Cal Poly suspends all frats and sororities

January 14, 2015

Following a fresh sexual assault allegation, the Cal Poly administration is reprimanding the entire Greek system on campus.

Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong and two other administrators announced Tuesday that they received a report of a sexual assault that allegedly took place at a social event hosted by a Greek group last weekend. In response, they placed all social fraternities and sororities on temporary social probation, which bars the Greek organizations from hosting social events on or off campus.

“In fall quarter and as recently as this past weekend, we have received reports of incidents ranging from sexual assaults to extreme intoxication of underage students at social events hosted by Greek organizations,” Armstrong said in a joint statement with Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey and Dean of Students Jean DeCosta.

Last year, Cal Poly officials suspended Pi Kappa Alpha after a sexual assault allegedly took place at a Halloween party hosted by the fraternity. A report passed on to police by a university housing representative suggested that a woman woke up at the party to find herself engaged in sex acts and possibly drugged.

In September, San Luis Obispo police arrested the former president of Delta Sigma Phi for allegedly selling marijuana out of the fraternity’s house. The arrest came nearly a month after members of the Cal Poly football team allegedly attempted to rob the fraternity house at gunpoint.

Court testimony now indicates that San Luis Obispo police suspect that marijuana sales at the fraternity house factored into the motive for the robbery.

The Cal Poly statement released Tuesday says that Greek students must work with the university to create a plan for a culture change. If they do so, university officials will consider revoking social probation.