Pitt suspends nude-photo-snapping frat

The Associated Press Jim Greer, executive vice president of Zeta Beta Tau's national headquarters in Indianapolis, called the penalty ''regrettable and extreme,'' especially for a group with a 70-year history at Pitt. ''It's been essentially a good and productive chapter,'' Greer said yesterday. Campus police said the fraternity held a scavenger hunt October 29 that called for a photo of a nude woman. To acquire the picture, three freshman fraternity members sneaked into one of the women's floors at Litchfield Towers, a dormitory where one of the teenagers lived. They then entered a bathroom and took pictures of at least two women showering. Ken Service, a Pitt spokesman, said the 60-member fraternity has been told to cease all organized activities and vacate its university-owned house after the semester ends December 16. Zeta Beta Tau was already on probation for serving alcohol to minors at a party. The three freshmen -- Michail Iosifidis, 19, of Greece; Gregory Gallina, 18, of Erie, Pa. and Scott Borsky, 18 (no hometown available) -- appeared at a hearing November 9 before District Justice Dan Butler. Butler convicted them of harassment and trespassing and ordered them to perform 100 hours of community service. They also face university discipline, which they can appeal. The Associated Press called the Pittsburgh chapter of Zeta Beta Tau twice yesterday, but nobody picked up the telephone. Greer said including a nude photo on the scavenger-hunt list was foolish but that no fraternity brother was coerced to join the all-chapter, voluntary activity. The three could have submitted a picture out of a magazine, he said. ''They were not told or instructed in any way to trespass or enter the dorms,'' Greer said. Pitt is investigating how the students got past the locked doors that separate men's and women's floors. Dennis Donham, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, decided to disband the fraternity after the Intrafraternity Council, which represents the campus' 20 fraternities and 12 sororities, investigated and held a hearing. The chapter has five days to appeal. The university will help Zeta Beta Tau members find other housing.