News
SigEp parties banned this fall
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Ken Harris:
- BREAKING: Board approves second-trimester abortions (February 4, 2009)
- Officials finish marching band investigations (December 2, 2008)
- After being kicked out of office for smoking, disabled professor struggles to work (November 20, 2008)
- Roundy's backs out, leaves U-Square in need of grocer (November 13, 2008)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
The Greek Judicial Board placed Sigma Phi Epsilon on social probation nearly two weeks ago in response to an incident in May that lead to allegations of hazing.
Social probation bans the fraternity from holding any parties for the entire fall semester, as well as the week following next semester’s “dry rush recruitment period.”
The unanimous decision of the Judicial Board, according to records obtained through an open records request, found the fraternity was not in violation of the anti-hazing policy when members dumped buckets of reportedly foul substances on each other May 2.
But the incident violated the chapter’s own statement banning any behavior that “demeans, belittles or damages another person.” In addition, the fraternity violated a University of Wisconsin statute that allows UW to punish any student for behavior that threatens the safety of any “member of the university committee or guest.”
According to an anonymous source within the Judicial Board, while social probation does not sound like a serious punishment, it is actually a big deal to a social fraternity.
“It can create unrest within a chapter when people are paying dues and nothing’s happening,” the Judicial Board member said. “It really does send a big message when you can no longer throw any parties.”
Fraternities and sororities have to register their parties with the Interfraternity Council, which inspects the parties. While on probation, SigEp cannot register any parties.
On the other hand, if they are caught holding any unregistered events, they could be subject to more sanctions ranging from a “stern letter all the way up to expulsion,” according to Jeff Benson, UW Greek adviser, who is also on the Judicial Board.
Mike Miesen, UW Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter president, said the fraternity is taking responsibility for their misconduct, but he believes the probation is too harsh of a penalty.
“We are owning up to it to the extent that we did something wrong, but we don’t think the sanctions fit,” Miesen said.
He added SigEp is appealing the social probation but will comply with the other sanctions handed down by the Judicial Board.
In addition to social probation, the fraternity must attend a risk management presentation approved by Benson and Eric Flanagan, IFC risk management chair, and develop a presentation about the lessons learned from the incident.
They also must send a letter of apology to all fraternity and sorority chapter presidents, the Offices of the Dean of Students and the Chancellor’s Office.
Miesen said the appeal should be decided on within the next two weeks. He added he believes the appeal will be accepted, saying the UW Committee on Student Organizations has already found the fraternity not guilty of any violations.
Ryan Sugden, the chapter’s alumni board vice president, echoed Miesen’s sentiment, saying “this decision punishes members that were not even part of the organization last year.”
He added the fraternity already imposed multiple sanctions on itself. According to Sugden, SigEp has imposed an additional 500 community service hours, had a leadership retreat to review their policies and procedures and have had national leaders of the organization speak to them.
The Judicial Board member said the public mistrusts the Greek community’s handling of misconduct allegations and believes people should know they take situations like this very seriously and handle them responsibly.
“A lot of people sit here and vilify the Greek community, but here comes the band,” the Judicial Board member said, referring to widely publicized hazing allegations surrounding the UW Marching Band.
Benson said the public will always be suspicious of how matters like this are handled, no matter how much the Greeks try to divulge information.
“The best thing I could say in regard to this is the Greek community took this situation very seriously,” Benson said. “The Greek community rallied around getting to the bottom of the situation.”
12 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Muckrakers
President’s Visit Marked a Speech to One of the Last Groups Not Critical of Him
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
HOUSES FOR Fall 2010. All houses are on W Dayton or N Bassett. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 bedrooms. All have parking. madisoncampusrentals.com
HINT: What this means is that nobody had the balls to get up and give them something worse. Social probation? They don’t have a place to hold parties anyway! They won’t care… they’ll just hold them in third party locales and get away with it. Big deal.
I don’t understand how SigEp didn’t violate the UW anti-hazing policy but they violated every other policy related to hazing….
Does anyone know about SAE’s status?
Sig Ep is so badass
Here is what I think about Fraternity life. Most of the guys are a bunch of coastie retards, and I don’t know if they follow the hazing thing out there, but at this campus, if you want to have a freshman or new pledge prove that they’re worthy of your frat, how about making them taking out your garbage or doing your laundry instead of being a fricken idiot and hazing them or dumping fowl substances over their bodies? Grow up, you morons. You’re supposed to be adults
no Sig Ep parties this semester… oh no… What ever shall I do?
Because the UW statute has language about the hazing coming from older members installing younger members into the fraternity. Since the freshmen were doing the hazing here, it didn’t violate that statute.
SAE is still off campus. They are trying to come back soon. SigEp did not violate hazing because it did not involve their pledges or anyone trying to join or stay in the fraternity. In regards to social probation, it is a big deal because if you have a football pregame, a bar party, a house party or any event involving alcohol that can be tied to their house, then they will go in front of J-board again and at this point, they will be facing social probation.
Enjoy making fun of them for doing the same perverted things college males do randomly throughout their collegiate career. If you don’t think there are non-frat boys doing things just as sick or worse you are wrong and have never met my neighbors.
reason #19197691 why nobody likes fraternities. paying for friends…just an awesome way to spend four years. arent these the idiots that flicked a cig into their trash and lit their house on fire? what a banner year they are having.
Put them on double secret probation!
Honestly, people who don’t know what the Greek System is about really should not knock it. As a former member of SigEp itself, I am not exactly the biggest proponent of Greek life, but I will not sit by and let people who do not know what they are talking about try to knock it down. SigEp did not haze because this was the PLEDGES dumping a bucket on OLDER MEMBERS. Second, there is no conclusive evidence yet as to what started the fire. Finally, to the anonymous quote on 10/10 at 12:27 AM … why do you knock “paying for friends”? Why can’t they decide that they want to join a fraternity without you being rude about it? If that is what they want to do, then they can … you have no right to be demeaning and claim that “paying for friends” is what it is all about. I really have never understood why people make that argument . . when they’ve never tried even being a member of a Fraternity. Grow up.