He also said Alpha Sigma Phi national employees offered to work with the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life multiple times but weeks went by without a returned phone call. He said within 24 hours of being informed of the incident national members were in Ann Arbor to meet with chapter members and investigate. Gordy Heminger, president and chief executive officer of Alpha Sigma Phi, denied Blake Jones’s allegations of inaction from the national headquarters in an email to The Daily. However, their position differs from that of the fraternity’s national headquarters and the AAIFC, which say the chapter is in good standing but is no longer affiliated with the University or IFC. The University and IFC agreed on sanctions against the chapter and remain committed to their original decision to close the chapter for five years. Broekhuizen said the Fraternity & Sorority Life office supports Blake Jones’ statements.īlake Jones went on to say Alpha Sigma Phi had an “utter lack of consideration for the well-being” of new members and the evidence “confirms” the fraternity leadership’s knowledge of hazing-related behavior. It was this “40-yard dash” which prompted Blake Jones’s letter, in which she questioned the national headquarters’ response to the “heinous behavior” and shared that hazing was found to have taken place at the chapter over multiple decades. The case was closed because the AAPD were unable to verify the student was injured during the fraternity pledging process and because his parents were uncooperative with investigators. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life received the messages in an envelope during the 2018 winter semester and turned over the documents to the Ann Arbor Police Department last March. “That doesn’t mean it’s a tradition or a (good) idea, but it means (it’s) become normalized by us.” “We had people run our backs during our hell week,” an Alpha Sigma Phi member wrote in a group message obtained through the FOIA request. Text messages and emails between members of Alpha Sigma Phi provided evidence of a “40-yard dash,” during which members would allegedly run on pledges’ backs during the chapter’s “Hell Week.” In the messages, the fraternity brothers wrote about the event taking place and a student being injured. 5, disclosing the reason behind the fraternity’s closure. The suspension from the IFC came before an MLive article published Dec. Alpha Sigma Phi’s intention to disaffiliate voluntarily did not absolve the chapter of accountability for its behavior.” “The University investigated complaints against Alpha Sigma Phi that occurred while the chapter was an active member of the Interfraternity Council. “The general practice of a minimum suspension for five years allows time for the current students to matriculate from U-M and for the headquarters to put greater support in place for the chapter to operate effectively following a closure for cause, to ensure that the same challenges do not recur,” Broekhuizen wrote. Broekhuizen said in an email that disaffiliation does not mean the chapter will not be held accountable. ![]() Kim Broekhuizen, associate director of the University’s Office of Public Affairs responded on behalf of Nicole Banks, interim director of Greek Life and assistant dean of students. “These sanctions result from a Hazing Response Team investigation that found substantial evidence of dangerous recurring practices within Alpha Sigma Phi’s new member process, including forced alcohol consumption and violent physical hazing,” the IFC wrote in the statement. ![]() According to the Office of Greek Life, fraternities must answer to the University regardless of governance. The fraternity cited new zoning codes implemented by City Council as the reason for the change. The IFC released a statement saying the Council supported the University’s decision following the Student Organization Advancement and Recognition review conducted by the Greek Activities Review Panel.Īlpha Sigma Phi disassociated from the University and Interfraternity Council in September, opting instead to join the newly formed Ann Arbor Interfraternity Council. 7, the University terminated the fraternity for hazing infractions with opportunity for recolonization after five calendar years. Blake Jones said “several generations” took part in hazing activities at the Theta chapter and the fraternity’s national headquarters turned a “blind eye” to hazing. Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones called out the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity at the University of Michigan in a letter regarding the University’s disciplinary action against Alpha Sigma Phi, which was later published by MLive through a Freedom of Information Act request on Dec.
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