Chi Phi investigations to continue

Though the brothers of Chi Phi will continue living in their fraternity house, their privileges will be severely limited as several organizations within and outside the University conduct investigations.

The UNC administration and Chi Phi’s national organization have been independently investigating the chapter since before winter break and the student-run Greek Judicial Board might begin its own investigation this week.

“The Greek Judicial Board will get together in the next couple of days and determine whether the investigation is going to be had on our front,” said Fields Pierce, Greek Judicial Board chairman.

Greek judicial boards can hear issues relating to violations of council constitutions, recruitment rules and alcohol and hazing policies, according to the UNC Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Community Involvement.

“The Greek Judicial Board is responsible for investigating violations that are part of the IFC contract,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp.

“Anything that would be outside the IFC contract would be investigated through different avenues including the student attorney general’s office.”

Crisp declined to discuss details of the ongoing investigation, but said the administration is cooperating with the national chapter.

“The investigation involves the University and there’s also a parallel, but separate, investigation by the national fraternity,” Crisp said. “When those things are done, people will know.”

Both University officials and the national Chi Phi organization have clarified that the fraternity’s suspension is not related to the 2012 death of freshman David Shannon, who was a pledge in the fraternity at the time.

Aaron Bachenheimer, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Community Involvement, said under the suspension, fraternity activities are limited to conducting critical business of the chapter.

“They have to collect rent, they’ve got guys who live in the fraternity house,” he said. “They’ve got to be able to collect dues to pay for the running and operation of the fraternity house. That would be acceptable.”

Bachenheimer said the suspension forbids all events or activities associated with the fraternity, including recruitment events, pledge activities and off-campus events.

“If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s a duck,” he said.

“If the fraternity is having a party at an off-campus location to sort of circumvent the suspension, that would not be looked upon favorably.”

The Southern Order Memorial Foundation, Inc., the nonprofit organization that owns the Chi Phi house, issued a statement that said it would work with the national chapter and UNC to ensure there is a fair and transparent investigation.

Because all fraternity and sorority houses are considered off-campus, any criminal hazing investigation would have to be turned over to Chapel Hill Police.

Lt. Josh Mecimore, a spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department, said UNC’s Department of Public Safety has not turned over any evidence to his department.

“There are probably some tools that they can use as a school that we couldn’t use as a police department,” he said.

“Like they control whether this organization can be a fraternity again and that’s not something we can do. As a police department, we can’t compel you to be in an investigation.”

Mecimore said if the Department of Public Safety uncovered anything that could lead to criminal charges, it would release that information to Chapel Hill police investigators.

City Editor Jenny Surane contributed reporting.

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