National Phi Sig rep says incident was 'very minor'

A local representative of the Phi Sigma Kappa national organization said yesterday that an alleged hazing incident at the University's chapter was only "a very minor incident." According to Tom Curtis, who is conducting the investigation for the national fraternity, the incident concerns a rush who entered the fraternity's 3615 Locust Walk house intoxicated on January 18 and was put to bed by members of the house to "protect him." In a seperate development, University Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman said last night that she is investigating an alleged hazing incident at the Phi Sig house and will begin talking to the students involved today. Curtis, president of the alumni corporation for the University chapter of Phi Sig, said last night that he is still looking into the incident, but feels so far that fraternity members did nothing wrong. "I consider it a very minor incident," Curtis said. "I do not consider it a hazing incident, and I feel that no University regulations were violated." Curtis said he has not visited campus as part of the probe, adding that he has not called the victim or any fraternity brothers other than chapter President Bill Jaffe. He said his investigation is "based upon written reports from the chapter president." He said the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and chapter president Jaffe are interviewing the people involved in the case. "I have been talking to people in the house who are involved or might have been involved in the incident, and conducting interviews to find out what else happened," Jaffe said last night. But Jaffe's account of the investigation differed slightly from Curtis'. The College junior said that, to his knowledge, no one else, including OFSA, has interviewed any brother in the house. He said OFSA may have contacted the rush involved in the incident. OFSA officials were unavailable for comment. Curtis said that the victim's Resident Advisor reported the incident to OFSA "against the wishes of the individual." The RA would not comment on the situation last night. Jaffe still maintains that the whole incident is a "practical joke." "In due time, the facts will come out and I think the community will agree with us," he said. Curtis said he is keeping the fraternity's national president advised of the investigation's progress and expects a ruling soon. He added that if the allegations made are found to be true, the national organization can suspend the chapter, put it on some form of probation or provide additional counseling. However, Curtis said it could be difficult to hold the house collectively responsible for the incident since it was "an isolated incident done from individuals in the house." Curtis said the abolition of pledging by the national Phi Sig organization has made the fraternity's definition of hazing much stricter. He added, however, that the University chapter did not violate these new regulations in this case. Chapter President Jaffe said that the house has decided to suspend all chapter activities until the end of the investigation in order "to concentrate resources on this investigation." Curtis said OFSA notified the national organization last Wednesday or Thursday about the incident. Curtis said he was notified on Thursday, and then contacted the chapter's advisor and officials at national to further investigate the incident.

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