College charges SAE members
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, as well as 27 of its members, are being charged by the College for hazing violations.
By Clare Coffey, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Office has charged 27 members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity with hazing violations during the fall 2011 pledge term, charges that could lead to the students’ suspension or permanent separation from the College if they are found responsible, according to SAE president Brendan Mahoney ’12. Mahoney said that administrators told him that former SAE member Andrew Lohse ’12 had submitted statements to the College accusing the fraternity of hazing.
Director of Media Relations Justin Anderson said he could not comment on individual judicial charges, citing College policy and federal privacy laws, but confirmed that SAE is being charged with hazing violations as an organization. The charges against the house stem from events during both 2009 and 2011 fall pledge terms, Mahoney said.
“A witness has come forward with evidence that supports the charges,” Anderson said about the organizational charges.
The dates for the Committee on Standards’ judicial hearings that each implicated individual faces will be finalized over spring break, Mahoney said. Mahoney said he could not comment on the details of the evidence against individual members of SAE.
A member of SAE who is being charged individually and requested anonymity due to the sensitive and personal nature of the situation said that charges against him lack plausibility because of inconsistencies in the evidence. As far as he knows, there was no preliminary investigation to establish the basic credibility of the allegations, and the process has been “rushed,” he said. Safety and Security contacted him for an interview the week after he received formal notice of the charges and their possible repercussions, and the College disregarded his request that the charges be dropped, he said. The charged SAE member said he has no reason to believe that the judicial process will become more transparent or easier to navigate than it has been thus far, he said.
“I don’t feel that the COS process is designed to bring out the truth,” he said.
The hearing for the fraternity will be chaired by a member of the Dean of the College office.
SAE had already begun working both internally and with the College to reform its pledge process when the charges were filed, according to Mahoney. He disclosed the full extent of SAE’s hazing practices and worked with Greek Letter Organizations and Societies Director Wes Schaub to change practices in violation of the College’s hazing policy, he said.
“We set up an internal task force this fall to address some concerns that brothers had about our pledge term,” Mahoney said. “I tried to get as many opinions as possible involved in how to change our pledge term for the better. Lohse declined to participate in this task force this fall. Michael Fancher [’13], the incoming president of SAE, has met with various administrators this winter with a goal to make fraternity pledge terms more open, transparent and safe.”
Since the release of the hazing allegations earlier this term, there has been confusion about who in the administration is responsible for handling the issue that “bespeaks a failure of leadership at the highest level,” Student Body President Max Yoeli ’12 said.
“I think it would have been good for the student body to hear more from Dean [of the College Charlotte] Johnson and less from Justin Anderson,” he said.
Hazing is a “campus scourge” that must be eliminated, Yoeli said. However, only organic, grassroots action among the student body will be effective, he said. “Sweeping” disciplinary action will only quell “introspective” conversations within Greek and other organizations about how to eradicate malicious hazing while integrating new members in healthy ways, Yoeli said.
“We need to find a way to make our interactions less aggressive and predatory and more equitable,” he said.
Kevin Niparko ’12 and Ellie Sandmeyer ’12, the presidents of the Inter-Fraternity Council and Panhellenic Council, respectively, did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Lohse declined to comment for this article, citing an exclusive arrangement with Rolling Stone magazine.
If you heard 27 people were accused of serious crimes without a shred of evidence simply because the embarrassed their president, where would you think that was?
A. Nazi Germany B. Communist Russia C. Idi Amin’s Uganda D. Dartmouth College
This is cowardliness at its worse. Two things need to happen.
Jim Kim needs to get his money back from his leadership coach David Spaulding, April Thompson, Jim Kim, and Steve Kadish all need to be banned from DartmouthBy Question of the day on Mar 7 | 9:41 am
Charge first, without any real evidence, and then investigate???
Sounds like the Dartmouth administration has been reading too much Kafka! Or maybe Orwell.
By Giles Cory on Mar 7 | 12:01 pm
Max Yoeli is right. Dean Johnson, JD has done NOTHING constructive for this college. She hides behind her minister of propaganda Justin Anderson and refuses to speak when students most need her leadership. Not to mention we still don’t know the truth about what happened between Lohse and David Spalding and April Thompson. Jim Kim waits two months to comment – and when he does, it is to the Boston Globe, not even the D.
It is amateur hour in Parkhurst, friends. And we are all losing as a result.
