| UVA Rape Story Collapses; Duke Lacrosse Redux | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 5 2014, 01:45 PM (60,460 Views) | |
| abb | Jan 13 2015, 05:36 AM Post #646 |
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http://www.dailyprogress.com/can-frats-police-themselves/article_e0c38e14-9aa6-11e4-bc2e-5b80f3727559.html Can frats police themselves? Posted: Sunday, January 11, 2015 5:00 am The Daily Progress Editorial Staff Opinion/Editorial: Doubt over enforcement of IFC's policy We’re not entirely confident that the self-policing aspects of new requirements for fraternities and sororities will be effective. But then, considering that part of the foundation for such reforms has crumbled, any improvement is welcome. We’re talking, of course, about last fall’s allegations of a “rape culture” at the University of Virginia. It must not be forgotten that concern about sexual assault on campus does not rely solely on one woman’s account — the now discredited story of “Jackie.” Other events confirm a risk of assault, not just at or around frat parties but in the larger campus community as well. Among those risk factors is heavy drinking. Drinking impairs judgment, for both sexes. Tragedy can result. That’s why many of the new rules — which were put forward by student leaders in the Greek community — focus on alcohol service and consumption. Wine can be served in glasses, but chapters can serve beer only in unopened containers. Pre-mixed drinks will be prohibited. Liquor will be served by a sober fraternity member or bartender licensed by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Some of these rules may help prevent drinks from being spiked with date-rape drugs and also help curtail underage drinking. There must be at least three “sober brother monitors” at each event — one at each alcohol station and one watching the stairs to residential rooms. Having someone monitor access to rooms may help stop fraternity members from taking less-than-sober women upstairs for non-consensual sex. Meanwhile, sororities must have “women on call” during high-risk times who can serve as contacts for sisters who find themselves in an “unsafe situation.” Yet neither the university administration nor the Inter-Fraternity Council would say how these rules would be enforced. UVa points out that fraternities and sororities are private residences, and it has no jurisdiction there. It can only revoke an organization’s official standing with the university if rules are shown to have been broken. That leaves enforcement up to the IFC and its individual members. We have no doubt that fraternities, still stinging from last year’s allegations, will launch the new program with good intentions and a will to succeed. But we suspect that, as time passes, as students graduate who do not recall the trauma of last fall, enforcement will become less and less meticulous. Yet, how would we know? How will parents be assured that their sons and daughters will be safe at UVa Greek events? How will fraternities police themselves? It does not bode well that fraternity and sorority leaders failed even to respond to questions about these details. All organizations need accountability. Something as serious as sexual assault prevention requires transparency as well as accountability. The IFC has yet to allay doubts that it is capable of strict self-policing, not just now but for the long term. |
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| abb | Jan 13 2015, 05:40 AM Post #647 |
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/phi-kappa-psi-fraternity-reinstated-at-university-of-virginia/2015/01/12/1b6ddd50-9a69-11e4-96cc-e858eba91ced_story.html Police clear U-Va. fraternity, say rape did not happen there By T. Rees Shapiro January 12 at 10:47 AM CHARLOTTESVILLE — A police investigation has cleared a University of Virginia fraternity of any involvement in an alleged gang rape that was detailed in a Rolling Stone magazine story last year, with authorities saying there was “no basis to believe that an incident occurred” at the Phi Kappa Psi house. U-Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan approved the full reinstatement of the fraternity chapter Monday after police detectives did not find “any substantive basis to confirm that the allegations raised in the article occurred at Phi Kappa Psi,” university officials said. The announcement came as classes here resumed for the spring semester and three days after Sullivan lifted a months-long freeze on campus Greek life. The reinstatement also allows Phi Psi to join the ranks of fraternities and sororities now beginning recruitment activities, known as Rush, this week. “We welcome Phi Kappa Psi, and we look forward to working with all fraternities and sororities in enhancing and promoting a safe environment for all,” Sullivan said in a statement. Phi Psi was at the center of campus uproar in November after Rolling Stone published a 9,000-word article, written by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, that included a harrowing account of an alleged gang rape at the fraternity on Sept. 28, 2012. A U-Va. junior named Jackie told Rolling Stone, and later The Washington Post, that she was ambushed at a “date function” at Phi Psi a few weeks into her freshman year, with seven fraternity members holding her down and raping her in an upstairs bedroom while two others — including her date — watched and encouraged the attack. After the Rolling Stone article’s publication, the Phi Psi house was vandalized, students protested outside the historic property, and the fraternity voluntarily suspended its charter at the university as police investigated the allegations. “We are pleased that the University and the Charlottesville Police Department have cleared our fraternity of any involvement in this