From Delta Gamma Executive Offices today:
Yesterday, April 4, 2024, a coalition of six current students and the Gamma Mu Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory judgment against administrators at the University of Maryland following an investigation into broad and unspecified allegations of misconduct targeted at all Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council (IFC) chapters. Fraternal organizations believe this approach by the university infringed upon students’ rights and well-being, interfered with students’ rights to free expression, as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and threatened the integrity of sorority life.
We appreciate the courage of the women of Kappa Alpha Theta to lead this effort as many organizations with chapters at the University of Maryland, like Delta Gamma, discussed this option but due to various situational facts and student concern about retaliation from the University, determined they could not formally participate at this time.
Below is background on the situation at the University of Maryland that will help provide some context:
On March 1, following undocumented and vague allegations of misconduct and concerns of perceived imminent threats of harm to student safety, the university suspended all new member activities and social events for campus Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Association member organizations. The university also issued a No Contact Order which banned all IFC and Panhellenic organization members from having any contact with any new member or prospective new member — which without exceptions identified, included biological siblings, roommates, classmates, coworkers, etc.
Following the university’s March 1 decision, the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) attempted to partner with university officials. This attempt was unsuccessful, and the university failed to provide any answers.
At this time and in the weeks following, the university failed to communicate transparently about the alleged incidents of misconduct and denied students’ their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. In addition, the university required students from all IFC and Panhellenic chapters to participate in mandatory interrogation by hired attorneys or potentially face disciplinary action.
On March 5, the university modified the overbroad No Contact Order but continued to prohibit any conversation between members and new members about chapter business and activities at a time when almost all initiations had been postponed due to the university’s suspension of activities and housing contracts were to be signed for the 2024-25 academic year.
On March 8, the university stated that “no single or specific incident led to the decision” to suspend social activities and new member recruitment activities.
On March 15, the university reinstated activities for all 16 campus Panhellenic sororities based on zero allegations of misconduct concerning any of the organizations.
At the end of April, representatives from the National Panhellenic Conference will travel to the University of Maryland to meet with collegiate Panhellenic and chapter leaders and local alumnae to provide additional detail on the situation and local impact and communicate the ongoing support from all 26 NPC member organizations.
As you can imagine, the past month has been incredibly stressful on the Panhellenic community at the University of Maryland. And amid the stressful investigation that ultimately cleared all 16 sororities of any wrongdoing, sorority women were deprived of their core support system.
But the actions taken by the University of Maryland cast a shadow that extends beyond the campus and onto sorority life across the country. It is imperative that all organizations stand together to protect students’ rights and well-being and discourage this broad action from occurring on other campuses.
We understand you may have questions about the situation at the University of Maryland and the broader impact on our organization and sorority life. You can reach out to us with your questions by emailing
DG-EO@deltagamma.org. You may also follow the progress of the legal action here on a webpage hosted by the National Panhellenic Conference.
Additionally, you should know that NPC continues to lead advocacy efforts to pass federal legislation that would prevent university actions like this in the future. Since 2016, and the attempt from Harvard to make our organizations co-ed, there has been bipartisan activity to protect the association rights of our organizations and individual members.
We will keep you abreast of new developments. As always, we are committed to preserving the health, safety and well-being of all sorority women while also preserving the future of our fraternal organizations.
ITB,
Fraternity President Dr. Amy R. Ayres, Alpha Iota-Oklahoma
Fraternity Executive Director Tracey Doebling Williams, Beta Sigma-Maryland
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--KnightShadow
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