[CV Block Leaders] FW: Statement from the university on investigation of afraternity

[Jeni Spevak]

-----Original Message-----
From: James, Tiffany R. (Mayor's Office)
[mailto:TiffanyR.James at baltimorecity.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 9:18 AM
Subject: FW: Statement from the university on investigation of afraternity

See message from JHU below.  Here is a link to the Baltimore Sun article in
today's paper to which he is referring: 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-te.md.hopkins31oct31,0,764959
9.story


Tiffany James
Neighborhood Liaison, North/Northeast Baltimore Mayor's Office of
Neighborhoods 100 N. Holliday St., Room 628 Baltimore, MD 21202
(443) 984-1082
TiffanyR.James at baltimorecity.gov
http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/moon/index.html
 

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you.


-----Original Message-----
From: Salem Reiner [mailto:sreiner1 at jhu.edu]
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 9:20 PM
Subject: Fwd: Statement from the university on investigation of afraternity

All:

Please forward the following message to interested parties.

I wanted to make you aware of a highly unfortunate incident. As you may have
heard, or will likely hear in the news, the Sigma Chi fraternity
(JHU-recognized) hosted a party on 10/28/06 that was advertised in a highly
racially offensive manner. Please see below for details.

I am informing you, our neighbors, because this is an extremely important
matter.

At the time of this message (10/30/06), an investigation by the office of
the dean of students and other administrative bodies at JHU is well under
way. Also, this evening, JHU's most senior administrators that are involved
with students held a meeting to which the entire university community was
invited (and to which many students and others attended).
For several hours, a vibrant, passionate, and useful dialogue took place,
during which the specific incident referred to was addressed, expressions of
concern about current tensions related to intolerance of others were brought
up, and, indicators of promise were also included in the discussion. At the
meeting, actions were presented regarding how the university will address
those responsible for the noted incident. An overview was also presented
regarding the substantial and rapid actions that must be taken to address
racism, both to calibrate and bolster current initiatives, as well as
provide for long-term solutions that combat racism and other types of
intolerance of others.


Salem 



Salem Reiner
Director
Office of Community Affairs
Johns Hopkins University
901 S. Bond Street, Suite 540
Baltimore, MD 21231
443-287-9900 (phone)
443-287-9898 (fax)
Johns Hopkins Events:
http://webapps.jhu.edu/eventslist/standardtemplate.cfm
Johns Hopkins News & Information:
http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/events/
 


>>> JHBroadcast <JHBroadcast at jhu.edu> 10/30/06 3:28 PM >>>
October 30, 2006

To the Homewood campus community:

On Saturday evening, Oct. 28, at an off-campus house, members of the Sigma
Chi fraternity sponsored a party that was advertised as a "Halloween in the
'Hood" party. The invitation invoked offensive racial stereotyping. The
coordinator of Greek life last week had told the chapter president that he
found the advertisement racist and offensive and directed the fraternity to
withdraw the advertising immediately. The advertising later reappeared,
without the coordinator's knowledge, in altered but still offensive form.

A decoration outside the party site was a plastic skeleton dressed in pirate
garb hanging from a rope noose. 

The university's community liaison officer was asked early Sunday to respond
to the scene of the party. After she did so, a decision was made to close
the event down.  

The university is now conducting a full investigation into this matter.
Based on the information received thus far, the university has suspended all
activities of the Sigma Chi fraternity, pending the results of the
investigation. The university has also alerted the fraternity's national
headquarters about this action. The national fraternity has imposed a 45-day
suspension of the chapter's activities and will conduct its own
investigation. 

The university will be investigating whether the Sigma Chi fraternity
chapter or any of its members violated university policies and regulations
proscribing: 

*	conduct or a pattern of conduct that harasses a person or a
group; 
*	intimidation of any person which results in limiting her/his
full access to all aspects of life at the university; 
*	and hosting an event in violation of university party
registration policies. 

The university also will consult with the national fraternity concerning as
to whether the local chapter is in compliance with its national charter. 

University administrators plan to hold an open meeting with concerned
members of the university community this evening, Monday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m.
in Hodson Hall auditorium. President Brody, who left campus this afternoon
to attend a national meeting out of state, issued the following statement:

"The invitation to this party represented a serious and unacceptable
misjudgment on the part of the fraternity chapter that organized it. We will
move quickly to address that appropriately with the chapter.

"Ours is a university community where students of many races, ethnicities
and religions work hard every day to bridge the gaps between them, to unify
rather than to polarize. Our students are generally mature, responsible and
hard-working. They are appreciative of the opportunity to get to know many
people of backgrounds differing from their own.

"I have long been committed to embracing diversity and inclusion on campus,
as I recognize its fundamental importance. I take this situation very
seriously. I find this incident deeply disturbing, and I'm personally
offended.

"It's as simple as this: The adoption of racial stereotyping as a party
theme is a repugnant act, and groups that want to consider themselves Johns
Hopkins student organizations should understand that the university will not
tolerate it."