After more than a month of requests and denials, UCLA
administration turned over documents to the Daily Bruin detailing
winter quarter sanctions against 11 UCLA sororities.
The university imposed probation this quarter on the entire
sorority row, responding to violations of university and sorority
policies occurring during spring quarter of last year at a
fraternity philanthropy event, according to university
documents.
UCLA officials declined to comment on the sanctions.
Repeated attempts by the Daily Bruin to obtain information about
the sanctions began at the start of winter quarter, but UCLA
administrators, including Dean of Students Robert Naples, did not
divulge the information, possibly violating state law.
Under the California Public Records Act ““ legislation
which allows the general public access to most records of state and
local agencies ““ the documents should have been turned over
as soon as possible, barring any exemptions, with a maximum
response time of 10 days.
But more than three weeks after the request, Patricia Jasper,
the UCLA attorney working on the request, had neither cited an
exemption in the law, nor turned over the documents. Inquiries
directed to officials in the Center for Student Programming were
also denied.
Of over 20 sorority members contacted, including numerous house
presidents, most declined to comment, saying the Panhellenic
Council ““ the sorority system’s governing body ““
told members not to talk about the probation.
Panhellenic President Eulynn Sun, a former Daily Bruin designer,
did not return numerous phone calls.
Many were also confused as to who was imposing the sanctions,
with many under the misconception that the Panhellenic Council, and
not the university, was responsible.
Others were unsure as to why they were put on probation in the
first place, but university documents, combined with accounts from
numerous sources, all point to one “keg-off.”
As a part of “Derby Days”, a week-long series of
philanthropy events, campus fraternity Sigma Chi hosted a drinking
contest where groups of sorority members raced to finish kegs of
beer. The winning sorority was to be awarded points for their
efforts.
Panhellenic policy prohibits both drinking games and the use of
a bulk quantity of alcohol. University policy also states a
sorority “must adhere to the provisions of its governing
documents” and comply with federal, state and local laws to
be officially recognized.
A letter was submitted on July 1, 2003 to the Office of
Fraternity and Sorority Relations following the event, complaining
that most of the women drinking were not of legal age.
“I am disturbed that this type of event would be conducted
in the name of philanthropy,” the letter stated.
University officials responded by imposing a probationary period
on all houses, effective Winter 2004.
Under the restrictions, each house can have no more than five
social events this quarter, including one non-alcoholic
“two-way” with a fraternity.
In addition, 98 percent of the membership of each sorority must
pass a social policies test or face further sanctions. Each chapter
must also complete a community service project by eighth week.
Jon Parker, a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, said the
sororities will now want to get the most out of their handful of
events, imposing a heavier financial burden on fraternities that
co-program with them. He added that he doubts the effectiveness of
the penalties.
“It’s not going to stop them from doing something
similar,” Parker said.
The Daily Bruin contacted university officials last Thursday,
informing them an article was to run on Friday describing the
university’s refusal to turn over the records. Hours later,
Jasper, the university counsel, released the documents.
Prior to the information’s release, Daily Bruin attorney
Jonathan Anschell had said the newspaper would file a petition in
superior court compelling production of the documents if the
university continued to refuse requests.