Frats ban alcohol until facts in on death
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News
April 13, 2006
BOULDER - University of Colorado fraternities have pledged not to serve alcohol until questions about a student's death have been answered.
"The fraternity leadership . . . considers this matter to be extremely serious and a top priority, as the IFC fraternities have long pledged to make a positive impact on the alcohol culture in Boulder," Interfraternity Council President Ryan Lynch said in a statement Wednesday.
Jesse Gomez, 18, was found dead Sunday afternoon by his roommate at Willard Hall. An autopsy found no trauma, but the Boulder County Coroner's Office is holding off on releasing a cause of death until a toxicology test has been completed.
The Theta Xi fraternity issued a statement this week saying that Gomez had been at the house's luau party Saturday night for about 90 minutes and that the people monitoring the party didn't think he needed any medical assistance as he left.Lynch said Wednesday that any fraternity that is found to have broken the rules on serving alcohol faces an internal hearing and possible sanctions. Lynch said the timetable for the ban on alcohol at social events at the houses "is indefinite and highly dependent on the outcome of the ongoing investigation."
The IFC has launched its own investigation into the Theta Xi party but won't release details of it until the police investigation is done, he said.
Lynch noted in Wednesday's statement that the IFC executive board requires that all parties involving alcohol be registered 72 hours ahead of time and that the host fraternity must follow rules on security, safety and transportation and must not serve alcohol to anyone under 21.
Marc Stine, CU's Greek liaison, said that Theta Xi registered the party with the IFC three weeks ahead of time, so far ahead of time that it might have been "lost in the shuffle."
In any case, the IFC didn't supply the "buzz crew" of non-drinking IFC members who monitor many of the parties, he said.
Several trained people at the party helped with security and checked IDs, said Gannon Frain, Theta Xi president.
Last year, Theta Xi won an IFC award for having the best risk-management system and the lowest number of violations in the CU fraternity system, Stine said.
Theta Xi attracts people who enjoy outdoor adventure sports such as mountain climbing, white-water rafting, sky diving and snowboarding. Its members include many engineering students, Eagle Scouts and ROTC trainees, he said.
Meanwhile, Boulder and CU police continue to investigate Gomez's activities in the hours before he was found dead in his dorm room, including whether he may have attended an off-campus party before going to the Theta Xi house Saturday night.
Copyright 2006, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
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