Following allegations of gang rape against seven Chi Phi fraternity members at Cornell University, Tufts fraternities and sororities, including Chi Omega, Theta Chi, Delta Upsilon, Alpha Tau Omega, Thalia and The Ivy, issued statements on social media expressing concern about the case and offering support to students.
In addition to their individual posts, Mary Kate Kelley, fraternity and sorority advisor at Tufts, said in a statement to the Daily that Greek Council leadership discussed the events at Cornell in their meeting on Monday.
“It is important to the Fraternity and Sorority Greek Council Leadership that Greek Life and their houses be places where all students are comfortable,” she wrote. “Each group is having conversations about how to ensure that is the case.”
ATO President Jackie Brand and DEI Chair Nyapal Chuol circulated a message internally to reset norms and share reporting resources. The fraternity requires members to complete semesterly trainings, including implicit bias training, social training, hazing workshops and Green Dot training.
Tufts implements Green Dot, a national bystander intervention training program, through a student-led group that provides organization-specific training. Maggie Newman and Zara Riaz, Green Dot coordinators at Tufts, said that while no Tufts fraternity is required to receive training, most do voluntarily.
Brand said that if any member was accused of sexual misconduct, they would be removed from ATO “no questions asked.”
“[We will] always side with the person affected, take their word for it, because if something happened, we need to take it 100% seriously, no matter what,” she said.
ATO disaffiliated from the national organization in 1974 to become co-ed and distance themselves from certain aspects of fraternity culture, including hazing, exclusivity and acts of sexual assault. Brand said that disaffiliation may make it easier for ATO to prevent sexual misconduct by distancing them from a “hive mind.” However, she emphasized the importance of proper training for all fraternity chapters.
“I think it is absolutely [possible] to have a safe and inclusive culture if you're still affiliated,” Brand said. “Putting emphasis on the trainings, every brother should know what to do if a situation arises.”
Many of ATO’s policies, including risk management training and the creation of a DEI chair, originated in response to accusations of misconduct leveled against Tufts fraternities in 2016. An investigation into Tufts Greek Life resulted in the suspension of seven fraternities in 2017 and found DU, Delta Tau Delta and Theta Chi responsible for sexual misconduct.
“That history is part of our chapter’s story, and we don’t ignore it,” Theta Chi president Kevin Lu said. “Our new member process is now outlined and approved by our advisor at the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. We hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we’re willing to act early to stay out of bad situations instead of waiting for problems to come to us.”
“I don’t know what their policies were back then. I know what ours are now, and I think we do a really good job,” Nolan Marcus, DU vice president of external affairs, said, adding that there has been no sexual misconduct during his time with DU. “That [2017] incident has put us in not the best light with the school, and rightfully so. And we have to work to earn the trust back.”
Today, all DU brothers receive Green Dot and sexual misconduct training. Additionally, DU is a dry house, has sober monitors at every party and screens pledges through an interview process that involves responding to scenarios relating to sexual misconduct.
“We are extremely intentional with who we recruit and admit into the fraternity,” Marcus said, emphasizing that DU has a zero tolerance policy for sexual violence and holds all accused brothers accountable.
Layla Eisenzimmer, vice president of operations for Kappa Alpha Theta, wrote in a statement to the Daily that ensuring student safety goes beyond periodic training and public statements condemning misconduct.
“Ultimately, I think the question should not be whether Greek Life is inherently safe or inherently unsafe,” she wrote. “It is whether the people and institutions within it are willing to continually examine themselves, hold one another accountable, and make the safety of their members a condition of the community they want to build.”
Yolanda Smith, associate vice president of public safety and chief of police for the Tufts University Police Department, noted that TUPD has officers specially trained to work with survivors of sexual assault and to help students file reports if an incident occurs off campus, should the survivor wish to do so.
The Office of Equal Opportunity enforces Tufts’ Sexual Misconduct Policy, which requires first-year undergraduate and graduate students to complete sexual assault prevention models and trains student organizations on university policies and safety resources before social events. The OEO also supports students through housing changes, academic flexibility, no-contact orders and interim suspensions following the termination of an investigation.
“With Halloweekend coming up, I want to remind students to watch out for their friends, especially if they see someone who is intoxicated or incapacitated,” Jill Zellmer, associate vice president and Title IX coordinator of the Office of Equal Opportunity, said. “Be an upstander; call TUPD, check in with someone if you’re concerned or if something doesn’t feel right. And if you’re going off campus to party, don’t leave anyone behind.”
