UF ZBT To Close Following Allegations That They Disrespected Wounded Veterans
The ZBT chapter has shut down as a result of the allegations from the Panama City trips.
From University Of Florida:
The University of Florida chapter of Zeta Beta Tau will close in the wake of misconduct allegations following a recent weekend event in Panama City Beach, officials from the national organization and the University of Florida announced Tuesday. The closure is effective immediately.
Both the university and the national fraternity will continue to investigate.
We can all agree that no one deserves respect more than men and women in uniform. They fight for our country, risking their lives every day. We live in the land of the free because of the brave. They deserve to be honored and aided when they return from active duty, and the fine people of Panama City Beach have done that bi-annually for the past six years, hosting an event called the Warrior Beach Retreat. Members of the Panama City Beach community donate condos and hotel rooms, restaurant meals, gift baskets, fishing trips, movies, tours, attraction tickets, car rentals, as well as money in an effort to give wounded warriors and their caregiver a week of rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, the retreat last week didn’t go as planned, and even more regrettably, it was due to a fraternity.
Last week’s Warrior Beach Retreat was held at the Lake Town Wharf Resort, which happened to be the same location that members of Zeta Beta Tau from the University of Florida and Emory University were staying at for their spring formal. And it would seem that some members of those chapters do not hold the same respect for the military that the rest of us do.
Linda Cope, founder of the Warrior Beach Retreat, says she was disgusted the behavior she witnessed by the fraternity members. “They were urinating on the American flag and they were throwing things off of the balconies. There was a group of very intoxicated college kids that actually ripped the American flag out of the ground and was trying to run around with it.”
Even worse? How they treated the soldiers they were sharing the hotel with. “They actually spit on me and my service dog as well and that’s just so disrespectful and it hurts. I come and I feel honored and I feel safe and that I belong, but now I feel like I’m defending myself,” said wounded veteran Nicholas Connole told WJHG.
Cope did receive a letters of apology from both the President of UF and the President of the UF ZBT chapter, but has yet to hear anything from the Emory chapter or the university. Personally, I challenge both of these chapters to make this right. Perhaps instead of having a formal next year, you should instead donate your social budget to the Warrior Beach Retreat to make up for the trip that you ruined for some deserving soldiers and those that take care of them. Donations can be made at their website.
[Via WJHG]
What a bunch of lesserthans.
10 years ago at 1:57 pmI’m just sitting here thinking, There are two sides to every story. I really hope they have a good side.
10 years ago at 2:31 pmIf what they say in the article is true, screw those guys. I’m a proud Navy corpsman and that kinda stuff pisses me off. But I’m not gonna jump the hun and say these guys did what the article states because I didn’t see any evidence. Hope it’s not true but fuck them if it is.
10 years ago at 2:57 pmDisrespecting the American flag and veterans #TGM
10 years ago at 3:08 pmAll we work for as a Greek community to have people see us in a better light is ruined because of things like this. Countless community service hours and thousands of dollars raised at philanthropies is easily overlooked because some drunk assholes decided to disrespect our countries heroes
10 years ago at 3:52 pmAs a prior service army currently serving in a reserve unit and a member of Zeta Beta Tau, I hope that these allegations are untrue but if they are true I know the members responsible will be expelled from our brotherhood. ZBT like most Greek organizations is a values first group, the accused actions do not fall in line with the values of our group
10 years ago at 4:45 pmWhat a bunch of fucking assholes.
10 years ago at 5:04 pmThe media that is. There’s no fucking way this actually happened. Some of the things listed constitute vandalism and assault yet there’s no mention of police being involved. Also I severely doubt multiple members of the same chapter, let alone different chapters, would allow this behavior.
10 years ago at 5:10 pmThis pisses me off more than anything I’ve ever read on here. Disrespecting the American flag and the greatest men in this country is fucking disgraceful. A big fuck you to all those involved and you don’t deserve to have those men sacrifice themselves for you. God Bless America.
10 years ago at 5:48 pmGod fucking damn it. FSU gets on here with an IBOTD and a heart wrenching story about initiating the father of a late brother, and these assholes get us on here like this.
10 years ago at 7:21 pmYelling ‘Merica before you do something stupid isn’t “supporting America and those who defend it”. Neither is abandoning your “brother” after you convince him to jump off of a bridge after a “hazing ritual”. Oh, and neither is wearing American Flag chubbies and blacking out on the beach in the name of patriotism.
If you really want to support America and those who defend it, show it in the way you treat the veterans, your parent’s friends who have served, the kids from high school you never talked to who have served. Or, if you want to really show how patriotic you are, and you want real “systems” and “hazing” and “brotherhood”, you can just sack the fuck up and join the military.
10 years ago at 7:24 pmI’m glad somebody has said this. It’s strange being both military and Greek, where you see false patriotism and want to say what you just did but can’t because of the stigma of humility.
10 years ago at 8:49 pm