Arkansas Lambda Chi Hit With Voyeurism Lawsuit After “Picture Pledge” Emails Photos To Fraternity Listserv

El Taco8 years ago

Oh, Picture Pledge. When will you learn?

The University of Arkansas’ Lambda Chi Alpha is in some deep shit today after members ordered a pledge to take sexually explicit photos of another member and a female hooking up in the bathroom and email the pictures to the rest of the house.

From KHBS:

Members of the fraternity told a person known as the “Picture Pledge” to go into the bathroom and take photos of what was happening in the bathroom stall. The “Picture Pledge” reached his phone over the locked stall door and took multiple photographs of the two people engaged in explicit sexual conduct, without their consent or knowledge, according to the lawsuit.

Members then convinced the “Picture Pledge” to send two photos to fraternity’s email list-serve. Members replied with derogatory comments about the woman, her body and her apparent ethnicity, according to the lawsuit.

The incident reportedly happened at the house’s Mardi Gras party. According to the lawsuit, the two started hooking up in the stairwell but wanted to find somewhere more private (and romantic) so, naturally, they went to the fraternity bathroom. And that’s how I met your mother.

This kind of thing, unfortunately, happens far too often, though it doesn’t normally rise to the level of emailing the photos out and a consequential lawsuit. What was meant to be a (very ill-advised) funny prank on a brother getting a blowie will likely result in a crap ton of community service work and probably big repercussions for the chapter.

Man, if only someone like e-board members were there to stop this tragedy from happening and steer Picture Pledge in the right direction.

From Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

Later, after the photos were distributed to the “Arkansas LCA Gmail list-serv,” the “Arkansas LCA President,” according to the lawsuit, sent a message: “This picture is not to be sent to your friends or to get out on social media at all. Period.”
…
“At least two members pressured him to send out the photos,” the lawsuit states, and that the fraternity’s “Risk Manager had told the Picture Pledge to send out the photos.

Oh. Well then. It appears everyone’s hands are dirty here.

Shockingly, the university’s investigation found the fraternity “not responsible for sexual harassment and, upon appeal, not responsible for hazing.” It did find the fraternity guilty of serving alcohol to minors and not registering a social event and stuff but still. I’ve seen fraternities shuttered for a whole, whole lot less than this.

The lesson is, as always, don’t take pictures of stupid shit and, if you do, don’t share them on any sort of listserv or social media. If you do, you’ll have to have one hand on the Bible and say “I, Picture Pledge, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” It’s gonna make for an awkward judgment day later on..

[via KHBS, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]

Image via Arkansas Lambda Chi