L.A.’s Loyola Marymount University, citing evidence of sexual assaults, is warning students avoid events that are affiliated with an unrecognized, off-campus fraternity.
A rape report was sent to 9,395 students and other members of the LMU campus community. An investigation into a November 1 rape report revealed a sexual assault had taken place at a Sigma Alpha Epsilon party. The fraternity is not registered with LMU, but lists a colony at LMU on its website. According to the rape report, similar allegations of sexual assaults have been made about other Sigma Alpha Epsilon events. “Based upon this new information, and given the potential for ongoing safety and security risks, the University strongly recommends that all students and LMU community members consider avoiding events affiliated with, organized, hosted or sponsored by SAE,” read the report.
LAPD Investigation
According to the report, the Los Angeles Police Department, in addition to campus security, is also investigating the allegations of the fraternity’s events. The fraternity house is almost three miles from the Westchester campus. One resident in the area said the parents of one of the alleged victims were handing out flyers that warned neighbors of “a violent rape/strangulation occurred in your neighborhood.”
Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s national headquarters is also investigating the circumstances surrounding one of the alleged sexual assaults where members of “our group at Loyola Marymount University may have been present,” wrote fraternity spokesman Brandon Meghorst in an email. He went on to write, “Any form of assault or sexual misconduct is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate actions that are inconsistent with our values.”
Sexual Assault on College Campuses
Sexual assault on college campuses has made news recently following a Rolling Stone article that featured a woman’s story of being gang raped at a fraternity house at the University of Virginia. While the initial article sparked a large nation wide debate on college campus security and how college campuses address rape allegations, Rolling Stone has since acknowledged there were discrepancies in the woman’s story.
Source: NBC Los Angeles, LA University Warns Community Over Rape Allegations at Unregistered Frat, December 8, 2014
