Frat accused of sexual harassment: year on social probation
Published 8:21 am Monday, May 9, 2016
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A fraternity accused of sexual harassment during its annual charity fundraiser says the University of Mississippi’s judicial council has put the Sigma Chi chapter on social probation for a year, but it will appeal the decision.
University officials said policy prevents them from disclosing the result of the school’s investigation until all appeals are exhausted.
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Chapter vice president Max Lopez told The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/1O8FyJv) that the chapter won’t be allowed to have a fall 2016 rush class, and current members must take educational workshops about sexual assault and harassment, and about drug and alcohol abuse.
The investigation started after sorority member Abby Bruce said fraternity members had asked sexually suggestive questions over loudspeakers to sorority members in front of hundreds of students during the Derby Days fundraiser last month.
“Why do we pay money to participate in these events to be humiliated?” Bruce wrote. “Why have we allowed ourselves to be objectified?”
She said she received a lot of support for that message.
“My main purpose in the initial post was just to get women to stand up for themselves, and to have a backbone, and be confident and ask questions,” Bruce told the newspaper. “It’s been really amazing to me to see how that snowballs into so many issues that go beyond women’s empowerment.”
She said those include discussing how the Greek system can become more aware of sexual assaults.
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Clay Wooley, president of the fraternity chapter, said he’s now more aware of sexual assault and harassment in the Greek system and on campus as a whole, and is looking to change the way his fraternity hosts future events.
