A fraternity that was previously on campus was found this month to be in violation of its national office’s rules after previous allegations of hazing and harassment according to documents obtained by the University Times. As of Feb. 14, the fraternity has been placed on administrative review by the Alpha Phi Omega national office.
On Nov. 18 2021, the Lambda Mu chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity was issued a cease and desist letter by the fraternity national office’s Deputy Executive Director Stacey Robinson.
The cease and desist letter stopped all the fraternity’s activities and active status until the conclusion of the national investigation.
“The chapter is accused of practices inconsistent with the national risk management policy and national pledging or new member standards of Alpha Phi Omega, including hazing and harassment,” the letter reads.
“We were informed of the situation going into the winter break,” said Bob London, executive director of Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity. “During that winter break, we also happened to have our election so our national officers changed. All of those circumstances made it take a little longer than it normally would.”
As of a phone call with London on Feb. 17, he claimed the investigation is not yet complete.
The University Times (UT) first reached out to the national director on Feb. 7 for verification of the authenticity of the cease and desist letter.
On Feb. 14, Lambda Mu received another letter placing them on administrative review.
“It has been determined that Lambda Mu Chapter has violated the fraternity’s risk management policy and national pledging standards with various parts of the chapter’s pledge or new member education program in fall of 2021…the fraternity is hereby placing the chapter on a period of administrative review,” said National Vice President Disraeli Smith in the letter.
The administrative review is stated to last until July 1, 2023 unless notified.
“This administrative review period is performed to correct improper practices and improve the processes and operations of the chapter,” the letter continues.
The letter also goes on to say that inaction of new terms and this disciplinary action can result in the chapter being “at risk for declaration of null and void.”
Andrea Chia, a Cal State LA alumna and former service vice president of Lambda Mu chapter, provided some clarity on several of the allegations the fraternity is facing.
“There was a [alleged] sexual assault that happened around June 2021 between two of our members,” said Chia.
Chia refused to name either involved member out of privacy and respect for the alleged victim.
“There were around four months of inaction, of not addressing the issue, not informing the chapter or making an official statement,” she said. “National started an investigation and issued us a cease and desist letter. Faculty advisors were not informed until the very last minute, which I regret.”
Chia claims that the alleged sexual assault was kept quiet even among most of the student executive board members and was only vaguely mentioned in one meeting, so most people did not know about it until near the end of the fall 2021 semester.
Chia also claims that the alleged assailant was allowed to resume regular activities despite being told he was suspended from activities following the alleged assault.
In fraternities, a “Big” is seen as a mentor and a “Little” a mentee.
“Not only was he able to participate, he also got the privilege of attaining a Little,” said Chia. “He’s not recorded as becoming a Big, but the Little in question was placed under the [alleged] assaulter’s own Big. This was an issue for people because the Big who received the Little did not ask nor qualify to receive a Little that semester.”
This means that the Little unofficially assigned to the alleged assailant could have had time alone with this member without knowledge about the allegations he was facing.
Chapter President Shawn Pham and the alleged assailant declined to comment to the UT.
Multiple Cal State LA advisors were pushing the executive committee to get the chapter to be more aware of what happened and to take action in regards to the alleged sexual assault incident, according to Chia.
“It wasn’t until October or November that I went ahead and made a Title IX report,” she said. “I don’t want to talk bad about people [on the executive board] but we didn’t do a good job. We actually didn’t do anything.”
Title IX is part of the Education Amendment of 1972, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or transgender status in employment, as well as all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus), and protect all people regardless of their gender or gender identity from sex discrimination, which includes sexual harassment and sexual misconduct,” according to Cal State LA’s website.
While Chia made the report in-person with the Cal State LA Title IX office, any responses they have regarding this would be confidential since it is an open investigation with the school as well as the fraternity’s national offices. At this point in time, any response from Title IX would be sent directly to the alleged victim.
London provided further information about the process the national committee takes following any information or reports of misconduct by fraternity members.
“We check with the administration of the school and have a local elected volunteer who looks into the situation and provides a report to our spirit and standards committee, [which are] made up of board members and other volunteer leaders of the organization to determine the outcome of that investigation,” said London. “Depending on their report, which ranges from completely true, partially true or completely false, is when we figure out what happens next.”
To the UT’s understanding, there has not yet been any form of communication of these allegations by Cal State LA to the student body.
“The university is investigating allegations concerning the campus chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity,” Cal State LA’s Communications and Public Affairs Office told the UT. “The fraternity is suspended and is not a recognized university student organization. No further comment is available.”
This article first appeared in print Feb. 28, 2022.
