Northwestern Fraternity Sexual Assault Reports: Student Government Calls For SAE Suspension, Frat Council 'Suspends' Parties

EVANSTON, IL — Northwestern University's Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Associated Student Government (ASG) released statements Wednesday responding to Monday's announcement by the University of sexual assault allegations made by women who had attended an event at Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity, which also released a statement from its Evanston national headquarters.

"We take these allegations very seriously and are fully cooperating with the university’s investigation as well as the investigation spearheaded by our national headquarters," said the fraternity's NU chapter president Manos Proussaloglou, according to the statement from SAE. He did not respond to an email request for comment.

The ASG response called for "the immediate suspension of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and other fraternities involved in these reported cases, during the course of the investigation," which could turn into a permanent ban if the investigation finds any fraternity responsible.

"Sexual assault is a systemic issue within the Greek system, perpetuating rape culture at Northwestern and around the country," the statement adds.

ASG President Christina Cilento said all but one of the members of the student government association's executive board approved of that language, including multiple members of fraternities and sororities.

"While I do think there's a rape culture that exists in society at large, I think it's easy to point to it in the Greek system," she said, adding the incident does not mean all fraternities need to be abolished.

"But regardless of who carried out the action," said Cilento. "SAE can be held accountable for what happened at their house."

In addition to the report about the Jan. 21 event, the Monday email to students and staff said the University received a separate report on Feb. 3 alleging that a female student was sexually assaulted and possibly drugged after attending an event at an unnamed fraternity house the prior night.

It was the first time in her four years as a Northwestern student Cilento recalls the university having sent out a mass email to students about a sexual assault on campus.

"There's definitely a perception among students on campus that the university doesn't do enough," Cilento said. In the past, the administration has given some students the impression it's focused on creating "an environment where the perpetrator can ease back in as opposed to one where the survivor feels comfortable."

That perception was fueled by a high-profile case last spring of a sexual assault survivor feeling she needed to leave campus because the man she accused, and against whom she obtained a no-contact order, was allowed to remain on campus by the university, she said.

The IFC, made up of more than 15 fraternities on campus, pledged to establish a "Task Force" to evaluate "every aspect of the IFC community, including: risk management; sexual assault, hazing, drugging and toxic masculine culture; and membership development, recruitment, and values," according to its Wednesday statement, which also said the group plans to completely revise its "antiquated" constitution.

Tuesday, the IFC executive board and chapter presidents also decided to indefinitely "suspend social events," according to The Daily Northwestern. Representatives from the IFC did not respond to a request for comment.

The responses come a day after the school's Vice-President for Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin released a statement addressing the reports.

"Northwestern University condemns any such conduct in the strongest possible terms and expeditiously is investigating these charges," she wrote. "The University is fully prepared to take appropriate action promptly."

Northwestern University Police declined to comment on the status of the investigation beyond the initial email to students notifying them of the allegations.

Last month, the university released its first Sexual Misconduct Data Report, showing that it received 179 reports of sexual misconduct during the 2015-2016 school year.

In 2015, Evanston-based SAE apologized after some of its racist chants were caught on tape. An investigation completed in 2016 found the racist songs had been heard at five other chapters.

Find the full statements from IFC and ASG below: