Alumnae of a former U sorority were recently ordered to give up ownership of the disbanded chapter’s house on Greek Row and return it to the sorority’s national organization.
Local alumnae of the Theta Phi chapter of the Tri Delta sorority, which closed its U chapter more than a year ago because of low recruitment numbers, have been at odds with the national sorority for more than year after refusing to turn the house over. The group instead wanted to donate the house to the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
On Nov. 20, Judge Anthony B. Quinn of the Third District Court sided with the sorority’s national organization. Quinn ruled that the U chapter had violated one of Tri Delta’s national bylaws.
The bylaw states that the local chapter must return ownership of the house to the national chapter upon closing.
Lexi Casalino, president of Theta Phi’s house corporation, argues that they do not have to comply with the bylaw because the national organization did not support the house financially during its 74 years at the U.
She said that since money to buy the house was raised by members and alumnae within Utah, state law rules that the local chapter should own the house.
Despite the lack of financial support, Quinn ruled that Theta Phi’s use of the Tri Delta name, its relationship to its national organization and other forms of support were enough basis for an understood contract between them and the national sorority, said John Lund, the national organization’s attorney.
“I feel like we had the rug pulled out from under us by national,” said Ali Frost, a Theta Phi alumna. “I don’t think that they were very open or straight with us about it.”
Casalino said the chapter’s members agreed to the bylaw about 30 years ago, but they did not read it thoroughly enough, because no one thought the house would ever close.
The national chapter will likely sell the house, which is worth around $750,000, Casalino said. According to sorority rules, the house cannot be used by a new Tri Delta chapter. The house is currently being rented.
Theta Phi intended to donate the house to the Huntsman Cancer Institute so that cancer patients or families of cancer patients could have somewhere to stay during treatment, Casalino said.
In return, the Institute would name two parts of the hospital after Tri Delta, including a walk-in clinic for breast cancer examination.
“Our executive office…didn’t really care, I guess, a whole lot about that,” Casalino said.
Theta Phi has until Dec. 20 to appeal the ruling. Casalino said the chapter is not sure if they will challenge the decision.
Lennie Mahler