46. Derby Day Cancelled, Sigma Chi Suspended

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Sigma Chi Fraternity suspended at Ole Miss until January 2014

By Michael Harrelson, editor, HottyToddy.com

michael.harrelson@hottytoddy.com

Following a Thursday ruling by the University Judicial Council, Derby Day activities have been cancelled on the Ole Miss campus and its Sigma Chi fraternity host has been suspended until January of 2014.

The decision to suspend the fraternity and cancel the week of Greek activities that would have culminated in Saturday games among the sororities and a dance came after Sigma Chi was found guilty of its second strike for violation of the University’s alcohol policy while still on probation for its first infraction of alcohol rules.

Before being found guilty of its second strike, the Eta Chapter previously had one strike in the University’s two strike policy from the fall of 2012.

According to a Sigma Chi press statement, the University found the Eta chapter guilty of illegal possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, disregard for university authority and failure to follow the guidelines found in the Student Organization Handbook.

As a result of the verdict, Sigma Chi will not be allowed to participate as a organization in any Greek activities on campus.  The suspension includes no formal recruitment, no social activities, no housing, no meals and no formal meetings taking place on the campus of the University. After the suspension is lifted in January of 2014, the Eta Chapter will be under social probation, with the allowance of philanthropic events. At that time, meals, room and board and recruitment also will return.

Major Geoffery Yoste, chapter advisor of the Eta Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, challenged the ruling as faulty.

“The University’s two-strike policy for students and organizations is flawed and needs to be changed as it delivers major punishment for minor offenses. A first strike set up the opportunity to fail for the second.”

“We’re disappointed with the outcome and we do plan to appeal and hope that a better outcome can come out of that process,” said Buckner Corso, president of the Eta Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.