The hazing of a sorority member - including dropping a freshman in a coffin so she could be reborn as a Chi Omega sister - and failure to follow nationally established principles led the Chi Omega national sorority to suspend the Sam Houston State University chapter last week.
Sam Houston State University is located in Huntsville, Texas.
The victim of the hazing, identified as "Becky Smith", alleged that some of her sorority sisters placed her in a coffin and covered her with a sheet to symbolize her rebirth in Chi Omega, said David P. Weeks, criminal district attorney in Huntsville.
"Becky Smith" also alleged that in a separate incident on Feb. 17, some of her sorority sisters slipped drugs in her drink and drove her to a male acquaintance's apartment and asked him to rape her, according to the Huntsville Item.
"Becky Smith" brought sexual assault charges against the man to local police April 10.
|
However, a grand jury found insufficient evidence to indict the male suspect.
The victim "admitted to consuming a significant amount of alcohol the night of the alleged rape," Weeks said.
This and the fact that "she had a consensual sexual encounter with the same man the following night put a knife in the heart of the case," he said.
"Legally, there was no sexual assault," but school officials plan to continue investigating these allegations, said Frank Krystyniak, public relations director at Sam Houston State.
Sam Houston State officials do not have the authority to suspend Chi Omega's charter, but they have revoked the status of the Chi Omega house as the headquarters of the sorority. The house is located on university property.
Chi Omega Executive Headquarters said that although the chapter is closed, it may return to Sam Houston State in the future.
Although the victim reports being drugged, "I have no evidence of drugs being involved," Krystyniak said. "The only evidence of drugs is in her statement. There were no tests done, and thus there is no absolute proof of drugs."
Weeks said the victim said she received Ketamine, known by many as "Special K." This drug is taken intravenously, but "Becky Smith" claims her sorority sisters slipped the drug in her drink.
The allegations of rape had more to do with alcohol consumption than the ingestion of a drug, Weeks said. "You can be intoxicated and taken advantage of. My problem [with the case], however, is with the consensual sex encounter the next night," he said.
"I have a great deal of sympathy for the victim," he added. "The thing that really concerns me is I don't want people who are victims of rape to be afraid to come forward" because this case was dismissed.
"Becky Smith" could not be reached for comment.
Read More
Honor Committee considers formal ban of AI detectors as evidence in trials
By Lexie Stadler | 4 hours agoThe Committee also addressed balancing student perspectives with those of Committee representatives during panel discussions.
Pro-Palestinian protesters form encampment near University Chapel
By CD News Staff | 5 hours agoThe encampment overlapped with a separate “May Day” protest on the Lawn, which was hosted by student activist group U.Va. Dissenters and the U.Va. Apartheid Divest Coalition.
Another aggravated assault incident reported to UPD
By Thomas Baxter | 5 hours agoThis is the first community alert of May.
