Laura Pezzini
lpezzini@mustangdaily.net
Cal Poly’s Lambda Sigma Gamma sorority is under investigation following complaints about its new member education process, Student Life and Leadership Director Stephen Lamb said.
Lambda Sigma Gamma is a multicultural interest sorority under the United Sorority and Fraternity Council (USFC). Its Epsilon chapter at Cal Poly was founded in 1991, disbanded in 1995 and reactivated in 2005.
Student Life and Leadership posted that Lambda Sigma Gamma was under investigation on its website on Oct. 19.
“We were made aware of some concerns regarding their new member education process, and anytime we hear any sorts of concerns or complaints in that regard we do an investigation,” Lamb said.
No specific information has been disclosed yet, but a meeting regarding the investigation’s findings is scheduled for Friday, Lamb said.
Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities Adrienne Miller is heading the investigation, which mainly consists of interviews with the sorority’s members.
“It’s moving along,” Miller said of the investigation. “I’m just continuing to talk with people and gather information.”
Greek Life adviser for the United Sorority and Fraternity Council (USFC) Renoda Campbell reiterated that the investigation is incomplete so far.
“Adrienne Miller has been working diligently with the ladies to attempt to get the entire picture of what could have been going on, and that’s all we know right now,” Campbell said.
During the investigation, Lambda Sigma Gamma is on temporary probation, Lamb said.
“I sent an email to the sorority leadership saying that they were under formal suspension pending the outcome of the investigation, so they basically have not been able to participate in anything and they won’t be able to until we have the findings,” Lamb said.
Once the findings of the investigation have been determined, the action is still up in the air depending on Miller’s conclusion, along with discussion with Lamb, Campbell and Lambda Sigma Gamma leadership.
“They could be anything from the request to take corrective action if we believe something violated the (educational) code or violated state law,” Lamb said of possible repercussions. “They could be held individually accountable by Student Rights and Responsibilities, I could continue the suspension or a modified suspension or we could determine that we’ve done the investigation, we’ve done our due diligence, and we believe that with some discussion the sorority will be good to go.”
Lambda Sigma Gamma chapter adviser Melinda Rojo asserted the investigation has concluded and that “all current chapter members have been cleared of all wrongdoing regarding the incident.”
“The meeting on Friday has been set to establish the chapter’s standing at the campus,” Rojo said.
Miller, however, said she has not yet determined whether Friday’s meeting will provide conclusive results.
“I really don’t know what the anticipated outcome of that meeting is at this point,” Miller said.
Campbell said in situations such as this, students have a variety of options for reporting controversial practices.
“There are different ways that a student can talk about a situation — they can come to Diego Silva and myself as advisers, they can go to Stephan, they can go to the Dean of Students,” Campbell said.
Chapter president Simone Hidds-Narcisse declined to comment at the time of publication.