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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018
volume
119,
issue
37
PROJECT
PETER DRISCOLL
IFC PRESIDENT
katie bauer
By Lisa Nhan @lmnhan24
Former members of the UT chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon are continuing fraternity activities, despite being suspended for a number of serious hazing offenses. Their organization, operating under the name Texas Rho, recruited a new pledge class this fall, held fundraisers and hosted events without any University, national chapter or UT Interfraternity Council oversight after being suspended by the University and SAE national chapter. Texas Rho has now taken the stance of “an independent organization,” according to a press release. However, their organization continues to use the colors and letters of SAE Nationals. The Office of the Dean of Students and IFC have both released statements condemning the unaffiliated fraternity’s continued operations.
‘Fear factor like’ hazing
SAE Nationals suspended the UT chapter last November after receiving an anonymous tip to their hazing hotline, according to a Daily Texan report. Following the suspension,
‘ROGUE’ FRATERNITY CONTINUES OPERATIONS Texas Rho, comprised almost entirely of former UT SAE members, recruits new pledge class despite suspension for serious hazing offenses. UT’s Office of Student Affairs conducted its own investigation and suspended the chapter in March for multiple forms of hazing. Several SAE members said they personally experienced or witnessed hazing during fall 2017, according to the “Finding of Fact” section of Administrative Disposition Form obtained by The Daily Texan through a Texas Public Information Act request. The document details hazing acts such as “physical brutality” and members “being confined to uncomfortable spaces” inside something referred to by members as “the hatch” — a small, underground hole on the property of the chapter house.
The chapter’s adviser provided the Student Conduct Office with photographic evidence of “the hatch,” which was obtained by the Texan through a public information request. Texas Rho President Robert Perlick confirmed in an interview with The Texan that “the hatch” is present on their house grounds but said he didn’t know its purpose. Student Conduct also found reports of members required to “ingest ‘fear factor like’ substances/concoctions” and drink alcohol. Last year, a fraternity member at both Texas State University and Louisiana State University died after being forced to consume alcohol, according to police reports. “The boys this year have
been through a shit storm … and it’s just not right for young men to have to endure this crap ‘in the name of brotherhood.’ I’m talking a few hospital visits and mental scars to prove it,” according to an anonymous letter sent to Student Conduct in November 2017, which was used as evidence to suspend the chapter and obtained by The Texan through an information request. Economics senior Perlick, who was accompanied to the interview by public relations representative Lia Truitt, said he couldn’t confirm or deny the hazing detailed in the document. “If there was a member who said this happened to him, I
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completely trust a member to say that took place, as unfortunate as that is,” Perlick said. Andel Fils-Aime, director of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, said the Office of Dean of Students doesn’t believe the hazing were isolated incidents. “There’s never going to be a case where there’s a one-off,” Fils-Aime said. “Had it potentially been a one-off situation, the organization would likely still have some kind of relationship where they could return sooner … and, if that were the case, it would have been reflected in the information that we gathered.”
Severing all ties
Texas Rho has recently attempted to publicly separate itself from the national chapter of SAE, despite being engaged in a legal dispute with SAE Nationals regarding their use of SAE Nationals branding. In an Oct. 1 press release, Texas Rho declared its independence from SAE. “While there has been some misunderstanding and misrepresentation about who we are, we want to make it clear that Texas Rho is not affiliated with
FRATERNITY
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CITY
Austin Catholic parishes respond to national sexual abuse crises By Raga Justin @RagaJus
Catholic parishes near UT are offering counseling services and training to prevent sexual abuse in response to an August Pennsylvania grand jury report, which revealed statewide sexual abuse by hundreds of Catholic priests and the resulting cover-up by church officials. St. Austin Catholic Parish and the University Catholic Center are two
popular churches for Catholic students. St. Austin, which has an estimated 300 to 400 student attendees during weekend services, released an open letter after the August report came out. The letter, written by the Rev. Charles Kullmann, proposed a parish mission be held Oct. 22, focused on addressing concerns. “(The letter) was an attempt to sum up some of the feelings that are going around and give voice to them in reflection on where we’re at right now,” Kullmann said.
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In the Pennsylvania report, 300 Catholic priests were implicated for the sexual abuse of more than 1,000 minors across the state over a period of 70 years. Bishops and cardinals, high-ranking officials in the Catholic church, were implicated for covering up those abuses. Kullmann said St. Austin will be conducting extensive training for church staff to identify and report abuse. However, the training should not be limited to members of the ministry, he said.
“Unfortunately this isn’t just a problem in the church,” Kullmann said. “The more people who are out looking and know what to look for, the better off we’re all going to be. Rather than just wringing our hands and feeling bad about it, we want to do something helpful.” The Rev. Larry Rice, a priest at the University Catholic Center, said there are several policies in place to protect children, students and vulnerable adults from abuse. He said since 2002, ministry members at the
UCC have undergone extensive background checks. In addition, offices have glass doors and adults are not allowed to be alone with children. To protect students, security cameras are installed around the facility, Rice said. Rice said he had extensive meetings with student leaders to discuss their concerns after the report came out earlier this semester. He said Catholic students, while upset, are not likely to become disillusioned with
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CATHOLIC
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