The Crimson White
University of Alabama
July 2, 2003
Kappa Alpha Psi members claim to be innocent despite their fraternity's suspension from the University last week after pleading guilty to hazing violations.
Kyle Buchanan, a member of the suspended Capstone chapter, said the fraternity is not guilty and never got the chance to present its evidence to the Kappa Alpha Psi national organization.
Though he would not disclose the nature of the evidence, Buchanan said it would have cleared the fraternity of all accusations.
"We have a lot of substantial evidence that we never had the chance to present to our national organization because a full investigation was never completed by them," he said.
Buchanan did not elaborate on why the investigation was not completed.
He said that since the Kappa Alpha Psi national organization had suspended the fraternity, it was going to be kicked off campus. He said that was why Kappa Alpha Psi did not go through with its UA hearing, despite the evidence he said the fraternity had to prove its innocence.
Fraternity member George Lavories James appeared on Birmingham's NBC 13 last week to show photographs of his chest and back, where he alleged Kappa Alpha Psi members hit him. The fraternity's president, Carl H. Davis II, also appeared on the segment to question the veracity of the pictures.
Neither James nor Davis responded to The Crimson White's requests for comment this week.
However, Office of Student Judicial Affairs director Tim Hebson said the issues Kappa Alpha Psi had with its national organization were irrelevant to the hearing.
Though the fraternity would still have been suspended, Hebson said the Kappa Alpha Psi could have cleared itself of any wrongdoing with the University if it had presented sufficient evidence.
"Our hearing was planned before the letter [from the national organization] saying that their appeal had been denied came," he said. "We would have gone on as planned had they not pleaded guilty, and they could have presented their evidence."
Richard Lee Snow, executive director of the Kappa Alpha Psi national headquarters, declined to comment on the situation.
Buchanan said the University's sanctions were unavoidable.
"I think that the University had no choice in doing what they did," he said. "[UA officials] already had the sanction from our national fraternity, so that's all they could do."
The University suspended Kappa Alpha Psi from all greek activities until spring 2005. The fraternity will be on probation until spring 2007.
Buchanan would not disclose the specific allegations against Kappa Alpha Psi. He also would not confirm the identity of the individual who turned the fraternity in, but he said the person was still a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.
Buchanan said he does not think race was a factor in the fraternity's suspension.
Wendell Jackson, a former member of Kappa Alpha Psi, agreed."This is not a racial issue," he said. "The fraternity was not discriminated against. I feel as though the entire process was fair."
However, Buchanan said he feels UA students are watching the situation closely for the wrong reasons.
"I think that the University students have made a blatant effort to explode this," he said. "A lot of people are blowing off steam about other things that don't have anything to do with this, [and] since we haven't had the opportunity to present our side of the story, a lot of people just assume we are guilty."
Buchanan said the fraternity's 1.874 fall GPA was an internal issue that had been addressed and that its average had already improved to 2.103 in the spring. The fraternity's GPA was unrelated to its suspension.
Though Kappa Alpha Psi cannot partake in greek activities for two years, Buchanan said members will remain close.
"The brotherhood is still going to be there," Buchanan said.
Though Interfraternity Council President Brad Wilson said he knew little about the Kappa Alpha Psi's situation since it belongs to a different regulating body, he did call the fraternity's suspension unfortunate.
"It's very unfortunate every time a greek organizations [is suspended]," he said. "It gives all greek-letter organizations a bad name."
Wilson said IFC works to regulate hazing with the 1-800-HALT program, which he said receives a steady increase in calls each semester.
He said he believed hazing was being sufficiently cracked down on at the Capstone.
"I'm not going to say it isn't existent, but it's [lower]," Wilson said.
None of the other current members of Kappa Alpha Psi who were contacted responded to requests for comment this week.
Allan Guenther, assistant director of marketing and conferences for the Office of Residential Life, said Kappa Alpha Psi's former house will be unoccupied for the fall and could possibly be used for overflow for organizations that have outgrown their housing.
Guenther said Kappa Alpha Psi will have the chance to apply for a house after its suspension is over.
