UT-Austin Frat Houses Defacement With Graffiti Draws University Response

AUSTIN, TX — The president of the University of Texas at Austin addressed reports of graffiti targeting fraternity houses marked with "rapist" and "racist" scrawled across their exterior.

The student-run newspaper The Daily Texan first reported of the incidents targeting buildings housing members of fraternities Phi Gamma Delta (also known as Fiji) and Pi Kappa Alpha. Similar graffiti was found on Wednesday targeting Kappa Alpha and Kappa Sigma Tau housing, the student newspaper reported. The Pi Kappa Alpha house also was vandalized with the phrase “kill the frats” on Tuesday morning, the newspaper reported.

Some of the graffiti comprised unprintable obscenities. Other phrases included "Off our campus!" and "Nazis in training" and "nuke the frats." A gallery of the defacement can be seen on imgur by clicking here.

“At The University of Texas of Austin, we will not tolerate vandalism and threats targeting our students and are actively investigating the recent incidents near campus,” UT President Gregory L. Fenves said in a prepared statement. “Many students understandably feel concerned and vulnerable. I want them to know we are committed to making UT Austin a safe environment for all of our students.”

Fenves added that university officials have reached out to Austin police about adding patrols to the area in the wake of the incidents. Moreover, police and university officials plan to review any available video surveillance footage in investigating the incidents, the president noted.

Phi Gamma Delta members sparked a controversy in 2015 after staging a party with a "border patrol" theme within their frat house at West 27th Street, prompting the dean of students to work with its frat members to inculcate cultural sensitivity.

At that party two years ago, several of the attendees wore sombreros, ponchos and construction hats with identifiers of "Jefe" and "Pablo Sanchez," as The Daily Texan reported at the time. The former term (pronounced "heh-feh") is commonly used in Latino circles to denote a boss. It is also sometimes used as a term of endearment in referring to one's father, as the feminine form "jefa" is used to refer to one's mom.

Though deemed culturally offensive, the frat party didn't reach the level of university violation, a university official said at the time, and students weren't assessed penalties.

>>> Photo credit: R.A.C.Giddens via WikiMedia Commons