us/ne...rat/index.html

The second video, I expect will have a similar explanation.

Syracuse is a private school though, so they can give any person or organization the boot. They're currently reviewing all of Greek Life.

I'm not really seeing the comparison between this and the Dave Chappelle skit you've described.

Regardless, there are so many things I could say about this being a "joke", but I'll get too worked up and go on ranting for days. So I'll leave it at this: I could never imagine, even in a joking way, doing or saying the things these young "men" did in this video. It's so far beyond comprehension. Heck, every single person in that chapter could be white, but there was no consideration for how those words and actions might even make another brother feel. If my chapter ever did something like this, I would be so appalled and would honestly question whether or not it's a chapter with which I'd like to be associated.

And aside from that, why would anyone think it's a good idea to a) put this on video, and b) post it to the internet? How stupid can one chapter be?

[Kevin]

You're also not 19-22. According to them, they were not engaging in blatant racist activity, they were roasting a conservative/Trump voting brother by portraying him as a white nationalist.

These are the same kind of kids who play Cards Against Humanity. I'm sure you would never even in a joking way say or do these things.

With regard to it being on the internet. I'll agree as to the lack of providence in posting every minute of your life, especially when taken out of context, what you put out there could cost you your academic career at a $50,000/year university. Initially, I was pretty shocked, but at this point, I want to know more because context means everything here.

And ultimately, what you or I think doesn't matter. If Syracuse University wants to kick every one of these students out as well as all of their Facebook friends for good measure, that's their business.

[GreekOne]

These things never go well. Now the students have filed a lawsuit against the university.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/5-t...ity/ar-AAwlbBQ