A report of a sexual assault at a fraternity party at the University of Chicago chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi has raised fresh questions about fraternity party safety and how universities interact with fraternities.
A 21-year-old woman told police she danced and had a few drinks at the AEPi house Saturday when she “began feeling unwell,” according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. Two of the woman’s friends found her “not fully conscious” in a bathroom with a man, and both of them were in various states of undress, the report says. The woman’s friends said a group of men tried to stop them from entering the bathroom, and the group was “cheering and appearing to encourage the activity inside,” according to the report.
AEPi has said none of its members were aware of the alleged assault while it was happening and none of them were part of the group cheering outside the bathroom, according to Jonathan Pierce, spokesperson for the frat’s national headquarters.
Neither the woman nor the alleged perpetrator were University of Chicago students or otherwise affiliated with the school, according to the police report and the university. A “person of interest” has been identified, but no one has been arrested.
The reported assault, which comes as the nation faces a widespread uproar related to allegations of a gang rape at Cornell University in 2024, has University of Chicago students and others questioning what the school and the fraternity can do to protect students and other people on and near campus.
What is the relationship between UChicago and the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity?
In a statement released Sunday, University of Chicago officials said they do not officially recognize any fraternities and that the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity has no formal affiliation with the university. However, members of the fraternity that are UChicago students must follow university policies and are subject to university discipline.
So what jurisdiction does the university have to investigate an allegation of sexual assault at AEPi?
The university has jurisdiction to investigate any of its own students who may have been involved in an accusation of sexual assault at AEPi. Beyond that, it’s unclear.
Anne Kirkner, a professor of criminal justice at Roosevelt University, argued that ambiguity over universities’ jurisdiction can make it easier for institutions to avoid accountability for sexual misconduct, particularly when incidents involve off-campus or unrecognized fraternities and individuals who do not attend the University.
“I think these jurisdiction issues are sort of by design,” Kirkner said. “I don’t think that’s an accident because then it becomes unclear sort of whose domain this falls under.”
“I think a lot of schools will choose to say, ‘Well, that falls out of our purview,’” Kirkner said.
But Kirkner also suggested that the conduct of students who were present during the incident, referring to the group of men who cheered outside the bathroom where the assault occurred, as previously reported by the Sun-Times, could warrant scrutiny under a student code of conduct.
The University of Chicago said it will conduct its own investigation separate from the Chicago Police Department to see if school policies were violated and will initiate disciplinary actions as warranted.
What does this fraternity do to reinforce safety at its parties?
AEPi has suspended events as the investigation continues, according to the fraternity’s national leadership, who also said the fraternity is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Pierce said he doesn’t have information on how this party was conducted yet. But the frat’s policies require guest lists for events.
When asked if this particular party had a guest list, and if the woman and the alleged perpetrator were included in the guest list, Pierce reiterated that he doesn’t have details about this party.
AEPi requires training on its standards and violating them could lead to expulsion, the national chapter said in a statement.
One of the woman’s friends who tried to intervene told the Sun-Times there were sober monitors at the party. One assisted the victim outside the party, but none helped as the incident was unfolding inside the fraternity, according to the friend.
The University of Chicago chapter of AEPi didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment and questions about safety measures at fraternity events.
What’s the history of this fraternity?
The fraternity, which is historically Jewish, has a history of making headlines for offensive reasons, including racist, misogynistic and Islamophobic emails among members of the University of Chicago chapter being leaked in 2016. In the emails, one member called a Muslim member of student government a “terrorist” while another said “dynamite and C-4” explosives were “fixtures” of Muslim culture, CBS News reported.
One student said he would celebrate “Marathon Luther King Day” by drinking all day and eating a dinner of fried chicken. A “constitution” outlining rules of dating referenced “no fatties” and a “dibs” policy on “chicks” without “competition from any of his bros,” CBS reported.
The fraternity released a statement at the time apologizing for the behavior and requiring sensitivity training for its members.
AEPi, which has more than 190 chapters in eight countries, also came under fire for reports of hazing at the University of Wisconsin – Madison this summer after 30 men were found covered in food, liquid and condiments in the basement of an AEPi fraternity house, ABC7 reported. AEPi hasn’t been officially recognized by the University of Wisconsin – Madison since 2015.
For information or resources on sexual assault go to www.RAINN.org
Contributing: Sophie Sherry