Industry Update Provided by NPC

This week

According to VT Digger and Inside Higher Ed, three Norwich University students are facing criminal charges following an investigation into allegations of branding and waterboarding involving female athletes at the military college in Vermont. One student is being charged with simple assault, one with reckless endangerment and one with both simple assault and reckless endangerment, police said. In addition, they and three other students are being ticketed for hazing, which is a civil infraction that carries a fine of between $1,000 and $5,000.

The Columbia Missourian and the Associated Press report that three of the 23 defendants in a lawsuit stemming from a University of Missouri fraternity party that left a student with serious brain injuries have reached a settlement. The attorney for the family of Daniel Santulli, who was found in cardiac arrest inside a car at University Hospital in Columbia on Oct. 20 after a new member party at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, has filed a motion as of Wednesday to approve settlements with former executive board member Collin Clark and former advisors Chris Palermo and Jeffrey Wagoner. The lawsuit alleges Santulli and his pledge class at Phi Gamma Delta were each forced to drink a bottle of hard liquor. The national fraternity and university have both suspended the Missouri chapter following Santulli’s hospitalization.

Last week

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed “Adams Law,” which will require public and private college students to undergo hazing prevention training and increase transparency of hazing incidents. The legislation’s approval comes a year after the passing of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) freshman Adam Oakes, who died amid allegations of hazing at VCU. Adam’s Law will require colleges to provide student organizations with in-person education on hazing, alcohol intoxication and their school’s policies. Colleges will also be required to post the violations committed by their student organizations on their websites. Additionally, the law will provide immunity to bystanders guilty of drug or alcohol violations who report incidents of hazing. Additional legislation designed to enhance punishment for perpetrators of hazing has not yet been approved by lawmakers. Adam’s Law will go into effect July 1. (Note: Similar to other states that have recently passed anti-hazing legislation, National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)/North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) will develop a one-pager on state requirements that member organizations can share with local volunteers and chapter officers. We will share when ready.)

Government Relations

Tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 27, the Fraternal Government Relations Coalition will host the 2022 Capitol Hill Visits with members of Congress. The goals of the visits are to both provide a premier student development experience and advance the legislative agendas developed by NPC and NIC. Due to ongoing public health and security conditions within the Capitol Complex in Washington D.C., the visits are taking place virtually.

The Fraternal Government Relations Coalition advocates for issues directly impacting our fraternal rights and our college members. This includes legislation to protect students’ freedom of association rights by ensuring they can join women’s-only and men’s-only student organizations like fraternities and sororities; seeking passage of anti-hazing legislation to provide additional transparency and education about hazing on college campuses; and advocating for the passage of the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act (CHIA), which would update the tax code to provide more access to funding for infrastructure improvements to fraternity/sorority housing

The members representing Kappa Alpha Theta are Rachel Hall, Kappa/Kansas (collegian); Gina Musso, Psi/ Wisconsin (collegian); Alicia Lee, Zeta Omicron/Wake Forest (alumna); and Erica D'Angelo Ochs, Eta Nu/Lake Forest (alumna). Thank you to the following for serving on the selection committee to choose Theta's college representatives: Lynne Jones Batshon, Mu/Alleghany; Caitlin Kovalkoski, Epsilon Lambda/Dickson; and Lauren Crawford Shaver, Eta Iota/San Diego.

If you have any questions about the Fraternal Government Relations Coalition or the 2022 Hill visits, please contact Director of Government Relations Alicia Lee.

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