Industry Update Provided by NPC

Week of July 3

Several outlets, including Washington Examiner, Newsweek, and Advocate, covered the story of Fabián “Fa” Guzmán, who was a nonbinary member of Chi Omega at St. Lawrence University until the national office voided their membership in early June. Chi Omega national headquarters said Guzmán never should have been allowed to join, as the organization requires either confirmation of a person’s assigned sex at birth or authentication that a person identifies as a woman exclusively. Guzmán alleged that this is an act of discrimination.

Law.com reported that Kappa Kappa Gamma filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by six sorority members at the University of Wyoming seeking to void the membership of Artemis Langford, a transgender woman. Kappa Kappa Gamma stated that the plaintiffs’ legal claims were baseless and politically motivated and that dismissing the lawsuit will allow the organization to rebuild from the harm placed on the organization by the plaintiffs.

Week of June 26

Fox News and the New York Post shared that Kappa Kappa Gamma filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit at the University of Wyoming, claiming that plaintiffs made a “frivolous” attempt to remove transgender member Artemis Langford “for their own political purposes.” Similarly, ABC News, AP News, and CBS News reported that Kappa Kappa Gamma’s court motion says the chapter followed the sorority’s rules and that plaintiffs do not have the legal right to be in a sorority that excludes transgender women. Since 2015, Kappa Kappa Gamma has allowed all 145 chapters to accept transgender women, mirroring the policy of the other 25 NPC sororities. 

19th News reported on the story of Fabián “Fa” Guzmán, who was a nonbinary member of Chi Omega at St. Lawrence University until the national office voided their membership earlier this month. Guzmán and other members expressed frustration due to the national organization’s actions, particularly since Guzmán was preparing to lead fall recruitment.

Week of June 19

USA Today interviewed Rachel Fleit, director of “Bama Rush,” who explained the way in which polished sorority girls experience similar social pressures she faced as a teenager with alopecia.

Todd Schmidt, a Christian church elder from Laramie, is suing the University of Wyoming for making him cover a sign calling out Artemis Langford, a transgender sorority member, and for banning him from evangelizing on the campus, according to Cowboy State Daily.

Al.com published an opinion piece from Katie Plott, who was president of her sorority at the University of Alabama from 2014-2015, on what Max’s documentary, “Bama Rush,” failed to capture.

Resolution Board Volunteer Opportunity

The Fraternity is seeking volunteers to be to serve as members of a resolution board. This board will participate in and create outcomes for individual member discipline processes when a local discipline process would be ineffective, inappropriate, or may create additional harm. 

Resolution board volunteers must complete an annual virtual training which includes Theta’s discipline philosophy, relevant processes, and student development best practices. Members will serve in an on-call manner and will be asked to participate on a board of three alumnae based on need and availability. We anticipate selecting 10-15 interested alumnae who hold, demonstrate experience in, or demonstrate a willingness to learn about restorative justice and trauma-informed practices.

Unique aspects of this role include, but are not limited to,

• Use of a trauma-informed approach,
• Navigation of sexual assault and gender-based violence incidents, and
• Navigation of bias incidents.

 Please complete this form by July 24 to indicate your interest in this role. 

Year-End and Expense Reports

The Fraternity’s 2022-2023 fiscal year ended June 30. 2022-2023 expenses will be accepted until, but no later than, July 31. No exceptions to this deadline will be granted, as the Fraternity’s audit begins Aug. 18. Also remember that, in accordance with the Fraternity’s travel policy, only expenses submitted within 90 days of expenditure will be reimbursed. If you have any questions, please contact your staff partner. Please note on your submitted expenses if they are for the 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Grant-Related Expenses

Grant-related expenses are due no later than July 10, 2023. Please submit them immediately and contact Director of Education and Leadership Melissa Shaub if you have outstanding invoices so we can ensure they are included in our grant request.  

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