Sigma Pi Chapter at Cornell Cleared of Racist Accusations

Rob Fox12 years ago

An incident this past spring involving the Cornell chapter of Sigma Pi allegedly hurling bottles and racist slurs at a group of black students has finally been resolved. The incident, in which a group of black students claimed that Sigma Pi members were throwing bottles at them and calling them “Trayvon,” landed the fraternity on interim probation. According to fraternity members only one person was verbally abusing the black students, a guest visiting a friend in the house. That guest was not a member of Sigma Pi. Members also claimed that they were not throwing any bottles at the students, but rather at a spot on the ground that they had been throwing bottles all day.

Now that guest, Morgan Brabbs of Orlanda, Florida, has come forward to accept a plea deal in Ithica court. He was sentenced to a one year conditional discharge and forced to pay a $250 fine. Police have also confirmed the Sigma Pi members’ assertions that no bottles were thrown at the black students. From the Cornell Chronicle:

Brabbs, who was visiting a friend in Ithaca and is not a Cornell student, was with a group of about 15 people gathered on a flat area of the roof of the fraternity house… An investigation by Ithaca Police, assisted by Cornell Police, established that bottles, cans and other items were being thrown from the roof throughout the day. According to one statement, those throwing the items were trying to hit a tree on the front yard of the fraternity.

At about 2:30 a.m., some items landed near a group of black students walking by. When one of them walked up the driveway of the fraternity and shouted up to the people on the roof, a person shouted back comments including “Walk away, Trayvon,” “Come up, Gary Coleman” and “Tyrone.”

Brabbs also wrote a letter of apology to all parties involved in the incident.

Coming over to a fraternity house as a guest and being such a racist douche bag that it lands the fraternity on probation is pretty much the worst way repay your friend for inviting you over. The only way Brabbs could have topped himself is if he also date raped one of the brothers’ girlfriends.

“C’mon, I thought this was a REAL fraternity guys! Let’s bust out the roofies and yell some racist shit! WOOO”

Here’s hoping that the black students involved don’t think any less of fraternities because of this unfortunate incident and that Sigma Pi gets off probation as soon as the police officially finish their formal investigation. Let that be a lesson to everyone. Don’t invite over your out of town friend (or any friend) if he’s a stupid, drunk asshole.

• [via The Cornell Chronicle]