Alleged KA Sexual Assault Goes Unprosecuted

ln Section 2 In Sports An Associated Collegiate Press Sick kids Do Hens Four-Star All-American Newspaper make the get a medicinal grade? - page BlO education page B 1 I Non-profit Org. FREE U.S. Postage Pa1d FRIDAY Newark, DE Volume 122, Number 40 250 Student Center, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 Permit No. 26 March 8, 1996 Alleged KA sexual assault goes unprosecuted conviction is wrong." are taken to the attorney general's before reporting an assault. such as the one previously alleged, Delay in reporting the incident cited as Speaking hypothetically , office to decide if there is enough "What does it tell men?" she we do believe that the attorney reason for dismissal; Sigma Kappa says Pederson said, if there is a evidence to prosecute, whereas the asked, her face flushed. "Nothing. If general's decision is a fair one, significant gap between the rape and university's judicial system is I were a guy, I would fear nothing.'' clearly made after carefully decision tells men to 'fear nothing' its reporting, you not only lose the designed to deal with non-criminal Interfraternity Council President investigating the matter in full." physical evidence, but it gives those code of conduct violations on Bill Werde disagreed , saying the When asked to respond to the BY KIM WALKER said. involved a chance to corroborate r------- campus. case conveys the opposite message. charge that Sigma Kappa was Managing Nt:ws Editor ··we did not find enough their stories. Dana Gereghty, "The message [the decision] sent punished while the former fraternity evidence that could lead to a The former Kappa Alpha Order Dean of Students Timothy F. See who was president was for women to come forward brother was not, Stoddard said, "I fraternity member accused of conviction," said Thomas A. Brooks said that because the editorial, of Sigma Kappa right away. If you wait 15 months, personally trust the justice system sexually assaulting a Sigma Kappa Pederson, adding that types of attorney general has decided not to pageA10 before it lost its it's going to severely hamper your implemented on campus. I believe sorority pledge in 1994 is not being physical evidence needed to secure a prosecute and because the university t________ chapter last chances for a prosecution." the university's judicial system prosecuted by the attorney general's prosecution include DNA evidence, has already conducted judicial semester, said, "It's very sad. [The Kappa Alpha Order President caters to no one.'· office because of the accuser's IS hair, fingerprints and clothing fibers. hearings on the incident , the attorney general's decision] doesn't Chris Stoddard said in a prepared Werde added, "A lot of people "To put [the victim] through the month delay in reporting the university is finished with the case. make it any easier for women to statement: "While we as a chapter seem to be upset that Sigma Kappa incident, the deputy attorney general process without a chance of All cases involving sexual assault come forward. I would think twice would never condone such actions see KAPPA ALPHA page A8 Student bus Hazing driver waits expert out co11troversy speaks to BY JILL CORTRIGHT Copy Ed11or Greeks In the midst of ongoing negotiations between university bus drivers and the Office of Labor Relations, one student driver is In an effort to regain its just trying to earn a paycheck. Sophomore Channing Miller, who has been employed as a charter, Sigma Kappa university bus driver for nearly six weeks, said he plans to "wait and see what happens" regarding a possible bu shutdown. hosts an anti-hazing "''m new to the job," he said. "''m walking into a situation mock trial and speech that's much larger than myself." Referring 10 complaints made by many of the university's BY AMY SHUPARD driv<!rs about long hours with little or no break, questionable bus Staff Repmur safety, and the firing of miscellaneous-wage workers before Sigma Kappa sorority, which lost they have logged 1,000 hours (the time at which benefits must its charter two months ago because I:Y~ given), Miller acknowledged that drivers have been talking of a February 1994 hazing incident about a possible brief shutdown of bus services should the in which a pledge was allegedly university not address the issues quickly. sexually assaulted, ponsored an Miller, a foreign literature major, said a bus shutdown anti-hazing speech Monday night as "would affect me as both a student and a worker," because he part of an agreement with the both drives a bus several hours each week and rides the bus to universi ty's judicial board to regain class three days a week. its charter in I 997. The impact of a bus strike on his ability to get to class, Miller Hazing expert Dr. David Westel , said, would bother him more than the impact it would have on who tours the country speaking to his job. "My priorities are on my schoolwork," he said. college students abo ut hazing, said As a result, Miller has a different perspective of the current the memhers of the Greek situation. T'lli REVIEW I John Chabalko (Above) Sophomore Channing·Miller, who has been employed as a community must have the courage Because he works only seven to 12 hours per week. Miller and di scipline to say they will not university bus driver for nearly six weeks, said he plans to "wait and said, he has little chance of reaching 1,000 hours, and is tolerate hazing anymore. see what happens" regarding a possible bus shutdown. therefore not directly affected by the university's practice of Hazing is not just physical, but firing workers at that time. psychological and emotional as well, Safety is also not a big problem for him, he said. excludes jobs that require only one worker at a station. said Weste I, who spoke to an Under university policy, bus drivers may refuse to drive a Miller said he knows little about ~ e potential shutdown because his audience of various sororities in bus they believe is unsafe and must be given an acceptable bus fellow workers are usually already on their routes when he arrives to pick up Pearson Hall. to drive in its place. The unsafe bus is then supposed to be taken his bus, so he seldom finds opportunities to talk with them. "It's not e nough just to say out of corrunission until the necessary repairs have been made Although he tends "not to be in the information loop," Miller said, the 'someone could not have died from - although some drivers have alleged buses they deemed information he does know comes from the questions he has asked other bus the act,"' Westel said. unsafe were simply given to other drivers without being drivers and from conunents made to him by his passengers. A certain percentage of each repaired. It was through students who rode hi s bus last week that Miller was sorority was required by the '"The most r·ve had is a little trouble with the radiator:· said informed that some of the loops were not running. "A few days in a row, I Panhellenic Council to attend. "It Miller, who also drives a Christina School District bus in the had some students tell me that they waited and waited and their bus never . was important for our sorority to mornings. came," he said. attend and it together to how '"They didn't make me drive it.'' he said, referring to the bus While that could mean some bus drivers were protesting university support for the issue," said Tory with radiator trouble. "A mechanic was immediately told [about policies by refusing to drive, Miller said, it could just mean they were sick. Wright, an Alpha Xi Delta pledge. the problem] and went to work on it.'' Miller also said he heard from students that some bus drivers were asking Since 1981, Westel has delivered Miller said the radiator was ftxed before the bus was given to their passengers to show university identification cards - not a normal over 530 speec hes on college another driver. practice, he said. campuses in an attempt to Work breaks are also not a concern for him because, Miller "One girl [boarding my bus] showed me her ID and I said it wasn' t discourage hazing. Westel was a said, he is on the job only three and a half hours at a time. necessary," Miller recalled. "She said another bus driver had asked for it. I member of Theta Chi, a hazing Bus drivers who work 10 to 14 hours per day have was con fused. " fraternity, when he was in college, complained that they get only one 12-minute break, which does He said asking for students' ID cards may be one way the drivers are but now travels the country not allow them enough time to eat. State law mandates that protesting. delivering speeches about the anyone working seven and a half hours is entitled to a half-hour Another day, all of the drivers had their bus loop signs turned upside harmful effects of hazing. break, but bus drivers are exempt from the law because it down, Miller added, presumably as some son of protest. Though Sigma Kappa sisters are "I didn't understand the point of that," he said. unhappy about their sorority's punishment, former member Staci Ward said, they feel this program will be beneficial to other sororities on campus. " We are trying to turn this Veal protested Fourth suicide incident around and make something positive out of it," said sophomore Carey Cwieka, a former Sigma Kappa sister.

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