Monique Garcia & Andrea Zimmermann
Daily Egyptian
Southern Illinois University
Five members of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.
and five prospective members could be suspended from the University after
allegations of hazing that allegedly occurred last fall.
According to police reports obtained by one of the accused, Chantal Conley and
Dominique Winston allege that between Oct. 3 and 6, they were paddled, punched,
pushed and threatened as part of a potential review process to be inducted into
the sorority.
In the report, Conley said the two dropped out because of the abuse and a week
later contacted Mu Eta Zeta, the graduate chapter of the sorority, which conducted
an internal affairs investigation into the matter. The graduate chapter found
no reason to believe hazing occurred, at which time undergraduate members say
they were told Conley and Winston would be offered membership in an effort to
minimize the situation. Both are now official members.
After going to SIUC Police on Nov. 2, Conley and Winston opted to not press
criminal charges but decided to forward the matter to the University's Student
Judicial Affairs office in January. Both women declined to comment about the
allegations.
In addition to denying that hazing ever occurred, the accused members say the
cases against them are riddled with inconsistencies in regards to the conduct
code, specifically the statute of limitations and jurisdiction. The last of
10 hearings ended Tuesday, with six women given one-year suspensions and four
women, including the former president and current vice president face three-year
suspensions. Three other members had hearings and were cleared of all charges.
The women facing three-year suspensions are Ryan Robinson, Monet Williams, former
president Nakia Collins and current vice president Teqeira Johnson. Latrice
Body is the only member who has been handed a one-year suspension. The prospective
members facing one-year suspensions are Krystal Adams, Kimberly Patterson, Jamila
Jones, Tashauna Waters and Nakia Moore.
All of the accused have either entered their requests for appeal or said they
plan to do so. The accused have hired Carbondale attorney Ed Dorsey to help
them during the appeals process and are working to get a lawyer from Chicago
as well. They have also contacted the state chapter of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition
and the national chapter of the NAACP.
As listed in the conduct code, grounds for appeals include procedural errors
that substantially affected the outcome, lack of or newly discovered evidence
or an excessive punishment.
Conley said in the police reports that the hazing occurred at an inactive member's
house. The accused say the sorority was not undergoing the formal intake process
but was an observational period to examine prospects.
Judicial Affairs Coordinator Terry Huffman refused to comment, and workers in
his office said any questions can be answered as written in the conduct code.
According to the student conduct code, if the incident occurs off campus, the
University has jurisdiction in the following cases: when events are sponsored
by recognized student organizations or when students represent the University.
Additionally, jurisdiction applies to off-campus housing if zoned by the city
as a greek organization and displaying its name or letters. Students can also
be held responsible for conduct when in academic-related settings off campus,
or conduct that "substantially interferes with the mission of the University,
but not limited to the educational pursuits of its students, faculty or staff."
Last semester, student Jessica Bustos was found in violation of the conduct
code for a summer fight outside Hangar 9, but the decision was thrown out after
Huffman ruled the University did not have jurisdiction to charge her. After
the case, Huffman said the conduct code did not efficiently address when the
University has jurisdiction.
"We have not, as an office, been doing a very good job of accessing whether
we actually have jurisdiction or not," Huffman said in September. "We
are taking steps to alleviate that problem."
Also in September, the Undergraduate Student Government agreed to form a committee
to examine the conduct code, but outgoing president Tequia Hicks said she is
unsure of the committee's status.
The conduct code was last revised in August 2003. A clause was added to the
procedures, which stated the conduct code would be reviewed every five years
unless a recognized organization requests an earlier review. The code also states
the chancellor will appoint a nine-member committee to make recommendations
for revisions.
The accused also said the University does not have grounds to charge them based
on the code's statute of limitations, which states that complaints must be made
to the office within 20 days of the incident.
Conley reported the case to the police 32 days after it allegedly happened and
was forwarded to Judicial Affairs more than three months after the deadline.
Judicial Affairs enforces the SIUC student conduct code, which deals with student
issues such as academic dishonesty, social misconduct and hazing. If students
are found in violation of the code, punishments can range from writing an essay
to expulsion from the University. The office makes its rulings based on a preponderance
of evidence, whereas in court, prosecutors need to prove guilt beyond a reasonable
doubt.
Katie Sermersheim, director of Student Development, said if at the end of the
appeals process members are found in violation, the sorority may be punished,
including, but not limited to, banning the organization from the University.
Sermersheim banned Pi Kappa Alpha from SIUC last spring after a pledge drowned
in a fraternity-related camping trip at Cedar Lake.
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