A University investigation found that there was no substantial evidence that the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity was responsible for an alleged drugging incident at a party in their townhouse last month, the fraternity’s president said this week.
In early September, the University Police Department sent out a crime alert warning that a female reported that she was drugged at a TKE party. She subsequently became ill and experienced memory loss.
UPD launched an investigation into the incident and then handed it over to Student Judicial Services for further investigation, UPD Chief Dolores Stafford said.
Senior Benton Brown, president of TKE, said, “There hasn’t been a single piece of evidence other than the anonymous report that has come up throughout the investigation process.”
Brown said that although SJS did not fault the fraternity in the incident, TKE received sanctions from their national chapter’s board of advisers, who also conducted an internal investigation of the fraternity. They found several “risk-management issues” stemming from the same party.
The sanctions include community service time and participating in an alcohol awareness program.
The University investigation was private and consisted of SJS and UPD calling in related individuals and conducting random interviews.
Brown expressed his sympathy for the alleged victim, but he said his fraternity is “trying to move on from this.”
“We are taking precautions to make sure we are never again in a situation where allegations such as this could arise,” Brown said.
Brown said these types of allegations are not typical of TKE members but hopes the public crime alert did not affect the fraternity’s status on campus.
“I’m not sure if it tarnished our reputation or not, but our rush season wasn’t affected” Brown said.
Looking toward the future, TKE plans to take more precautions in parties involving alcohol.
Brown said, “We are trying to set up an alcohol awareness program that would be GW-wide that would focus on the dangers of drinking alcohol.”
