A student at the University of Southern California is advocating for the closure of all fraternities across the nation, asserting that the recent case involving the “Cornell 7” is more than just a warning; it exemplifies a broken system.
In an opinion piece for USC’s student newspaper, the Daily Trojan, political science major Charlotte Dekle expresses that, “Fraternity members engaging in sexual violence is nothing new.”
She believes that while fraternities might have started as a supportive community for young men, they now often facilitate sexual violence and other serious issues. Dekle, who serves as the opinion editor for the student paper, argues that merely disaffiliating from these organizations isn’t sufficient; they must be entirely abolished.
Dekle references a 2007 study by John Foubert from the College of William and Mary, which indicates that fraternity members are three times more likely to commit acts of sexual violence.
This discussion gains urgency following a lawsuit filed by a former Cornell University student, Jane Doe, which alleges that seven brothers of the Chi Phi fraternity were involved in a drug-fueled gang rape at their house.
According to the lawsuit, Doe arrived at the Chi Phi house intoxicated and was allegedly coerced into taking ketamine, later claiming she was sexually assaulted repeatedly while barely conscious over several hours.
Dekle points out that Cornell is not an isolated case. She brings attention to past incidents at USC, including a notable 2021 event where someone was allegedly drugged and raped at the Sigma Nu fraternity.
After these allegations, Sigma Nu and five other fraternities distanced themselves from USC when the university attempted to monitor their activities more closely, a decision Dekle contends only worsened the situation. Following the incidents, USC implemented measures like sexual violence prevention workshops and added security at events, but those disaffiliated fraternities now escape such restrictions.
Dekle notes that under Title IX, the university is only responsible for assaults occurring at school-sanctioned events, meaning that “rogue fraternities” would not be held accountable.
Beyond sexual assault, Dekle connects fraternities to larger issues such as alcohol abuse, racism, hate crimes, and homophobia. She argues that these organizations persist because they offer financial and networking benefits, including increased alumni earnings, higher donations to schools, and job opportunities for their members.
“Frats can not only act as incubators of power differentials but also serve as a runway to future power. The power dynamics that allow fraternities to exist also contribute to the sexual assault of women,” she asserts in her article.
She also emphasizes that the abusive nature of fraternity activities extends to their male members, referencing an incident where leaders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter were arrested after dozens of members were found restrained in a basement with condiments. Additionally, a fraternity at the University of Arizona faced suspension for allegedly forcing pledges to swallow live goldfish.
Dekle argues that sororities, which often rely on fraternities for social events, are pressured to remain silent about these issues. She cites a study from St. John’s University indicating that women in sororities are 74% more likely to experience rape compared to nonmembers.
To conclude, she states, “They need to be abolished so we can finally begin to rectify and confront the pain of the generations of survivors who have been subjected to others’ abuses of power.”
