Dartmouth’s Alpha Delta Under Fire For Branding Pledges

Bogey Wells10 years ago

There are a lot of stories that truly make you question the general intelligence of this nation. Fraternities are practically boiling in hot water across the nation. The 24/7 scrutiny is alive and well, yet some chapters do not abide by the common sense idea of laying low when the water is hot.

Dartmouth’s Alpha Delta chapter may be finding themselves unrecognized soon after they branded several pledges while already serving several university punishments.

From Huffington Post:

Dartmouth College is taking steps to boot the Alpha Delta fraternity from campus after brothers violated the hazing policy by burning the skin of 11 new members.

A Dartmouth judicial affairs committee determined last week that Alpha Delta members branded the new members over two nights in November.

Branding has been around forever. It’s not a new process and most likely is much more prevalent than we wish to acknowledge. While alone, it is enough for any chapter to catch the boot, Alpha Delta obviously didn’t give a damn what happened to their chapter. The chapter was already under the university’s thumb after the branding rumors began circulating in November 2014. Since then, they’ve caught shit for hosting an unregistered social event along with a separate event this semester that followed very few of the university’s alcohol policies.

The chapter is fighting back, but as of now, the university seems to have its decision made.

An attorney for Alpha Delta has defended the branding as a form of “self-expression” similar to tattoos or body piercings. The frat said the branding was “not organizational” and neither caused harm nor violated the terms of the previous suspension. The college said it did not find the frat’s arguments compelling.

The university is heavily weighing the option of revoking the fraternity’s recognition entirely. The chapter plans to appeal the university’s misconduct allegations..

[via Huffington Post]

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