Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Alpha Chi Omega Sorority: Loss of Recognition



Update 3/13/18: The Disciplinary Appeals Committee met on March 13, 2018 to make a determination and denied the appeal.  The Committee provided the following rationale:


The panel denies the appeal that the sanction is unduly harsh because the sanction imposed was less than what is outlined in the sanctioning guidelines for hazing that caused actual emotional distress or created a situation in which emotional distress was likely to occur. While the committee appreciated the plan put forward by the chapter to remediate these concerns, considering the severity of the hazing in conjunction with the other charges in this case, the sanction was judged as appropriate.


The decision by the Disciplinary Appeals Committee is final and with it the disciplinary process is completed for this incident.  All sanctions imposed go into effect immediately.


Original Post: On December 8th, 2017, the Theta Chi chapter of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority planned and executed a scavenger hunt (Road Rally) that involved the use of drugs and alcohol, sexual activity, and other activities that violate Lehigh University policy.


Lehigh University placed the chapter on interim suspension on December 12, 2017 following reports of the incident, including supporting evidence of the partial scavenger hunt list. Alpha Chi Omega Headquarters also directed the chapter to cease and desist all activities on December 12, 2017. The chapter proceeded to cooperate and turn over additional evidence, including the remainder of the scavenger hunt list and documented examples of members’ completed tasks. Alpha Chi Omega Headquarters visited Lehigh University’s campus to conduct their own investigation process over the course of December 13-14, 2017 resulting in probationary terms for the entire chapter and additional individual consequences.

The University's Title IX Coordinator conducted an investigation and the University Committee on Discipline (UCOD) convened on March 5th, 2018 to resolve the charges listed below:     


Respect for Others D1 (Hazing) Hazing as defined in the Lehigh University Code of Conduct.
Respect for Others (General) Lehigh University expects that all students will act in a civil manner that reflects maturity, social responsibility, and respect towards others and the Lehigh Community.
Respect for Community (General) As members of the Lehigh University Community, students are expected to serve as ethical representatives. They are expected to know and follow the Code of Conduct, and show respect for the faculty, staff, community members and administrative processes that are in place to maintain and support our community standards. Students are expected to hold themselves and others accountable and report violations of the Code of Conduct or other violations to the University.
Respect for Community J1 (Encouraging Others)
Encouraging or facilitating others in actions that violate the Code of Conduct.
Respect for Self A1 (Unauthorized Consumption, Distribution, or Possession) The unauthorized or illegal consumption, distribution, or possession of alcohol.
Respect for Community L1 (Failure to Report / Being in the Presence of a violation) Failure to report and/or knowingly being in the presence of violations of the Lehigh University Code of Conduct or other University Policies.

After reviewing the information related to incident, the Committee came to the following conclusions:

1.Respect for Others D1 (Hazing) -- Responsible
2.Respect for Others (General) -- Responsible
3.Respect for Community (General) -- Responsible
4.Respect for Community J1 (Encouraging Others) -- Responsible
5.Respect for Self A1 (Unauthorized Consumption, Distribution, or Possession) -- Responsible
6.Respect for Community L1 (Failure to Report / Being in the Presence of a violation) -- Responsible


The organization's status is hereby dissolved effective March 5, 2018  through May 31, 2020.  Dissolution is the loss of university recognition for a period of time not to exceed 5 years. Dissolution is the loss of privilege to use the University's name or represent it in any capacity. In addition, the group or organization will lose all privileges to use University equipment or facilities. At the end of the dissolution period, the organization shall contact the Dean of Students Office and be required to follow any recognition processes in place at the time.


The Committee provided the following rationale for the findings and sanctions:


Hazing charge rationale: AXO created a situation that occurred on and off campus involving morally questionable quests such as a scavenger hunt, treasure hunts, etc. The acts described may not have been required for affiliation into the organization, but are clearly considered a rite of passage and a consistent part of membership in AXO. The willingness of members to participate in these activities does not preclude them from being considered hazing according to the Lehigh code of conduct.

Rationale charges 2-6: The panel found AXO responsible of violations 2-6. AXO pled responsible for all of these charges and the panel agreed that the chapter's actions constituted responsibility for these charges.


Rationale for Sanction: This incident was a significant, reprehensible event that the entire chapter was aware of and leadership endorsed. This event did not only take place this year, but there is credible information that this event has been going on for years. The panel is deeply concerned about the escalated nature of the content of this year’s list and we are unconvinced that this escalation wouldn’t continue. This sanction that is imposed is slightly less than outlined in the sanctioning guidelines for hazing that involves emotional distress in the Code of Conduct. This length of time was chosen to ensure that nearly all members party to, and aware of the event are no longer on campus when they recolonize. Additionally the current conduct history of AXO does not lead the panel to have confidence in the chapter’s ability to act and demonstrate care and concern for its members, particularly related to health and safety concerns. This type of behavior is simply unacceptable considering the current climate on college campuses.

Alpha Chi Omega retains the right to appeal the decision, and the Office of Student Conduct & Community informed the chapter leadership of the deadlines and process for appeals as outlined in the Lehigh University Code of Conduct.

The sorority will lose University recognition and access to group housing immediately upon conclusion of the University’s disciplinary process.  Details regarding housing will be shared once the appeal process has concluded.