case,” Phi Psi President Stephen Scipione, a junior, said Monday. “In today’s 24-hour news cycle, we all have a tendency to rush to judgment without having all of the facts in front of us. As a result, our fraternity was vandalized, our members ostracized based on false information.” A Post investigation found that the fraternity did not host a date function on the September weekend named in the article and that no Phi Psi brothers resembled the man Jackie described to Rolling Stone as her main attacker. A number of Jackie’s friends and advocates for campus sexual assault awareness also have disputed facts presented in the magazine. In addition, information that Jackie provided to friends about her alleged attacker led to a student who said he had never met her and also to a high school classmate who attends college in a different state, The Post found. In interviews, Jackie told The Post that she stood by the account published in Rolling Stone. In December, the fraternity issued a statement denying the claims described in Rolling Stone and noted that its own inquiry into the allegations revealed factual errors. Rolling Stone has since apologized for inaccuracies in the article and has asked for an independent review from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Charlottesville police Capt. Gary Pleasants said that although Phi Psi has been cleared, the investigation into the allegations is ongoing. “We’re still investigating,” Pleasants said. “We found no basis to believe that an incident occurred at that fraternity, so there’s no reason to keep them suspended.” Last week, Sullivan announced a new contract between the university and fraternities that includes enhanced safety measures for social activities designed to discourage binge drinking. The university said that Phi Psi was the first fraternity to sign the updated agreement, and fraternity officials said that Phi Psi members have participated in a sexual assault awareness program. “We believe that in the midst of this ordeal, there is an opportunity for good,” Scipione said. “This has prompted us to take a closer look at ourselves and what role organizations like ours may play in ensuring student safety.” T. Rees Shapiro is an education reporter. |
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| MikeZPU | Jan 13 2015, 12:29 PM Post #648 |
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No apology. No consequences for the students who vandalized the fraternity house. |
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| abb | Jan 13 2015, 04:56 PM Post #649 |
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https://twitter.com/NBC29/status/555101456882491392/photo/1 BREAKING: @DeliaDAmbra29 reports Alpha Tau Omega says UVA chapter will not sign new FOA with the university. |
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| abb | Jan 13 2015, 04:59 PM Post #650 |
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7QdwR_IQAADZfi.jpg:large |
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| abb | Jan 13 2015, 05:08 PM Post #651 |
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Alpha Tau Omega press Release 1/13/15 https://lincolnparishnewsonline.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/ato-011315.pdf |
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| abb | Jan 13 2015, 05:12 PM Post #652 |
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http://www.nbc29.com/story/27841233/fraternities-refusing-to-sign-on-to-new-uva-rules Fraternities Refusing to Sign On to New UVA Rules Posted: Jan 13, 2015 3:55 PM CST Updated: Jan 13, 2015 4:00 PM CST CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va (WVIR) - Two fraternities are standing up to the University of Virginia, saying they won't play by new rules. Kappa Alpha Order and Alpha Tau Omega have harsh words for UVA leaders. Both fraternities released statements on Tuesday, citing reasons why they won't sign on with new guidelines UVA is mandating for Greek organizations. Alpha Tau Omega and Kappa Alpha Order say the university violated the original fraternity operating agreement (FOA), going as far as accusing UVA of strong-arming fraternities by suspending them. Both fraternities also say the new agreement creates unique legal burdens on students. "I think the fraternities want to understand why it is the university took action against 25 percent of the student body and suspended them without any thought to due process," said KevinO'Neilll, member of the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee. Phi Kappa Psi - the fraternity called into question in the Rolling Stone magazine article which started all of this - has signed the new agreement with UVA. The agreements were developed by student groups and would require that parties not serve pre-mixed drinks or punches, beer to only be served from unopened cans, wine poured by a sober brother, and security at the doors. A spokesperson with the university says "We remain hopeful that all groups will commit to these reasonable protocols designed to improve student safety." Statement from Kappa Alpha Order: Kappa Alpha Order is not signing the new Fraternity Operating Agreement (FOA) for two reasons: The University violated the previous FOA as well as student individual and organizational rights. The system-wide suspension, which was initiated for reasons that were found to be untrue, unfairly punished all members of fraternities and sororities. It was maintained and used as leverage to require the changes to the FOA. Because we do not accept the validity of a suspension imposed in contravention of the existing FOA, university policy, Virginia law and the constitutional rights of our members, we are not compelled to sign a revised FOA to continue operations on campus. Second, Kappa Alpha Order's own risk management policies, much like the policies of all national fraternities and sororities, are as strict or more strict than this new FOA. Our chapter will comply with the more restrictive of the policies in its activities. We are concerned that the university's revision to the FOA may create new liability for individual members of our organizations that is more properly a duty to be borne by the university itself. Together, these circumstances set a dangerous precedent of an erosion of student and organizational rights. Kappa Alpha Order fully welcomes the opportunity to work with UVA on continuing dialogue of partnership and risk management education. This should occur on an ongoing basis, not under these pretenses. Statement from Alpha Tau Omega: INDIANAPOLIS-Alpha Tau Omega is not signing the new Fraternity Operating Agreement (FOA) for two reasons: The University violated the previous FOA as well as student individual and organizational rights. The system-wide suspension, which was initiated for reasons that were found to be untrue, unfairly punished all members of fraternities and sororities. It was maintained and used as leverage to require the changes to the FOA. Because we do not accept the validity of a suspension imposed in contravention of the existing FOA, university policy, Virginia law and the constitutional rights of our members, we are not compelled to sign a revised FOA to continue operations on campus. Second, Alpha Tau Omega's own risk management policies, much like the policies of all national fraternities and sororities, are as strict or more strict than this new FOA. Our chapter will comply with the more restrictive of the policies in its activities. We are concerned that the university's revision to the FOA may create new liability for individual members of our organizations that is more properly a duty to be borne by the university itself. Together, these circumstances set a dangerous precedent of an erosion of student and organizational rights. Alpha Tau Omega fully welcomes the opportunity to work with UVA on continuing dialogue of partnership and risk management education. This should occur on an ongoing basis, not under these pretenses. Edited by abb, Jan 13 2015, 05:13 PM.
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| abb | Jan 13 2015, 07:10 PM Post #653 |
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http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/01/the-wrongly-accused-frat-at-uva-is-owed-a-lot-of-apologies/384463/#disqus_thread The Wrongly Accused Frat at UVA Is Owed a Few Apologies On the rush to judgment against Phi Kappa Psi Conor Friedersdorf Jan 13 2015, 1:08 PM ET This week, the University of Virginia announced that it is reinstating the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. The chapter was suspended when Rolling Stone published allegations that an undergraduate named Jackie was brutally gang-raped at one of its parties. Rolling Stone's feature has since been discredited by commentators and news organizations including The Washington Post, which rigorously debunked its reporting. The debunking is consistent with the findings of police in Charlottesville, who've concluded that while Jackie may or may not have been raped or assaulted on the night in question, she was not attacked at Phi Kappa Psi. Fortunately, no individual members of Phi Kappa Psi were named in the false allegations. It is nevertheless worth reflecting on the collective ordeal that they suffered when it was widely believed that many of them engaged in premeditated evil. "Due process must work for both parties—accused and complainant." Prior to these allegations, the collegians were living in their frat house. After the publication of the Rolling Stone story, the young men began to receive hate emails, voicemails, and threats of violence. Angry protestors massed outside their house and shouted as if at gang-rapists. That alone must've seemed surreal and difficult to face, especially for a group of 18-to-22-year-olds. Then in the wee hours of one morning, vandals broke several frat house windows with chunks of cinder block and bottles and tagged the outside of the house. "This situation is just beginning," the perpetrators soon threatened in an anonymous letter. "We will escalate and we will provoke until justice is achieved for the countless victims of rampant sexual violence at this University and around the nation." Needless to say, the vandals achieved no justice for rape victims by victimizing these young men. The college students living in the frat house ultimately fled to different living quarters, even as they were trying to wind up their academic work for the semester. "Our brothers are obviously concerned with their personal safety and the safety of the house,” fraternity president Stephen Scipione told the student newspaper. Meanwhile, people were shouting "rapist" at fraternity members on campus. Men in Phi Kappa Psi were presumably questioned by police in the course of their investigation. Alumni from the frat asked themselves if the institution to which they once belonged had morphed into a venue for gang rape and felt stigma for their bygone association. Parents of members were stressed and upset too, whether because they felt their sons were being unfairly maligned or worried that they'd joined a fraternity that conducts gang rapes as a matter of course. The fact that Phi Kappa Psi's membership was falsely accused of this crime does not mean that most rape accusations are false–the opposite is true–or that there isn't a need to reduce the number of rapes and sexual assaults that happen on college campuses, even granting that some activists overstate the number of victims. It should be possible to push for reforms that would reduce the too-high number of rape victims while advocating against rushes