DAILY LOBO new mexico
Are you chicken?
friday
see Page 4
October 4, 2013
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
SAE: 15 years of sexual assault allegations Sigma Alpha Epsilon is one of UNM’s oldest fraternities, and it has had a presence on campus since 1946, according to the chapter’s website. Though this charter revocation is the harshest penalty the fraternity has faced, the chapter has faced problems on campus and with UNM over the past 15 years. Between 1998 and 2013, SAE dealt with five alleged sexual assaults at its on-campus house. Here’s a quick overview of those incidents.
1998 2003
Arsenii Morin / Daily Lobo After two months of investigation, the University administration revoked the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity’s charter in May due to student code of conduct violations that involved the unauthorized use of alcohol on campus and the consumption of alcohol by minors.
by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno
Associated Students of the University of New Mexico Vice President Brandon Meyers had reddish eyes as he reminisced about the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Despite the good memories he had from being a brother, he said the fraternity’s misconducts have disadvantaged him, especially because he is innocent. “I haven’t been a part of the fraternity over the entirety of what has happened,” he said. “As a member of a national fraternity spanning the 300,000-plus members, that’s not something that’s appealing or makes you proud to be a part of. In some way, it’s unfortunate for me to have been part of this organization.” Rolling Stone ranked UNM’s chapter of SAE as the third worst fraternity in the United States last month. UNM’s SAE chapter ranked behind Dartmouth College’s Alpha Delta chapter and Arizona State University’s SAE chapter. SAE’s latest case happened on April 1, when a woman who attended a party at the SAE house brought
allegations of sexual assault against a member of the fraternity. On April 4, UNM suspended the fraternity, which barred it from hosting social events on campus. After almost two months of investigation, the University disbanded the fraternity in late May. According to a press release from UNM, SAE was disbanded because of student code of conduct violations, which included use of alcohol on campus at an unauthorized event and consumption of alcohol by minors. According to the release, members admitted to consuming alcohol at the party and said they did not register the party with the University. Two underage women also confirmed that members of the fraternity provided them with alcohol, which they consumed. But UNM did not fault SAE for the alleged sexual assault. The fraternity had until June 5 to appeal the decision, but it didn’t. Members would have to wait until Aug. 1, 2017 to apply for SAE to be reinstated. Meyers, the former president of SAE who was a member starting his freshman year, left his fraternity and become a fraternity alumnus
in January 2013 before the incident happened. But Meyers said that because of sexual allegations against his fraternity, Greek Life has cultivated a bad reputation on campus. And this image is now inescapable, he said. “There’s not much you can do to change that,” he said. Rolling Stones ranked SAE third worst because “rapes have plagued this Albuquerque house since 2007.” What the magazine got wrong is that rape allegations have bugged the fraternity prior to that year. Thursday marked the 15th anniversary of the first rape allegation at the SAE house. *** An 18-year-old UNM freshman attended a fraternity party in the SAE house on the night of Oct. 3, 1998. She was a scholarship athlete. The freshman consumed alcohol at the party. On the house’s lawn, party attendees engaged in sexual activity. After a few more drinks, the woman lost consciousness. Saturday, the woman heard reports from fellow attendees that she might have been raped. In 1999, according to an Associated
see SAE
history PAGE 3
What do students think of SAE? by Chloe Henson
news@dailylobo.com @ChloeHenson5 Rolling Stone may have ranked UNM’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter as one of the nation’s “most out-ofcontrol fraternities,” but students at UNM remain indifferent to the disbanded organization. In May the administration decided to revoke the fraternity’s charter because of its student code of conduct violations that involved
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 118
issue 35
the unauthorized use of alcohol on campus and the consumption of alcohol by minors. Despite the group’s history of sexual assault allegations, students maintain a positive image of Greek life at UNM. Parrish White, a junior majoring in chemistry, said fraternities and sororities can be beneficial to students at the University. “In general, I think they’re a good thing for campus as long as they benefit other people,” he said. “But after
what they did, I can see why they got disbanded.” Rachel Yelin, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said Greek life can have academic merits because the members “can actually stay focused on doing school and they do it as a group.” She said the fraternity was not unique in its violation of the code of conduct. “They (the administration) weren’t paying attention to the rest of UNM,”
see SAE
reaction PAGE 6
Rallying for red
Home game vs. NMSU
see Page 2
see Page 8
February: Chapter member Steven Rodgers, 23, was accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old female student in his room at the SAE house, according to a Daily Lobo article. According to the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court records website, prosecutors rejected the subsequent case and it was closed without a conviction. Also, the UNM SAE chapter was not held responsible for Rodgers’ actions, according to a Daily Lobo article.
October: UTEP SAE chapter members Eduardo Garcia, 19 and Victor Hernandez, 18, attended a chapter party at UNM and were accused of allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting an 18-year-old freshman in the SAE house parking lot, according to an Associated Press report. The female freshman brought a criminal lawsuit against Garcia and Hernandez in July 1999. According to an article in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the two men were acquitted in February 2001 of all rape charges and of charges of conspiracy to commit rape. However, Hernandez was found guilty of one count of criminal sexual contact for touching the freshman when she was unconscious.
2006 2007 August: Chapter pledge and SAE house resident Michael McGuffin, 24, was arrested on 11 felony counts, including criminal sexual penetration, sexual contact with a minor and sexual exploitation of children for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old, according to a Daily Lobo article. According to the Bernalillo County Municipal Court records website, McGuffin was scheduled for a grand jury hearing in July 2008, and the case was transferred to the New Mexico District Court at that time. According to the New Mexico District Court records website, all felony charges were subsequently dismissed by both the case’s judge and the case’s prosecutor. SAE was temporarily suspended by Office of the Dean of Students for the duration of the police investigation because of alleged evidence of alcohol and drugs.
October: Chapter member James Anaya, 20, was arrested for raping a female student in his room at the SAE house, according to a Daily Lobo article. According to the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court records website, Anaya was arraigned but the felony case was dropped without a conviction. The University did not discipline SAE for Anaya’s actions.
2013 April: A UNM SAE member was accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a female student during an unauthorized party at the SAE house where minors consumed alcohol, according to a Daily Lobo article. The University suspended SAE on April 4. May: The Office of the Dean of Students revoked the SAE charter, citing Student Code of Conduct violations, specifically for having alcohol on campus at an unregistered party and for alcohol consumption by minors, according to a Daily Lobo article. Chapter members vacated the SAE house. The former UNM chapter can reapply to the campus in August 2017. ~Compiled by John Tyczkowski
TODAY
66 |37