Please note that the following message references hazing and sexual misconduct.
Dear Members of the Medford/Somerville Campus Community,
We are writing today to provide an update about the University’s ongoing response to the very troubling concerns about the climate of our Greek system that were first raised in early November by an article in the Tufts Observer.
As we reported in our community messages on November 8 and December 2, 2016, the Dean of Student Affairs Office, Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO), and the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) launched multiple investigations in response to the Observer article and subsequent anonymous reports received through EthicsPoint. In total, nine Greek organizations have been issued Cease and Desist orders for allegations related to hazing, sexual misconduct, and alcohol policy violations. As these investigations begin to yield additional information and result in outcomes for individual chapters, we will continue to keep the community informed.* At this time, one Greek organization has elected to dissolve after being presented with the results of an investigation conducted by TUPD.
Two chapters believed to have violated the terms of their Cease and Desist orders have been presented with Administrative Resolutions from the Dean of Student Affairs Office that would place them on a Suspension for the current semester and Probation for the fall. These two chapters may also choose to take their cases before the Committee on Student Life. One has recently elected to go before the Committee.
At this time, all Multicultural Greek organizations continue to operate normally and have had no allegations of misconduct reported against them. Four other chapters with no allegations of misconduct reported against them have had their eligibility to recruit brought back to their respective councils by the Dean of Student Affairs Office. The Inter-Greek Council, Panhellenic Council, and InterFraternity Council will work with these chapters to develop appropriate plans for recruitment this spring.
Multiple investigations continue to be conducted by OEO and TUPD. We expect several investigations to be completed in the coming weeks, at which point additional chapters will be presented with next steps and/or outcomes by the Dean of Student Affairs Office and Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Currently, all social activity by all fraternities and sororities remains voluntarily suspended. As preliminary steps, all fraternities are participating in a sexual misconduct prevention training and alcohol education, and they have undergone a training with a national hazing prevention expert.
The charge and membership of the Student Life Review Committee announced by President Monaco in his December 22 message to the community will be shared with the community shortly. The Committee will not have an investigative role. While particular investigations and disciplinary cases move ahead, the Committee will consider the climate of campus co-curricular life more broadly and develop recommendations for programs, structures, and policies that will enhance campus culture. Tufts takes any report of hazing or sexual misconduct very seriously, and any person wishing to report activity that may be unethical, inappropriate, or illegal may do so by contacting the Dean of Student Affairs Office, OEO, or TUPD. A report may also be filed anonymously via EthicsPoint. Any person wishing to supplement an anonymous report they filed previously using Ethicspoint is encouraged to do so if they feel they can provide additional information. In particular, we are hoping that anonymous reporters from November and December will be able to supply OEO with more information so that the investigations can continue. Further outcomes may be limited if we cannot gather more facts. OEO is committed to finding ways to keep reporters anonymous. Please consider blocking your phone number when contacting OEO to give us more information about your Greek Life concerns. We encourage those who may have been affected by these allegations, reports, or issues to take advantage of resources available at the University and in their local communities. Students in need of confidential support are encouraged to contact the CARE Office and Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Service. Faculty and staff may contact the Tufts Employee Assistance Program. We take these allegations, and all others like them, extremely seriously at Tufts, and we will continue to update the community about the University’s response.
Sincerely,
James M. Glaser
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Jianmin Qu
Dean of the School of Engineering
Mary Pat McMahon
Dean of Student Affairs
Kevin Maguire
Executive Director of Public Safety
Jill A. Zellmer
Executive Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX/504 Coordinator
* Out of respect for confidentiality, it is the practice of the Dean of Student Affairs Office to anonymize public information about disciplinary proceeding against student organizations.
