After appealing the punishment following last semester’s Derby Days sexual harassment incident, Sigma Chi can now participate in Interfraternity Council’s formal recruitment this fall.
The new sanctions issued in June included one semester of social probation and required fraternity members to focus on community service and education through philanthropy. The official conditions were passed by the University of Mississippi Appellate Consideration Board.
“My understanding is that we cannot host an (event) this semester, but we can participate in events,” Sigma Chi President Clay Wooley said.“It has to be something regarding women’s empowerment or violence prevention only for this semester.”
Backlash against the fraternity came from members of Ole Miss sororities and members of the community after Sigma Chi members made sexual comments toward female participants in their Derby Days philanthropy competition on April 15.
Derby Days is Sigma Chi’s annual philanthropy event with efforts supporting Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson. The event is a competition between campus sororities involving mini-contests like a blood drive, Instagram challenge, dance competition and more.
The incident brought national media attention to Ole Miss’ campus.
The original conditions included a full year of social probation and barred the fraternity from engaging in formal recruitment. However, the chapter could still give bids and accept new members. Sigma Chi and some of the sorority members involved in Derby Days argued for them to have an education-based punishment.
“We tweaked some things that maybe make it feel less punitive, but we layered on some things that make it more educational — it’s going to invest them more,” Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Brandi Hephner-LaBanc said in a July press release following of the punishment. “The leadership of Sigma Chi has stepped up, and they want to help address the culture.”
Hephner-LaBanc also served on the three-member Appellate Consideration Board with another faculty member and a student.
The university said a large part of the appellate process was at the request of the original complainants.
Sigma Chi was not the only Greek organization that will benefit through educational training. The Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council members will be included in more charity campus events to focus on raising money for causes.
Abby Bruce, the first sorority member who spoke publicly against Sigma Chi members’ comments during the Derby Day’s dance competition, said the new, educational conditions are helping Greek charity events focus on “getting back to doing good.”
