College Kicks Sorority Off Campus for Discrimination

The Delta Zeta sorority chapter located at DePauw University in Indiana will soon be no longer. University President Robert G. Bottoms has issued an order for the sorority to vacate the campus in Greencastle by the fall.

SOROR DISCRIMINATION?

The order follows the sorority's dismissal of 23 members. The 23 members were demoted to alumnae status and were asked to leave the sorority house. Per Deborah A. Raziano, the evictions were legitimate; the sorors were dismissed for failing to meet recruitment criteria. However, the evicted sorority members disagree. In fact, they state that they were released due to their appearance and popularity at the university.

The Delta Zeta chapter, which was started with just 35 women, has in the past been dubbed "the dog house" by fellow university students. The chapter has apparently had a history of being a primarily academic organization, whereas other Greek groups are known for partying. Reportedly, as a result of the stigma, the women were evicted for failing to recruit new members into the chapter, in an attempt to revitalize the sorority's image.

THE REPERCUSSIONS

Delta Zeta representatives released an email in response to the closing, indicating that the issue has been "mischaracterized." But DePauw University claims that their decision to remove the organization follows a letter of reprimand which was sent to the group on February 19^th.

In a news conference, Bottoms stated: "I came to the conclusion that our approaches to these issues are just incompatible." However, Bottoms did not explicitly list any of the sorority's policies in question. Thus, on Monday (March 12), Bottoms delivered a letter to sorority president Raziano, which stated that the organization would "no longer be recognized as part of the Greek system" at the private university. Currently they are assisting some of the ejected members to find alternate housing.

DELTA ZETA'S RESPONSE