Tau Epsilon Phi officials said it is unlikely any of the fraternity brothers would move out of their house on College Avenue, despite having their university charter revoked by the administration.
The university’s chapter of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity will be suspended due to allegations of hazing and illegal alcohol and drug use, university officials announced yesterday.
The suspension of the fraternity’s Tau Beta chapter will last either for four years or until every current member of the fraternity graduates — whichever comes first, Director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life Matt Supple said.
Chapters that lose recognition are no longer considered a recognized student group, cannot participate as a group in university-held events and lose access to university-owned housing, according to OFSL policy. But because TEP’s chapter house is located off of the campus, Chapter President Tom Perlozzo said brothers who live there have no intentions of breaking their lease.
Members met with Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement last Friday to present their case for holding onto their charter at the university after allegations of illegal drug and alcohol use was brought against the organization.
But Clement wasn’t convinced, Supple said. As a result, TEP will no longer be recognized by the university.
Though Clement declined to comment yesterday, Supple said she cited OFSL’s recognition policies, which dictate under what circumstances a chapter can lose recognition, as basis for her decision.
Late last month, Supple recommended removing TEP from the university because he said the fraternity violated several OFSL risk management policies, which include responsible alcohol consumption and compliance with anti-hazing regulations.
Supple said he could not comment on any specific alcohol use, drug use or hazing instances he believed to have taken place within the last three to five semesters.
TEP’s national headquarters has launched an investigation into this chapter and has temporarily suspended it from holding social events, recruiting and organizing as a group in public, said George Hasenberg, TEP’s executive director at the national level.
The suspension was given as a precautionary move and does not indicate guilt or innocence in the eyes of the national headquarters, he noted.
“Generally speaking, when a group loses recognition on a campus, the national fraternity historically has supported the decisions made by the university,” Hasenberg said, adding that national headquarters has not revoked Tau Beta’s charter.
Hasenberg said Perlozzo was cooperative and forthcoming at the meeting with Clement, where national’s representatives and fraternity alumni were also present. Perlozzo said he felt the meeting was fair but is disappointed with the result. He said he is unsure how TEP members will continue any unorganized group activities.
“I’ll just say that it was unfortunate what happened to our chapter, and I would hope that the rest of the houses in [the Panhellenic Association] and [the Interfraternity Council] would not fall victim to the same kind of thing,” said Perlozzo, a senior marketing major. “I hope they can learn from this.”
But other members said they feel their chapter was unfairly targeted for the hazing allegations.
“I never had anything happen to me as a pledge,” junior criminology and criminal justice major Ross Bruenger said. “Nothing ever went on. I don’t really think this was fair.”
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