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Lehigh University alumna, student blast sanctions against fraternity over vandalism
- 1. Lehigh University alumna, student blast sanctions against fraternity over vandalism Lehigh University said it suspended a fraternity this week because of racially fueled vandalism last November at a residence hall dedicated to student diversity. But coming to the defense today of the Sigma Chi fraternity were both a student who started a group supporting minority students on campus and an alumna who filed a federal complaint over Lehigh's handling of the vandalism at Umoja House. "The whole house did not partake in that incident," said Brenda Martinez, a junior English and journalism major from Los Angeles. Last fall, she founded FBR, or From Beneath the Rug, a group trying to draw attention to minorities' struggles on the Bethlehem campus. Susan Magaziner, a 1977 Lehigh graduate, filed a complaint last fall that led to an ongoing U.S. Education Department Office of Civil Rights investigation into the university's handling of the Umoja House vandalism. She labeled the university's actions against Sigma Chi as a "smoke screen" and "damage control" and an effort to preempt the findings of what she said are two ongoing federal probes related to her complaint. "This is a witch hunt and Sigma Chi is the victim," Magaziner told The Express-Times. "Today they're coming out with charges against an entire fraternity organization of which is made up of individual people that may have nothing to do with this." During the vandalism incident, the Umoja House was egged and racial graffiti was scrawled in red paint. 'Extensive investigations' Patrick V. Farrell, Lehigh's provost and vice president for academic affairs, announced the sanctions in a campus email Tuesday night, saying they followed "extensive investigations by Lehigh University police, the Office of Student Conduct & Community Expectations and external fact- finders." Lehigh issued an interim suspension recognition of Sigma Chi. That largely means the fraternity cannot hold fraternity activities there and must operate solely as a residence hall, university
- 2. spokesman Jordan Reese said. The investigations provided an insufficient basis for criminal charges, Farrell said. But in addition to the fraternity's suspension, the university: Charged the fraternity with 10 alleged violations of Lehigh's Code of Conduct dealing with respect for others, property, community and self. Charged two unnamed members with alleged code violations. Suspended one student on an interim basis. A formal student conduct hearing will occur prior to the end of this semester to determine whether those charged are responsible for violations and, if so, levy sanctions, Farrell said. Fraternity responds Sigma Chi International Fraternity, in a statement today, said it is unaware of "any credible evidence" supporting the allegations against its Lehigh chapter, Alpha Rho. The statement continued to say the fraternity stands "in support of the efforts underway to bring responsible individuals to account so that justice can prevail." "We stand ready to assist appropriate authorities in the investigation of the heinous acts that occurred on the campus of Lehigh University on Nov. 6, 2013, at such time when we may be welcome in that investigation process," according to the statement provided by Michael J. Church, executive director of the Evanston, Ill.-based fraternity. Magaziner, the alumna, said she spoke at length this morning with Church. Among her criticisms of Lehigh's actions this week was that the university handled its investigation internally and has not publicly identified the external fact-finders. "My contention here: The university is charging individual students and an entire fraternity organization with charges through uncredible investigative parties," she said. Reese, a university spokesman, responded tonight: "It is the university's responsibility, as stated in the Student Code of Conduct, to hold students and student organizations accountable for actions that fail to act in accord with the rules and regulations of the community. After a comprehensive investigation, Lehigh has charged a fraternity and two students with University Code of Conduct violations. "Lehigh has followed Student Conduct policies throughout this investigation, which began immediately after the Umoja House incident last November." He continued to say the university's investigation is independent of the federal Office of Civil Rights' probe sparked by Magaziner's complaint.