News

This Frat Is In Trouble

by Lauren Barbato

Earlier this week, Forbes columnist Bill Frezza claimed drunk women at parties are responsible for the downfall of fraternities. I mean, why not blame the drunk women and not the giant "Yes Means Anal" sign endorsing rape at your frat house, right? Texas Tech fraternity Phi Delta Theta displayed that rape banner at a recent party, and the university is not taking it too lightly. Sorry, Frezza, but there's no "blame the drunk women" defense here.

The Texas Tech kegger was first reported on Total Frat Move, which removed the post on Monday (a cached version is still online). According to the all-things-frat website, Phi Delta Theta held a "Hurricane" party over the weekend, and the theme seemed to be less about weather patterns and more about women as objects. Literally. One picture from the event shows a "vagina sprinkler" on the lawn — yes, a cut-out of a naked women shooting water from her genitals.

It gets worse: A second picture allegedly taken at the Hurricane party reveals a large, hand-painted banner declaring, "No Means Yes, Yes Means Anal." If this phrase sounds familiar, that's because Yale University's Delta Kappa Epsilon infamously chanted that same phrase around campus in 2011. The university eventually handed the fraternity a five-year suspension from all campus activities.

Here's a picture of the terrible, horrible, no-good banner from the Texas Tech Party. According to The New York Daily News, the photo was also posted to the frat website, Bro Bible.

The national office of Phi Delta Theta said on Tuesday that it's suspending the Texas Tech chapter until the investigation is resolved. Sean Wagner, associate executive vice president of Phi Delta Theta, said in a statement:

We are deeply concerned by the images provided from the event. Phi Delta Theta has zero-tolerance for any behavior that promotes misogyny or promotes a sexually hostile environment. This action directly contradicts the values of Phi Delta Theta and anyone found to be directly involved in the severely misguided decision will be held accountable.

A spokesperson for Texas Tech also told The Huffington Post on Tuesday that "sexual misconduct is a serious issue." However, no penalties have been imposed on the Phi Delta Theta Texas Tech chapter.

This unfortunate incident is just one out of a string of recent fraternities-are-terrible news. Clemson University also suspended all of its fraternities this week after a student at the school died while on a run with his fraternity brothers. However, the university claims the suspension is for alcohol and sexual misconduct-related reasons.

Images: Phi Delta Theta Texas Tech, Total Frat Move