Controversy concerning the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the University resurfaced this week after closed judicial reports, which chronicle alleged violations committed by the fraternity and its members, became available from a source who wished to remain unidentified.
University officials said they did not know who sent the documents but verified the report is an official document from GW’s office of Student Judicial Services. The Judicial Chronologies list reports from University Police, the Community Living and Learning Center and SJS. Reports from the Office of Residential Life, which was replaced by CLLC, also were included.
The report alleges the fraternity or its members are responsible for numerous violations, including physical altercations, destruction of property, attempted burglary, assault of a police officer and sexual assault.
Recently, 22 Greek-letter leaders signed a letter addressed to Sigma Alpha Epsilon urging fraternity members to curb their behavior. IFC leaders said they never saw the judicial chronology before writing the letter.
The chronologies offer more specific information than the IFC letter.
I think these reports substantiate the content of our letter, and I stand by our letter, IFC President Seth Greenberg said. I believe Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s response to our letter to be a smoke screen.
Delta Tau Delta President Jeff Butler said the reports speak for themselves. He declined to comment further.
Alpha Epsilon Pi President Ben Kirshner refrained from signing the letter, and Vice President Robert Kaplan said the reports do not change his mind about signing the IFC letter because their fraternity supports all Greek-letter life.
It makes us very uncomfortable that private judicial services documents are made public, Kaplan said.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Jared Reiss said the reports prove nothing. He said the reports do not offer any tangible evidence to defend the University’s claims and he said they are not backed up by police reports.
A lot of it is vague, he said. They wrote reports that our trash smelled and use this type of information to persecute us.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon local alumnus Bill Clinton said without further documentation of these charges, the local alumni will not pursue the accusations.
But Reiss said he was concerned about the sexual assault charges listed in the report.
Female student reports that she was sexually assaulted by two SAE members in the SAE house, according to the 1996 chronology.
Reiss said his fraternity would never allow members who commit sexual assault to remain in the chapter.
Say anything you want, but don’t call me a rapist, he said.
The report cited numerous instances alleging the fraternity in some way harassed GW’s Sigma Nu chapter, whose house is next door to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house on G Street.
(Sigma Nu) reports that a brick was thrown through their back door and SAE is suspected, according to the reports, which cited the event as occurring April 18 of this year.
Sigma Nu President Mohssen Kabirbaik said he has no proof that Sigma Alpha Epsilon threw the brick but said the brick that came through one of his fraternity’s windows was identical to a pile of about 50 bricks in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s backyard.
I signed the letter because although I feel that it is impossible for any president to control all of the actions of his fraternity’s members, Jared seems to have less control than most presidents. Either he’s not trying or his brothers don’t respect him, Kabirbaik wrote in a prepared statement.
Reiss said Sigma Alpha Epsilon members have limited contact with Sigma Nu and in no way terrorize their neighbor.
We don’t have a problem with anyone, Reiss said. We just want to be left alone.
