EDITORIAL: "Crime and Punishment"

· The message the Acacia settlement sends seems all too clear. Commit sexual harassment and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs can let you off easy. The violations of the University Code of Conduct that Acacia committed are unacceptable anywhere, and most of all at a university that spends so much time ironing out the fine points of harassment policies. But the message the settlement sends is that OFSA is willing to "let boys be boys." In the TEP case, OFSA took somewhat stronger action. Unfortunately, there is no basis on which to evaluate the legitimacy of the punishment because -- in accordance with OFSA policy -- the violations were never made public. Concealing the violations is counterproductive to the determination of community standards. How can University organizations appreciate the deterrent of punishment without first knowing the violations that brought it about? · The cases against TEP and Acacia should prompt all students and administrators to examine the system which punishes fraternities, and see if decisions made behind closed doors are acceptable. In these situations, the system seems to work for the benefit of a few rather than the good of all. The chapters themselves -- touted as havens for developing leadership skills -- are often tossed aside in decision-making processes where these skills truly count. The current closed-door bureaucracy leaves chapters vulnerable to the wishes of their national organizations, and the potential victims of unfair punishment. Campus leaders, Greek and non-Greek alike, must demand the public release of all relevant facts surrounding cases and strict punishment of the guilty parties. Concealing crimes and avoiding punishments can only lead to further violations.

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