Members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity said campus administration treated them unfairly after an on-campus event was cancelled last semester due to TKE’s involvement. But Student Life & Development (SLD) officials said the fraternity is not allowed to participate in any campus events due to the fraternity’s university charter being revoked in 2004.
TKE, also known as the Knights of Cruentus, was co-sponsoring the Long Beach State Music Festival 2006 with Cal State Long Beach’s KBEACH radio, but it was cancelled. The TKE fraternity said it was cancelled due to its involvement.
“Although SLD maintains that it’s only for people having official events with TKE, it can’t be denied that members of TKE that are regular students and members of the campus community are being discriminated against just because of one of their many associations,” said Andrew De Lara, public relations officer for TKE.
Student Life & Development Director Jeff Klaus said TKE is not being treated unfairly. He said the fraternity members are students just like everyone else on campus and that they are allowed to be part of the campus. Klaus said these students cannot do things representing the campus under the TKE fraternity name due to the rules of the suspension.
TKE has been suspended until 2010 due to several incidents between 2000 and 2004. These include complaints about open parties thrown by the fraternity and failing to meet academic standards for three consecutive semesters, according to Klaus. The final incident before the suspension occurred when some members were drinking in Lot 13 prior to an off-campus exchange. Furthermore, a fraternity member deposited feces and beer on a sorority house’s porch.
De Lara, however, said administrators are discriminating against TKE members.
“I understand that the fraternity is suspended until 2010. We are not dismaying that in any way. We have a problem with how our fraternity is being made to feel like we are second-class citizens,” De Lara said. “We are still a part of the school. We go to class. We are a part of sports and student government.”
Because of TKE’s prior actions, the Interfraternity Council passed Executive Resolution #20006-01, stating that the Panhellenic Council Executive Board and its affiliates cannot have any “social actions and events with Tau Kappa Epsilon.” Additionally, it stated that a sorority that “voluntarily or knowingly involves itself or its affiliates with the participation of Tau Kappa Epsilon or the Knights of Cruentus” will not be allowed to have social events for one semester. If a sorority has an event with the fraternity numerous times, it “will result in one year disaffiliation from any and all activities with the Interfraternity Council, up to and including Greek Week.”
De Lara said, “Due to a rule passed by the Interfraternity Council, which I feel the administration has taken out of context, when other people, including certain ones in sororities are told if they are seen or do anything with us, they will be in trouble.”
In regards to the fall event, KBEACH adviser John Trapper said KBEACH is required to receive approval of any events held through Program Regulation Clearance (PRC). That event in particular required an addendum from PRC due to the involvement of additional participants, and “such clearances are required for a host of reasons ranging from risk management to just learning opportunity where we are teaching students proper procedures.”
“The organization we were co-sponsoring with could not get recognized by SLD so that we could obtain proper signature. I was forced to have KBEACH pull any official participation,” Trapper said. “To allow it would have made KBEACH in breach of policy. Any information beyond this would be speculation on my part.”
Tom McAninch, communications coordinator for TKE headquarters, said CSULB and TKE have reviewed and understand the issues dealing with the fraternity. But he said the headquarters did not think the actions of the members were enough to suspend TKE.
“The university, however, made the decision to suspend recognition, which in turn suspended the headquarters’ relationship with the administration,” McAninch said. He said the headquarters is working with the chapter and trying to repair the relationship with the campus administration, but has not been able to do so.
Cal State Fullerton has also had issues with the TKE fraternity on their campus. Juanita E. Razo, CSUF assistant dean of students, said the campus once had a TKE chapter, but it was expelled in 1998. She said that there is a possibility of re-colonization by the fraternity after 2008. Razo, however, said she could not disclose the reasons for that chapter being expelled.
In 2010, CSULB’S TKE will have a chance to be reviewed for possible reinstatement on campus.
“We’ve already paid a high price for past members’ actions,” De Lara said. “Stop trying to punish the younger members for the past.”
“If I am still here when it is time for TKE’s review in 2010 and I have anything to say about it, they will not be reinstated,” Klaus said. “But anything is possible, and the national would have to be in agreement with our school decisions in these matters in the future.”
