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Newsletter > March 2021 > "Bowling Green State University and VCU Statements"

Bowling Green State University and VCU Statements

Tim Burke, Fraternal Law Partners, tburke@manleyburke.com


Within the last month the families of Adam Oakes, a student at Virginia Commonwealth and Stone Foltz, a student at Bowling Green, have been left to mourn their deaths.  Both a deaths are being investigated as potentially hazing related.  The Delta Chi chapter at VCU and the Pi Kappa Alpha Chapter at Bowling Green have been suspended by the Universities and their National organizations.  If the facts ultimately establish the conduct which caused the deaths resulted from hazing there will undoubtedly be criminal charges brought against the wrong doers who will have also violated the rules of their fraternities and schools.  In both cases the Universities have acted quickly to launch investigations of their entire Greek systems.  Below is the text of the letter the President of Bowling Green sent to all Greek Chapters on March 6th and the statement the Senior Vice Provost issued at the direction of the of the President of VCU on March 2d.

 

March 6, 2021    

Yesterday, Bowling Green State University placed Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity on interim suspension for alleged hazing activity. Clearly, this is an unfolding situation, one where we do not know all the facts. Not only are we continuing to work with local law enforcement, who are actively taking the lead in investigating this situation, we will also be pursuing our own student code of conduct investigation, including both the fraternity and students involved.

While fraternity and sorority life has been woven into the fabric of higher education, we must act and respond today to this tragic incident. All day, student leaders from the Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, College Panhellenic Conference, Undergraduate Student Government and the undergraduate student representative to the Board of Trustees worked with staff members to begin to address the short- and long-term future of fraternity and sorority life at Bowling Green State University.

Planning and dialogue continue, and more decisions need to be made. However, together, we made progress today. Effective at midnight, the University is interimly suspending all new member intake processes and on- and off-campus social events of chapters in all four Greek councils stated above. Understanding the impact this has on chapter operations, the University will be meeting with their student leadership.

These measures will be enforced until each chapter individually and successfully works with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Office of the Dean of Students on comprehensive plans to safely restart. To do so, chapters may continue to conduct organization-wide and executive board meetings virtually with pre-approval from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Over the next week, Greek student leaders, along with our staff, will shape the framework of these plans to provide for increased accountability and to ensure hazing has no place at Bowling Green State University. We will also increase our work with our Greek national headquarter offices on safety and anti-hazing efforts.

In addition, recognizing that hazing may not be limited to this single incident and to promote more accountability and transparency, the University will consult with outside third parties to conduct a broader review of student organizations and activities.

Hazing is a national problem going beyond fraternities and sororities. BGSU has put in safeguards, policies, protocols and processes, and support services to combat hazing. These University processes and policies have been established to set high expectations and standards and to enforce compliance and ensure the safety of all students. Clearly, we remain committed to improving, even working to address off-campus and nonsanctioned events. We will step up our efforts – increasing education, enhancing support and reporting outlets, reviewing internal processes, evaluating recruitment structures, and elevating outreach and communication campaigns.

We believe Bowling Green State University is a community where each of us belongs. That requires a commitment to ensuring everyone is safe and welcome. Let us be clear: We recognize that not all students involved in Greek life are contributing to hazing. We value our students engaged in Greek life and the home that they have found in their organizations, and we wish for a community that includes a vibrant fraternity and sorority life. Hard work lies ahead. We need to come together to demand better, and this is just the start.

 

 March 2, 2021

 

On behalf of all of VCU, we continue to mourn the death of Adam Oakes, a freshman who had a promising future ahead of him. Like our community, we fervently want to understand what happened. VCU is working closely with the Richmond Police Department, which is leading the investigation into Adam’s death.

Part of the police investigation will determine whether Adam’s death was related to a Delta Chi activity. VCU is fully supporting the investigation and asks anyone who believes they have information to contact Richmond Police Detective M. Gouldman at (804) 646-3915 or call the VCU Police at (804) 828-1196.

This past weekend, Delta Chi fraternity’s national office and VCU issued cease-and-desist orders, which suspends the chapter’s operations while the investigation continues.

Richmond Police has pledged a thorough investigation. While eager for answers, we must allow time for the investigation to proceed.

However, VCU is not waiting until an investigation is complete to take more action.

At the direction of VCU President Michael Rao, VCU is launching an independent, comprehensive review of Greek life at the university. In light of Adam’s death and our commitment to a safe and healthy campus, this review will make recommendations about how Greek organizations meet the high expectations we have for them.

Simply put, this cannot happen again. We will keep our community informed about the review, and its outcomes.

At their best, fraternities and sororities promote fellowship, leadership and service through sound ethical and moral judgement. This comprehensive review will propose new ways to ensure all organizations follow our values and how they will be held accountable when they do not.

VCU is dedicated to acting now, and will be ready to do more pending outcomes of the police investigation. The university continues to work with Adam’s family and will always keep Adam, his family and friends in our hearts.

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