to judgment in individual cases. All credible rape accusations should be investigated. Before the results are in the accuser should have the private support of friends and various resources. But nothing is gained when angry mobs with no particular knowledge of a case gather en masse to shout epithets at people who weren't even accused as individuals. In Charlottesville, young men were attacked by folks so certain about their guilt that they hurled objects through their windows and threatened their safety. Yet even now that they've been exonerated, there is little acknowledgment that the boys were wronged or sense that the people who wronged them should apologize. Why? Even if their antagonists had good intentions, the young men look to be innocent of the gang-rape accusation in the Rolling Stone story—and that's what matters. UVA's student newspaper is an exception. Its editorial on Phi Kappa Psi's reinstatement noted that many sexual assaults at UVA go uninvestigated or unpunished, and that there is reason to believe more protections are needed on campus. "What we can be certain of is this," the student editorial continued. "There is no justice in a case which accuses a party that did not commit the crime in question. Phi Kappa Psi was undeservingly condemned and threatened by a community which did not wait until the facts of the case were investigated to issue judgment. But due process must work for both parties—accused and complainant. The community is only made safer if the correct offender is apprehended." |
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| abb | Jan 13 2015, 07:14 PM Post #654 |
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http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2015/01/the-next-chapter The next chapter With the reinstatement of Phi Kappa Psi, we must continue to uphold due process and survivor support by Managing Board | Jan 13 2015 | 18 hours ago Phi Kappa Psi fraternity became the first to sign a new Fraternal Organization Agreement Jan. 8, after the Charlottesville police department concluded there was no substantive evidence to corroborate the allegations of a gang rape at the fraternity two years ago. Though the police department has yet to close its investigation, it seems as though this latest development is one of multiple indications that the story surrounding the Rolling Stone report is coming to a conclusion of sorts. Greek social activities are no longer banned, on the condition that Greek organizations abide by new safety regulations. For a police department even to investigate a rape case without a complainant is uncommon, but the high profile nature of this case encouraged the investigation to proceed anyway. Multiple media outlets had already suggested the allegations against Phi Kappa Psi were false, so their reinstatement does not come as a surprise. But despite many conclusions that Jackie’s story was completely fabricated, many in the University community are open to the possibility that some elements of her story are genuine, even if she was mistaken about the fraternity house she was taken to the night it occurred. Though this seems to be somewhat of a conclusion in this saga, the unconcluded story of Jackie’s trauma, as well as the sexual assault reports of 28 other University students which never resulted in complaints last year, are reason to worry there is still a threat somewhere in this community. The uncertainty is all the more reason to continue improving the infrastructure of our community, to increase safety and support survivors. We may or may not get more answers in the coming weeks. What we can be certain of is this: there is no justice in a case which accuses a party that did not commit the crime in question. Phi Kappa Psi was undeservingly condemned and threatened by a community which did not wait until the facts of the case were investigated to issue judgment. But due process must work for both parties — accused and complainant. The community is only made safer if the correct offender is apprehended. But there have been cases where the justice system has failed rape victims in unacceptable ways. The fundamental importance of due process and the growing support for sexual assault survivors are not mutually exclusive, as many suggest. Improvement on both fronts is possible. Cooperation with an investigation is an important part of due process, and Phi Psi’s cooperation provides an example of how all parties in a case can facilitate the search for the truth, and for justice. Phi Psi’s name has now been cleared in the national spotlight, but only time will tell whether the reputation of the entire Greek system will change. Going forward, we hope that all fraternity men, as vital members of this community, will participate in the movement against sexual violence. President of Phi Kappa Psi Stephen Scipione acknowledged in a press release that this incident has “opened our eyes to the problem women like Jackie face.” This story is far from over; this event marks only the close of a single chapter. |
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| MikeZPU | Jan 13 2015, 10:25 PM Post #655 |
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Good for them!!! I could not believe it when I read a couple days ago that Sullivan was requiring all fraternities to sign a new FOA (or whatever the hell they call it) as a prerequisite to lifting the suspension --- what the heck???!!! The suspension was unfair even if Jackie's allegations were true, because it punished all for the actions of one. But, in fact, it has been 100% proven that Jackie's story was a complete and total fabrication! And when this was found out, Sullivan did not lift the suspension. And now she makes a demand to lift the suspension? Unbelievable! Edited by MikeZPU, Jan 13 2015, 10:26 PM.
