STARKVILLE — The national office of the Kappa Sigma fraternity last week revoked the charter of the organization”s Mississippi State University chapter.
The decision was made Thursday by the fraternity”s Supreme Executive Committee, which is similar to a board of directors, Kappa Sigma Executive Director Mic Williams said this morning. The MSU chapter has 30 days from the date of the decision to file an appeal with the national office, Williams said.
“If they appeal and they”re successful in their appeal, there could be the possibility of a lesser sanction,” Williams said.
If the appeal is denied, the national office would wait two years before possibly trying to re-establish Kappa Sigma at Mississippi State, Williams said. It is unclear what would happen to the fraternity”s house if the appeal is denied. Alumni own the massive structure, Williams said, and would “probably” work with the university to maintain ownership.
The revocation comes less than a month after Kappa Sigma was investigated by university officials for alcohol violations stemming from a September party involving alcohol and underage drinking. The decision to revoke the charter comes as a result of those alcohol violations, Williams said.
“We have a policy that”s called our Code of Conduct and in that Code of Conduct there is a requirement for the chapter to abide by the laws of the land and abide by the rules of the host institution, and the (MSU) chapter was in violation,” Williams said. Alcohol is prohibited on the MSU campus.
More than 100 students are members of Kappa Sigma”s MSU chapter, Williams said, although he didn”t have an exact figure. The fraternity this semester just recruited 50 more potential members, though they have not officially “pledged in,” Williams said.
Kappa Sigma is the second fraternity at MSU to get in trouble this semester. The Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity was placed on probation until May 15, 2010, for having a party at their house on Aug. 30, which resulted in allegations of a sexual assault and underage drinking.
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