By Max knows on Mar 7 | 12:24 pm
“Lohse declined to comment for this article, citing an exclusive arrangement with Rolling Stone magazine.”
oh no. i love you, dear old dartmouth…. but ?
i feel so disconnected when i come on for a catch-up & there are random, abusive comments slung from every ideological corner… seemingly just talking to practice using those SAT vocab words you memorized in high school ? just joking, just joking… but………..
in all seriousness, i feel scared we are doing 2 things 1) peddling enormous debt to humans with little money, thereby locking them into an indentured workforce for the foreseeable future & 2) teaching humans that – by the Truths of Scarcity & Rugged Individualism & Differential Calculus – we are fated to scam the earth endlessly, gleaning a living by our wit & greed
what do you all think ?
By lk on Mar 7 | 12:42 pm
This never would have happened under James Wright. Dartmouth was his life. For Jim Kim, Dartmouth is just a stepping stone to a bigger, more prestigious career. All he cares about is saving himself from public scrutiny.
By Anon. on Mar 7 | 1:29 pm
If Dartmouth truly wanted to change the greek system which is a major part of its historic culture, they would do so in an effective manner by harnessing greek leaders and getting them to make better decisions. Punishing a group of young men who were simply doing what they were told does not seem to be a very effective use of time. We are Americans and I thought our strengths were in coming together and making things better, safer stronger not thugs who simply want to place innocent victims out for public hanging. Someone needs to start acting like an adult, or the leadership at Dartmouth will appear no better than the inappropriate deeds of hazing that caused their discontent in the first place. Inappropriate and unsafe hazing needs to be stopped. Isn’t Dartmouth known for its brilliant student population? If so, can’t SOMEONE there find a better way to address this long standing cultural phenomenon?
By Anonymous on Mar 7 | 4:31 pm
If you heard 27 people had just been charged with serious crimes, crimes that the administration has been fully aware of for months or years, crimes that thousands of others including many within the administration have also committed, crimes that have serious negative long-term consequences and yet have repeatedly been ignored, would you think
a) people were starting to realize and care b) it was only to counter negative publicity (serious question!)
I hope they don’t expel anyone just to make a example, but the house should be derecognized and several brothers should probably be suspended for a few terms.
@questionoftheday: when people on the internet talk about Nazi Germany, it’s usually because they don’t know what they’re talking about
By anon14 on Mar 7 | 4:41 pm
Charged with serious crimes. Charged with what crimes? Charged by whom? Charged for what reason? What does the person charging the crimes have to gain? What are his motives? If he was aware of these supposed crimes for years and participated in them, why did he decide to charge people with crimes? Because he was charged by them with a crime? @anon14 when people comment negatively on others mentioning Nazi Germany, it’s usually because they disagree with them. That’s you isn’t it? The comparison in the context it is written is apt. Knowing nothing, you say that the “house should be derecognized and several brothers should probably be suspended for a few terms.” Maybe you don’t agree with using Nazi Germany as an example of where this kind of thing happened because you agree with it and it is true. Isn’t that right? You also state that “crimes that thousands of others and many in the administration have also committed” means that this is serious. Is it serious? All of these uncharged criminals in the administration and all over the world and campus. Where is your call for them to be charged and prosecuted? Why shouldn’t the College be shut down and the vice squad charge everyone including the Trustees with criminal activity of either having participated in the crimes, directed the crimes or as accessories to the crimes? How about derecognizing the College and suspending most of the top administrators for at least a few terms. What gives them the right to be the jury and judge in cases that they are equally if not more guilty of committing? What is going on in your head? Logically speaking, that is?
By Bobo on Mar 7 | 6:13 pm
Look-everyone can pretend that hazing is not a problem here, but we all know that it is. If you’re not for the administration finally doing something about it, just say you support hazing and that you think it’s great for our community. Just don’t come up with a bunch of other excuses that hide what you’re really advocating.
By Anonymous on Mar 7 | 9:34 pm
There are no pictures, no proof, no other witness than Lohse. Why would he even be believable? The college does not like the negative publicity…guess what Dr Kim? – drinking at age 18 is illegal also. Maybe you should suspend the whole college? Then there won’t be anyone there and you won’t need the Office of Judicial Affairs. Glad you are conducting a witch-hunt and bullying everyone. Half of these kids are Seniors..are you going to prevent them from graduating because you were embarrassed?
By CJR ‘12 on Mar 7 | 9:49 pm
In order have true change on this campus, there must be open dialogue between all greek students and the administration. In order to have open dialogue, the charges must be dropped before anyone feels comfortable enough to say anything.