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| abb | Jan 14 2015, 05:49 AM Post #656 |
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http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/20814/ White males bear the brunt of UVA’s wrath in new Greek life rules by Matt Lamb - Loyola University Chicago on January 14, 2015 FIX FEATURE Fight for your right to party? Not required in sororities and minority frats Spurred by the discredited Rolling Stone story about gang rape at a single University of Virginia fraternity, administrators and Greek life leaders have come up with strict new rules for most fraternities – and weaker ones for sororities and minority Greeks. The changes come on the heels of a voluntary suspension of fraternity activities, and a larger blanket prohibition on social activities by President Teresa Sullivan. Phi Kappa Psi, the venue for the discredited gang rape, was reinstated by the school this week, though the local police are still investigating the claims of “Jackie,” the student at the center of the Rolling Stone article, the New York Times reported. A new addendum to the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) agreement heavily regulates frat functions, defined as events that run past 9 p.m. and have more than half the chapter’s members present. The new rules make frat parties look more like nightclubs than campus soirees. At least three brothers must be “sober and lucid,” meaning “without influence of any substance,” at each function. At least one each “must be present at each point of alcohol distribution and another at the stairs leading to residential rooms.” Whoever is monitoring the stairs “must have immediate key access to each room in the fraternity house during the social function.” Party monitors must “wear a designated identifier” that will be standardized across all frats, and at least three of the sober brothers must be “non-first year” members. All fraternity functions have to be registered by 11:59 P.M. “the preceding Tuesday.” Say goodbye to kegs and punch bowls The most sweeping change may be what drinks can be served at frat parties, and how they can be dispensed. Kegs are out: Beer can only be served from the original, unopened can. Wine can be served “upon request, poured visibly at the bar” by one of the sober monitors, while punches and other “pre-mixed drinks” are banned entirely. So-called jungle juice has been blamed for binge drinking and sexual assault, The College Fix has reported. To keep booze from acting too quickly, frats must provide bottled water at every beverage station and food at one of those stations. Frats must hire licensed bartenders to serve hard liquor at Tier 1 events – those with more guests than brothers present – while people can bring their own hard liquor to a “central bar location, overseen by a sober brother,” at Tier 2 events, where the number of guests “approximately matches” the brothers. In changes bent on “eliminating discomfort and chaos” at the door, Tier 1 parties now must have a security guard from a vendor approved by the IFC, using a guest list that “exclusively dictates” who gets in. Tier 2 parties need to use a guest list to “manage entry.” The changes are necessary because of issues with “high-risk drinking, sexual misconduct, and unhealthy power structures,” according to the addendum’s introduction. University spokesman Anthony de Bruyn did not explain to The Fix what “unhealthy power structures” mean. It’s unclear what other terms mean in the addendum, which is barely two pages. There’s no definition of “substance” or “influence,” or the exact distinction between the role of guest lists at Tier 1 and 2 parties. Drastically lighter rules for women and minorities Greeks who aren’t white males seem to have gotten a pass on strict new rules. The new addendum for sororities, historically black frats, and Latin, Asian or “multicultural” Greeks, only vaguely requires the development of “risk management strategies and safe social practices.” They have to submit recommendations for safety procedures as well as increase alcohol safety and bystander intervention training, but there are no particular requirements for their parties. Sororities already have “sober sisters” at social events because of “national organization requirements,” Julia Pedrick, Inter-Sorority Council president, told President Sullivan in a Jan. 2 letter, but it’s unclear what their duties are. Spokesman de Bruyn told The Fix by email that each frat and sorority “must abide by their respective addenda,” but did not explain why certain Greek organizations were placed under harsher rules, or direct The Fix toward someone who could. Neither members of the IFC nor Sullivan’s office returned requests for comment. Sexual-assault group based on dubious stats helped craft rules In addition to current and former Greek leaders and members, “scores of individual alumni” and student groups including One in Four helped develop “these improvements to our system,” IFC President Tommy Reid said in a university press release. One in Four is an anti-sexual assault advocacy group, which derives its name from the unsubstantiated claim that one in four college women has “survived rape or attempted rape.” It teaches men “to challenge their own behaviors and influence the behaviors of others,” and women how to identify “characteristics of high-risk perpetrators.” College Fix reporter Matt Lamb is a student at Loyola University-Chicago. Edited by abb, Jan 14 2015, 05:51 AM.
