Kappa Sigma International decided to revoke the local chapter’s charter Saturday, prompted by a Jan. 19 party which resulted in 52 alcohol violations at the Kappa Sigma house .
Reed Sutton, president of Kappa Sigma, said the decision had more to do with political pressure than disciplinary violations.
“KSI pulled our charter due mainly to political pressure from the U,” Sutton said. Most of that pressure came from neighbors and Stayner Landward, dean of students, according to Sutton.
But Sutton acknowledges Kappa Sigma needs to be held responsible as well.
“There’s fault from both ends,” he said. “But without pressure from our neighbors, [losing the charter] probably never would have happened.”
Prior to Saturday’s hearing, Kappa Sigma became only the second fraternity to ban alcohol. At the Jan. 19 party, police gave 19 of the 52 citations to Kappa Sigma members. Forty of the citations were for consumption of alcohol by minors and 12 for giving alcohol to minors.
At a Feb. 29 meeting in response to the alcohol violations, the U’s Greek Judiciary Council gave a much less harsher punishment than the one KSI handed down. The council placed Kappa Sigma on a one-year probation at a Feb. 26 meeting. In addition to the probation, the fraternity was fined $8,150 and restricted from participating in all social events.
Nearly one month after being put on probation, the fraternity now faces an immediate revocation of its charter and must wait a minimum of one year before members can petition for reinstatement.
Landward, who sent a letter to KSI calling for the dissolution of the fraternity in February, said Kappa Sigma members must be held accountable for their actions.
“[Kappa Sigma] can blame outside forces if they choose, but the reality is they lost their charter because they acted irresponsibly and failed to be responsible adults,” Landward said.
Though the January party was a violation of IFC and Greek Council bylaws and the law, Sutton said that the Jan. 19 party was not the deciding incident in a history of trouble for the fraternity.
“It was more of the last six or seven years of the history of the chapter?than just this one incident,” Sutton said.
The Chronicle is still trying to contact Mitchell Wilson, executive director of KSI.