A fraternity at Cornell University in New York has been placed on probationary recognition after an investigation revealed that new members were allegedly running a contest in which they would get points for having sex with women.
The University’s Fraternity and Sorority Review Board began looking into the Kappa Chapter of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) and according to its finding, new members were participating in a ‘pig roast’ in which they ‘could accumulate points by engaging in sexual intercourse with women’.
The review board said the contest occurred in 2017 but did not say how many members were involved or how long it went on for.
Cornell University’s Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity has been placed on probation for two years following an investigation that revealed new members were participating in a game in which they were awarded points for sex
According to the University’s Fraternity and Sorority Review Board, new members were allegedly running a ‘pig roast’ contest in which they received points for having sex with women. The women were not aware of the game
The new members were allegedly told not to inform the women about the game and in the case of a tie the member who had sex with a woman who weighed the most won.
The fraternity was made aware of the review board’s findings in December. The fraternity has been placed on probationary recognition for two years and must fulfill other requirements, such as a full chapter brotherhood and an external review by its national organization, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.
The frat also has to participate in programs such as Sexual Assault Awareness Week and Cornell’s bystander intervention program.
‘The Kappa Chapter of Zeta Beta Tau would like to first and foremost express our mutual disgust along with those who feel hurt of victimized,’ the fraternity said in a statement.
‘Your feelings are legitimate and appropriate reactions to something of this nature. The Kappa Chapter of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity is horrified at the notion of the degradation and/or objectification of women, and the impact it has had on men and women across the United States, and at Cornell.’
Zeta Beta Tau went on to say they were ‘shocked and appalled’ by the allegations against its new members.
‘We, too, are in disbelief and even so that these alleged actions may have been taken by those we called brothers. As a result, we are looking inward to ensure this type of behavior never occurs by anyone connected with ZBT, or the campus community as a whole, on our watch,’ the group said.
Zeta Beta Tau brothers said in a statement they were ‘shocked and appalled’ by the allegations against its new members
Paul Russell, Cornell’s Iterfraternity Council president, told the outlet the frat’s actions are ‘not normal’ and the Iterfraternity Council (IFC) has been ‘working to make sure these sorts of incidents don’t become normalized’.
“The IFC was appalled and disgusted by the activity described in the reports,” Russell said. “The decision about the specific sanctions placed on ZBT was made jointly by administrators and IFC leadership in a review board hearing earlier this year after a hearing and a review of the allegations.”
The review board found Zeta Beta Tau guilty of violating the University’s Fraternity and Sorority Recognition Policy by implementing hazing and going against section 11 if Cornell’s Fraternity and Sorority Expectations of Membership, which prohibits ‘sexually abusive behavior on the part of its members’, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.
The fraternity also has to work closely with Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life this semester to hire an adviser, do a facility walkthroughs, create a transition program and have monthly meetings about progress updates.