Michigan Fraternities Sever Ties With University

Sean Callan, Manley Burke, sean.callan@manleyburke.com Michigan passed an ordinance amending elements of the Ann Arbor zoning code that specifically impact fraternity and sorority chapter houses. Of particular concern, the changes tie zoning compliance to the resident fraternity or sorority maintaining...
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Update on USC Deferred Recruitment Case

Tim Burke, Manley Burke, tburke@manleyburke.com The June 2018 issue of Fraternal Law reported that five of the Greek Chapters at the University of Southern California filed suit in state court challenging the University’s imposition of deferred recruitment. The lawsuit relied...
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House Democrats Propose New Legislation

Tim Burke, Manley Burke, tburke@manleyburke.com Legislation which would reauthorize the Higher Education Act remains pending in Congress. In the January 2018 issue of Fraternal Law, we reported on H.R. 4508 (the Prosper Act).1 Now, House Democrats have proposed a different...
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No More Women's Groups at Harvard

Tim Burke, Manley Burke, tburke@manleyburke.com It appears that Harvard University has achieved part of its goal in eliminating singlesex organizations composed of Harvard students. Ironically, an effort which began as a crusade against sexual assaults alleged at men’s finals clubs...
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Interesting Settlement from Utah State

Settlements of lawsuits are not unusual. They are often frequently preferred to the uncertainty and huge expense of protracted litigation. Settlements, when opposing parties agree, can include provisions requiring parties to do things that a court decision could not. For...
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Indiana District Court Denies MSJ in Sexual Assault Case

Tim Burke, Manley Burke, tburke@manleyburke.com In the June 2018 issue of Fraternal Law we reported on the status of Jane Doe No. 62 v. Delta Tau Delta, Theta Alpha Chapter1 in which the federal court judge had asked the Supreme...
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Guilty Pleas at Penn State

Tim Burke, Manley Burke, tburke@manleyburke.com Fifteen months after Timothy Piazza died in a hazing incident fueled by alcohol and the failure to get him help for more than 12 hours, the first of two dozen defendants pled guilty and was...
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Two High Courts Address "special duty" to Students

The Supreme Courts of two states earlier this year each addressed the issue of a college’s “special duty” to protect its students.   The Regents of the University of California, et. al. vs. the Superior Court of Los Angeles County,...
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Lawsuit Filed by Gruver Family

Max Gruver died on property leased from LSU in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house when some members of the Chapter violated the rules of the fraternity, the regulations of the University, and the laws of the State of Louisiana....
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