(Host) University of Vermont’s largest fraternity remains suspended while officials and others investigate a survey that included questions about sexual violence.
Revelations about the survey have shocked and angered many on campus. On Thursday, more than 200 people gathered on campus to speak out.
VPR’s Samantha Fields reports.
(Fields) It was cold and blustery at UVM, but that didn’t prevent a big crowd from gathering on the steps of the library. Kristen Nelson kicked off the speak out, which was prompted by a survey allegedly circulated at Sigma Phi Epsilon.
(Nelson) "The survey in question asked, "Who would you rape and why?" sitting right below the question who is your favorite artist."
(Shabazz) "Such a question in the public domain, which the male fraternity members claim was all in good fun, was for many women an act of violence."
(Fields) Rashad Shabazz is an assistant professor at UVM. He said such a question demonstrates the worst aspects of male culture. And he called for the fraternity to be disbanded.
More than 3,000 people have signed a petition calling for Sigma Phi Epsilon to be disbanded. But not everyone at the rally wanted to condemn the fraternity.
Aliza Lederer-Plasket is a senior at UVM and the author of a blog, "Secret Life of a Sorority Dropout." She says that the issue is not Greek life itself.
(Lederer-Plasket) "I am willing to concede to all of you, I think that there are men in Sigma Phi Epslion who are wonderful individuals. Who probably lead this university in a way that would make us all proud. But to have someone in your midst that you call your brother, and you did not come forward, and state that you had this survey and it came from someone in your fraternity and it must end now tells me that we’re not taking it seriously enough."
(Fields) Annie Stevens is the associate vice president for student and campus life at UVM. She says the university takes all allegations related to sexual assault and misconduct very seriously, including these allegations.
(Stevens) "People are really thrown by this. As they should be, as I am. That this has occurred, if it has at all. The potential for that is just shocking given that we really have no tolerance for that at the University."
(Fields) She says that right now, administrators are still trying to determine the details of exactly what happened before taking further action against any individual students or the fraternity itself.
The national chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon has sent a representative to Burlington to investigate. The fraternity says it is built on a tradition of respect and that "any behavior that demeans women is not tolerated."
For VPR News, I’m Samantha Fields.