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Top grades, substance free, not good enough to save hazing chapter
Muhlenberg takes steps to shut down fraternity
Delta Tau Delta's fate rests on results of two investigations.
By Nancy Averett
Of The Morning Call
April 12, 2002
Muhlenberg College will no longer recognize one of its fraternities because of a hazing incident in February. Members of Delta Tau Delta also violated the college's alcohol policy, Associate Dean of Students Chip Hurd said Thursday.
He said the national chapter of Delta Tau Delta decided last month to pull the local charter, and that led to Muhlenberg's decision not to recognize the fraternity.
Hurd said the college has scheduled a hearing for next week, and the national chapter will conduct its own investigation.
''Depending on the outcome of both hearings, the future of Delta Tau Delta will be decided,'' he said.
In the meantime, the fraternity is in limbo. The college's decision is a step toward shutting it down.
Garth Eberhart, assistant executive vice president of Delta Tau Delta's national office, did not return a call seeking comment.
Over eight years, Muhlenberg has shut down three fraternities for incidents ranging from hazing and underage drinking to drug use and sales.
Hurd would not divulge the nature of the latest hazing incident. Neither would fraternity President John Franzen, a junior. Another member, Nikolay Pandourski, was also tight-lipped over what took place but said the incident was more innocent than the common perception of hazing.
''It wasn't a violent act or anything. When I think of hazing, I think of someone getting beat up,'' he said. ''Our intention was not to harm anyone, and we did not harm anyone, even though it did have the potential to harm someone.''
Hurd said the hazing incident was not the result of an individual student's complaint, but he would not reveal how the college learned of it.
He said Muhlenberg uses the state's definition of hazing, which includes paddling, public embarrassment, forced exercise and scavenger hunts. ''Things meant to demoralize, more or less,'' he said.
Delta Tau Delta was formed as a substance-free fraternity in 1998, meaning its members could not have alcohol in their house at 2202 Gordon St. that is owned by the college.
Hurd said the alcohol violation occurred at the house, but the hazing incident did not. He said the college conducted a thorough investigation that included notifying the Allentown Police Department, but no charges were filed.
Franzen said he hopes the college will consider that Delta Tau Delta members have maintained the highest average grade-point-average of all the fraternities on campus nearly every semester since their doors opened.
He also said his fraternity members are heavily involved in community service, volunteering their time at two local elementary schools, Muhlenberg and Jefferson.
''I just hope Muhlenberg can recognize that even though we made a mistake, we're an asset to the campus,'' he said.
Hurd said the fraternity has 43 members, but only a few live at the house. They will be allowed to remain there through the semester. In April 1999, during the fraternity's first year, Christian Davidson, then-president of Delta Tau Delta, told The Morning Call that the substance-free aspect of the house enhanced its appeal.
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