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| abb | Jan 14 2015, 05:53 AM Post #657 |
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http://www.vdare.com/posts/two-fraternities-alpha-tau-omega-and-kappa-alpha-resist-the-uva-administrations-new-punitive-rules Two Fraternities, Alpha Tau Omega and Kappa Alpha, Resist the UVA Administration’s New Punitive Rules By James Kirkpatrick on January 13, 2015, 8:52 pm As we previously reported, the University of Virginia decided to punish fraternities even after the #UVAHoax utterly collapsed. In a heartening development, two fraternities at Mr. Jefferson’s University, Alpha Tau Omega and Kappa Alpha, are actually taking the necessary step of resisting. The fraternities state two reasons for their refusal to sign on to these new rules. The first reason is that U.Va., “for reasons that were found to be untrue, unfairly punished all members of fraternities and sororities.” This is in reference to the Rolling Stone article claiming a woman was gang raped at a Phi Kappa Psi party, which resulted in the social activity ban (without any evidence other than the uncorroborated accusation). “Because we do not accept the validity of a suspension imposed in contravention of the existing FOA, university policy, Virginia law and the constitutional rights of our members, we are not compelled to sign a revised FOA to continue operations on campus,” the fraternities wrote in press releases that were put out separately but shared the same language. The fraternities also state that their own risk management policies “are as strict or more strict than this new FOA” and they will continue to “comply with the more restrictive of the policies in its activities.” The fraternities wrote, “We are concerned that the university’s revision to the FOA may create new liability for individual members of our organizations that is more properly a duty to be borne by the university itself.” The statements also claim that the new rules “set a dangerous precedent of an erosion of student and organizational rights,” but would work with U.Va. to develop “risk management education.” “This should occur on an ongoing basis, not under these pretenses,” the fraternities wrote. [UVA fraternities are refusing to sign new campus requirements, by Ashe Schow, Washington Examiner, January 13, 2015] The fraternities clearly recognize that the new rules aren’t about promoting campus safety but about breaking down freedom of association and putting more legal liability on the institutions the university (and the official leftist culture) does not fully control. However, the school is not backing down. As the University of Virginia is a public school, this may end up in the courts. The heart of what the Dark Enlightenment writer “Mencius Moldbug” called “the Cathedral” (or what the late Joe Sobran called “the Hive“) is the universities. The identity politics leftism that we now refer to as “Social Justice Warrior” culture comes from the campuses, and modern leftism is about nothing so much as making the entire country resemble one giant Ethnic Studies Department. The universities may well be beyond reform. [Burn down the colleges, by Gregory Hood, Radix Journal, May 20, 2014] But if they can be saved, one of the most important remnants of potential student resistance is the Greek system of the South. |
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| Duke parent 2004 | Jan 14 2015, 06:33 AM Post #658 |
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Let’s bring back the orgy to the culture of fraternities. When I served as president of my own college fraternity, the brothers responded most aptly to my once reminding them that the university prohibited shacking up with our girlfriends in the house, which building, after all, the university owned.. My sermon was prompted by someone’s having pulled the fire alarm in the wee hours; the young ladies who streamed onto our front lawn as firefighters arrived (there was no fire) would have been difficult to explain had the university’s gendarmes also appeared. One evening, upon returning to the house from the library, I was confronted by stacks of furniture in our large foyer..Turning into the much larger living room, I was startled to see that magnificent space covered wall to wall with mattresses.. The brothers (and their girlfriends) had made their point.. At the time, now almost fifty years ago, none of us could have imagined that an effective defense against outraged claims of “no means no” would be to carry on in an arranged and anything but ambiguous “group setting.” |
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| Payback | Jan 14 2015, 10:09 AM Post #659 |
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I'm confused. This time the "survivor support" goes to the falsely accused fraternity? |
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| abb | Jan 14 2015, 10:23 AM Post #660 |
