Editor's note (8/28/01): Josh Guttman, Trinity '98, was cleared of all charges relating to the rape case described in the following article.
Following allegations that a 16-year-old visitor was raped in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity section during a March 7 mixer with the Pi Beta Phi sorority, the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council have jointly developed three measures to combat sexual assault.
By the semester's end, Panhel President and Trinity junior Hillary Holmes said, the organizations expect to solidify plans for implementing the following measures:
Discontinue mixers that feature themes associated with sex or degradation, such as "Pimps and Whores" and "Anything for a Dollar," at which participants receive fake cash and then proposition each other for money;
Use volunteer peer monitors at mixers and parties. Each host group would be required to have a certain number of members remain sober so they can intervene in potentially dangerous situations;
Mandate rape awareness programming each semester for every fraternity and sorority group. This particular idea is not new: Panhel had previously intended to review the greek system's mandatory pledge education sessions on sexual assault.
During the March 25 joint meeting at which IFC and Panhel generated these measures, greek leaders also considered a fourth and less popular idea: moving mixers out of residential sections. Holmes noted that some chapter presidents were concerned that the lack of appropriate on-campus venues would force events off campus, thereby increasing drunk driving and raising costs.
IFC President and Trinity junior Eric Weisman was unavailable for comment about why IFC did not support this measure.
Beyond the initiatives undertaken jointly with Panhel, IFC has not taken any additional action on the matter. "IFC is currently reviewing the allegations and at the appropriate time will take swift and certain action if warranted," Weisman explained. "However, until formal charges are brought or evidence is made available, it would be premature to take any actions besides taking proactive steps to prevent future allegations of rape."
Nevertheless, the sorority presidents have agreed on a pact to suspend all activity with SAE until the allegations are resolved.
"[The Delta Delta Delta sorority] is addressing the issues of individual sisters," said Tri Delt President and Trinity junior Clare Treanor, noting that Tri Delt is considering the creation of a three-person support panel to handle individual members' experiences with sexual assault and to evaluate the environment in which Tri Delt parties are held. "We're trying to be proactive and recognize that this was not an isolated incident.
"But we're also working in conjunction with other sororities to ensure that [we're addressing this issue]," Treanor continued. "Historically, we have [mixed with SAE] very much, and we would like to again. But we don't want to condone such activity, and we don't want to mix with SAE if doing so is going to be painful to the sisters of Pi Phi."
SAE President and Trinity junior Gaston Lacayo said he believes IFC has acted in a "very mature and professional" manner. "I'm disappointed, though, that [the sororities] rushed to judgment without hearing all the facts," he said.
Despite the sororities' pact, he noted, a fundraiser that his fraternity is planning with Pi Phi will continue as scheduled this weekend. Although the proceeds were originally earmarked for the John Avery Boys and Girls Club of Durham, the two groups now plan to donate $500 to the Rape Crisis Center of Durham.
"The reason we're not mixing with SAE is because something happened in a social setting," said Pi Phi President and Trinity junior Uma Amuluru, "but this is something different. We've been planning this for months, and we've raised a lot of money, and it would be tragic to me if this situation hurt a charity. " Amuluru also noted that the event is not a mixer and is open to the public. "This [fundraising event] will show that we're not holding anything against SAE specifically."
In a letter signed by "the brotherhood of SAE" and issued to Panhel presidents Wednesday night, the fraternity encouraged others to disassociate the alleged incident from the fraternity.
"Our fraternity is wholeheartedly opposed to rape or assault of any kind," the letter reads. "We feel that it is important to separate what is the act of a group and the [alleged] act of an individual. The misconduct that allegedly took place was not the act of an organization, but involved two individuals. It is necessary to separate what is a fraternity issue and what is a personal issue."
"SAE has not been implicated," Lacayo stressed in an interview. "It's an individual member. I haven't been asked to testify. It doesn't involve the fraternity." He added that "the individual has voluntarily disassociated himself from the fraternity to not implicate the fraternity while he deals with his defense."
The SAE member implicated in the incident, Trinity senior Josh Guttman, is scheduled to appear before the Undergraduate Judicial Board April 17, sources close to the judicial board said. The University's judicial code includes two categories of sexual assault; the specific charges against Guttman are unknown.
No criminal charges have been filed against Guttman; the campus judicial system operates independently of the criminal court system.
Guttman declined to comment.
Many sorority presidents said their members were looking beyond this particular incident and focusing their attention on the general problem of sexual assault.
"We need to recognize that rape is a serious problem on this campus, and it's certainly not just in the greek community," said Trinity junior Delaney Steele, a Sexual Assault Support Services student programmer.
Each sorority, Holmes said, has already arranged for Steele to give a presentation in the next few weeks. These programs-which will be geared toward helping those who have been sexually assaulted and those with friends who have been assaulted-were scheduled with the anticipation that they will help sororities deal with part of the fallout from the alleged March 7 incident: During the few weeks since, many sorority members have disclosed to their leadership or to their sisters that they have been assaulted.
"Each one of us has probably had about six people share an experience with them recently," Holmes said.
Stephanie Wilenchek, SASS coordinator, said she was not surprised that many women have used the recent focus on sexual assault to disclose information about their own experiences.
"From my experience, the national statistic you often hear-one in four women have been sexually assaulted or been involved in an attempted sexual assault-is not far-fetched," she said, adding that concerned students can contact her at the Women's Center or by paging 970-2315.
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