FIJI forfeits its charter; SAM faces suspension

The Sigma Alpha Mu frat was put on suspension during dual probes. Two months after signing a disciplinary agreement regarding a January 13 rush event that violated the InterFraternity Council's dry rush policy, the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity is under administrative hold from the University and temporary suspension from its national office, according to Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski. Reikofski said yesterday that OFSA is investigating if another incident that occurred within the last two weeks was an informal event involving both alcohol and pledges. One task of the probe will be to investigate whether the recent incident is "something that would qualify as an informal event," Reikofski noted. The fraternity cannot hold any chapter activities while the SAM national office and the University simultaneously investigate alleged violations of the disciplinary agreement and the University's anti-hazing policy. The disciplinary agreement that followed the January rush event placed SAM on a two-year probation, including a one-year social probation in which all formal and informal chapter events must be alcohol-free. In a statement released yesterday, Reikofski wrote that the University and national fraternity investigations should conclude by the end of next week. The statement added that both organizations will discuss "possible strategies or actions" regarding the fraternity's future after they have found evidence of violations. SAM President Jason Post, a College sophomore, did not return repeated calls for comment last night. IFC President Mark Metzl, a College junior and Tau Epsilon Phi brother, said yesterday that the IFC will investigate any possible violations of its rules after the University and the national fraternity have concluded their "fact-finding" investigations. IFC Executive Vice President Andrew Exum, a College junior and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, said it is "unfortunate" that SAM's alleged violations occur in the wake of several other alcohol-related incidents on campus that led to the University's crackdown on alcohol use. "Our support is with the SAM brotherhood and we hope that they'll be absolved of any wrongdoing," Exum said. The fraternity's January incident -- at which over 100 brothers and prospective pledges allegedly brought five kegs to a Mount Holly, N.J., bowling alley, charged the alley's bowling lanes and stole hundreds of pieces of equipment -- was found to have violated the InterFraternity Council's dry rush policy. Also this week, the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity faces a possible suspension as OFSA and the fraternity's national office investigate possible rules violations. And the brothers of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity collectively decided to forfeit their fraternity's charter after the University and the FIJI national office temporarily suspended it following a series of violations.

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