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http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/14/uva-fraternities-refuse-to-sign-new-agreement-citing-untrue-rape-claim/ Citing ‘Untrue’ Rape Claim, UVA Fraternities Refuse To Sign New Agreement Posted By Chuck Ross On 8:51 AM 01/14/2015 In | 1 Comment Two University of Virginia fraternities are refusing to agree to a new set of rules governing fraternity parties, arguing that the new requirements are based on a lie. “The University violated the previous FAO [Fraternal Operating Agreement] as well as student individual and organizational rights,” the two fraternities, Kappa Alpha Order and Alpha Tau Omega, wrote in similarly-worded letters on Tuesday. “The system-wide suspension, which was initiated for reasons that were found to be untrue, unfairly punished all members of fraternities and sororities,” the letters continued. The fraternities are referring to UVA president Teresa Sullivan’s blanket suspension of all Greek-life activity on Nov. 22, days after the publication of a Rolling Stone article which reported claims made by a student named Jackie who said that in Sept. 2012 she was gang-raped by seven members of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Jackie’s claims have been all but completely debunked, however. Jackie has not publicly admitted she fabricated the claim, but several friends of Jackie’s have come forward claiming that she changed her story numerous times. There is also strong evidence that she fabricated a UVA student she claimed she went on a date with the night of the alleged rape. The Phi Kappa Psi member Jackie claims coordinated her gang-rape also appears not to have existed. The Charlottesville Police Department is still conducting an investigation, but recently announced there there was no evidence that Phi Kappa Psi members were involved in the gang-rape. UVA reinstated the fraternity on Monday, and it was the first to sign the FAO. The new FAO, which Sullivan announced last week, would prohibit fraternities from serving pre-mixed drinks and punches and also require “sober brothers” to pour the drinks. Fraternities would also have to maintain guest lists and provide security for house parties. The FAO also requires “sober brothers” — stationed at the bottom of each house’s stairs — to have access to upstairs rooms. Fraternities must sign the new agreement by Jan. 16 in order to be reinstated, according to Sullivan. Despite the dissension by Kappa Alpha Order and Alpha Tau Omega, a university spokesperson said “We remain hopeful that all groups will commit to these reasonable protocols designed to improve student safety,” according to WVIR. Kappa Alpha Order’s statement: Kappa Alpha Order is not signing the new Fraternity Operating Agreement (FOA) for two reasons: It was maintained and used as leverage to require the changes to the FOA. Because we do not accept the validity of a suspension imposed in contravention of the existing FOA, university policy, Virginia law and the constitutional rights of our members, we are not compelled to sign a revised FOA to continue operations on campus. Second, Kappa Alpha Order’s own risk management policies, much like the policies of all national fraternities and sororities, are as strict or more strict than this new FOA. Our chapter will comply with the more restrictive of the policies in its activities. We are concerned that the university’s revision to the FOA may create new liability for individual members of our organizations that is more properly a duty to be borne by the university itself. Together, these circumstances set a dangerous precedent of an erosion of student and organizational rights. Kappa Alpha Order fully welcomes the opportunity to work with UVA on continuing dialogue of partnership and risk management education. This should occur on an ongoing basis, not under these pretenses. Alpha Tau Omega stated: INDIANAPOLIS-Alpha Tau Omega is not signing the new Fraternity Operating Agreement (FOA) for two reasons: The University violated the previous FOA as well as student individual and organizational rights. The system-wide suspension, which was initiated for reasons that were found to be untrue, unfairly punished all members of fraternities and sororities. It was maintained and used as leverage to require the changes to the FOA. Because we do not accept the validity of a suspension imposed in contravention of the existing FOA, university policy, Virginia law and the constitutional rights of our members, we are not compelled to sign a revised FOA to continue operations on campus. Second, Alpha Tau Omega’s own risk management policies, much like the policies of all national fraternities and sororities, are as strict or more strict than this new FOA. Our chapter will comply with the more restrictive of the policies in its activities. We are concerned that the university’s revision to the FOA may create new liability for individual members of our organizations that is more properly a duty to be borne by the university itself. Together, these circumstances set a dangerous precedent of an erosion of student and organizational rights. Alpha Tau Omega fully welcomes the opportunity to work with UVA on continuing dialogue of partnership and risk management education. This should occur on an ongoing basis, not under these pretenses. |
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9:15 AM Jul 11