By Anon 11 on Mar 7 | 9:50 pm
“Lohse declined to comment for this article, citing an exclusive arrangement with Rolling Stone magazine.”
What’s wrong with this picture? This person has made accusations that will affect the college careers of 27 (!) students. It would be understandable if he declined to comment because the case is pending, but to decline because he is under contract to Rolling Stone?? Does he really think spreading scandal will help the College find a better solution to the problem? If not, what is his motivation?
By JacBouvier’76 on Mar 8 | 3:33 pm
JacBouvier, just to be clear. Lohse did not allege that 27 people violated the code of conduct. He alleged 4 people violated the code of conduct. At least 24 of these 27 students are alleged by UJAO without any supporting evidence at all. UJAO “may initiate an allegation on the basis of information coming to its attention from any source” but in at least 24 of these cases is doing so without any information whatsoever. Furthermore in at least 24 of these cases UJAO has somehow determined that the “information available in support of an allegation could result in suspension or separation” without there being any information available.
By Bozo on Mar 8 | 6:07 pm
No one has been charged with a crime.
Only the state can charge people with crimes. This is Dartmouth charging people with violations of rules. It’s disciplinary.
By Anonymous on Mar 8 | 6:09 pm
Give or take 1!
By Bozo on Mar 8 | 9:34 pm
Lohse the criminal, alleges 4 people did something. The College brings charges against 27 people on the criminal Lohse’s accusations against people who were involved in his prosecution. Of course people have been thrown out on less previously and the College paid for it when the students took the College to court for violations of the College’s own rules. I suggest that every one of the 27 students get lawyers who are Dartmouth graduates, preferably fraternity brothers and if at all possible SAE brother, Dartmouth graduate, lawyers and put an ass kicking on the College that it will never forget.
By Forest Gump on Mar 9 | 12:32 am
I, for one, enjoyed the hazing during my pledge term. Would gladly do it again.
By Anonymous on Mar 9 | 12:57 am
These are accusations that could seriously affect the accused educations. They should require actual evidence, not just the statements of one, or even two, disgruntled former members whose credibility may be questionable to begin with.
Is truly aggressive hazing a major issue on campus? Absolutely. But the administration should act more systematically, not just in a knee jerk fashion accuse these boys without substantial proof.
Maybe the real solution is creating more college sponsored mainstream venues for socialization outside of just the Greek System? So many extroverted, social people join the Greek Houses, and they end up doing all sorts of crazy stuff. The worst of the Greek System would be moderated if we could treat our whole campus as a fraternal unit without these strange cliquish things. It seems that Jim Kim hasn’t acted to address systematically the exclusive nature of these organizations and instead the administration is taking potshots at individuals.
By 12’ on Mar 9 | 1:05 pm
Dartmouth College is a wacko left wing operation. That’s why it can’t run something as simple as the Hanover Inn let alone the College. That is why the Inn renovations are costing double what they started out at, more than it would cost to tear the old one down and build a new better one. And the administration says that the Hanover Inn will be the center of intellectualism on the campus, ignoring all of the academic buildings and programs. These people are out of their minds. The College has more people supposedly running the lives of the students by multiples than they have ever had before, that’s a lot of the bureaucratic waste and bloat and they have to show they’re right on top of things once the ship crashed on the PR rocks with a guy who likes to write things and is one very angry young man by the name of Lohse. So Lohse is getting his pound of flesh while the College prosecutes him too because he’s the only one who has admitted his rule breaking, just as he admitted his previous rule breaking spate. The College should just throw him out, but it can’t. Now the College will be exposed for the morons they really are and everyone will be better off for the experience.
By Anon on Mar 10 | 10:24 am
I think there is something seriously wrong when the careers or education of this many students are imperiled for allegations of activities that are endemic to Dartmouth’s Greek culture and have been for many years. EVERY ALUMNUS WHO HAS BEEN A FRATERNITY MEMBER AT DARTMOUTH CAN ATTEST TO THIS. The only time hazing should result in serious and potentially career altering repercussions should be if there is solid evidence that a student was harmed or physically forced to do something dangerous against their will.
Otherwise this all stinks to high heaven of expediency and PR damage control with a giant dollop of political correctness.
No witch hunt, no going after peripheral players with tenuous or marginal involvement.
Come on!!
By Hugo D. Ribot Jr. ‘81 on Mar 10 | 1:50 pm