Fraternity responds to investigation into Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon is now responding to investigations into the Mizzou chapter of the fraternity that came before allegations of the use of racial slurs. Some of those investigations involve people being sent to the hospital with alcohol poisoning and allegations that members were giving initiates drugs to help them have sex with women.
Missouri chapter executive director Justin Kirk emailed a statement to ABC17 News Thursday morning. In it he said the chapter has not met all fraternity or university standards in recent years.
Kirk said they have been working with the university to investigate recent incidents. He said it supports the suspension of the fraternity by the university.
Delta Upsilon had also implemented its own sanctions to address the behavior and bring the chapter up to standard.
Those include:
Conducting an internal membership review in 2014 and removing 90 of 132 members. Reorganizing the chapter and revising the chapter’s operating procedures. Employing a masters-level student affairs professional to live in the chapter house full-time. Hiring off-duty police officers to walk the house during high-risk times. Revising the policy on guests and alcohol to ensure safety and accountability. Requiring members to attend International Fraternity-sponsored educational programs on loss prevention, chapter operations, and values-based recruitment and leadership development.
Kirk said they are working with the university to investigate recent issues: “Some of which we have just learned of within the last few days.”
He said the international fraternity does not condone or tolerate the behavior alleged in the incidents and the chapter will remain on temporary suspension.
ABC17 News also contacted the university with questions on these alleged incidents being investigated, including hazing incidents as well as a letter from the Title IX Office about allegations relating to DU members making pledges drug women to have sex with them that was apparently captured through social media posts.
University spokesperson Christian Basi said Thursday morning they can’t comment on specific investigations or incidents.
“I can tell you that MUPD works closely with our Office of Student Conduct and the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX,” Basi said.
He said when a report is made, it’s forwarded to the appropriate office, which will then take action.
Discipline can range from a verbal warning or expulsion for students or a verbal warning to losing recognition as a university student organization for groups.
