People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for the disbanding of the Davidson College chapter of the locally-based Kappa Sigma fraternity Thursday, according to Stephanie Boyles, wildlife biologist from PETA's Research and Investigations Department.
Davidson police arrested seven members and pledges of the Davidson, N.C. chapter of Kappa Sigma Feb. 7 and charged them with cruelty to animals and conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals. The seven fraternity members and pledges allegedly beat a goose to death with a golf club after luring her with breadcrumbs, Boyles said.
"We are concerned because this is the third time in three years we've been alerted to animal cruelty incidents involving Kappa Sigma," she said. "We don't have a running file of animal cruelty for any other fraternity."
No animal cruelty instances involving Kappa Sigma or any other fraternity have been reported at the University, Boyles said.
PETA sent a letter to Mitchell Wilson, Kappa Sigma national executive director, requesting that he revoke the Davidson chapter's charter.
Wilson said he suspended the charter of the Davidson chapter and the charter may or may not be revoked, pending a hearing before Kappa Sigma's supreme executive committee next month.
Officers from the Davidson chapter will argue to retain their charter before Kappa Sigma's national board, Wilson said.
"We certainly do not condone any activity that will be abusive to any being whatsoever," he said.
In her letter, Boyles cited animal cruelty incidents involving other Kappa Sigma chapters.
In 1999, two members of Kappa Sigma's Middle Tennessee State University chapter admitted to suspending an opossum from a tree, swinging him and repeatedly slamming him into the tree, Boyles said.
PETA obtained a videotape last October showing Kappa Sigma members at the University of Missouri-Rolla igniting fireworks strapped to the back of a turtle, she added.
Wilson said he was planning on responding to Boyles' letter.
"In her letter she cited three isolated incidents that occurred in our chapters," he said. "In each of those situations we took appropriate disciplinary actions."
Boyles said three animal cruelty incidents is three times too many.
"The fact that they have had three incidents in three years should be a concern to him -- there shouldn't be any," she said.
In addition to the revocation of the Davidson chapter's charter, Boyles called for the addition of language regarding the treatment of animals in Kappa Sigma's mission statement.
"They already have words about the treatment of human beings in their mission statement," Boyles said. "Given the trend that is developing in Kappa Sigma, we believe animals should be included."
Although Kappa Sigma's mission statement does not directly address the treatment of animals, its provisions encompass general standards of behavior.
"In our credo we have a standard that our members will act as gentleman and gentleman do not participate in those kinds of activities," Wilson said. "We already have language that we feel is appropriate."
Paul Quinlan, president of the University Kappa Sigma chapter, expressed no support for either side's argument.
"I've never met a goose I didn't like," Quinlan said. "But until authorities have ruled out self-defense in the goose-abuse incident, we'd prefer not to take sides"
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