San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) is investigating architectural engineering senior Michael Trunko for harassment, according to Officer Larry Edwards.
Trunko came forward with a video of Beta Theta Pi members waterboarding a member a few weeks after attending a small gathering at the satellite house at the start of Fall 2019. Since then, the house residents say he has not stopped harassing them online.
Mustang News interviewed five members of Beta who live in the satellite house to discuss the video brought forth by Trunko. The members asked to remain anonymous because of the nature of the investigation.
The members of the house said Trunko had arrived uninvited to the satellite house several times in the week leading up to the start of the quarter and had “overstayed his welcome.”
As the small gathering was winding down, the tenants of the house asked Trunko to leave.
The day after the gathering, the house members said Trunko began harassing them via text and social media. They notified SLOPD Monday, Sept. 23.
Edwards confirmed over email that Trunko was the subject of an investigation.
Members of the satellite house said Trunko’s texts intensified after they filed a police report.
Mustang News obtained text messages the SLOPD officer sent to Trunko asking him to stop messaging and posting about the Beta members. The investigation is ongoing.
SLOPD has not returned multiple requests for further comment.
The house members shared the texts with Mustang News Friday, revealing threats to expose them to employers unless they publicly apologized. Trunko did not specify what he wanted them to apologize for.
Trunko then reached out to Mustang News with the video evidence of waterboarding and other allegations against members of the house.
Trunko is not a member of Beta, but said he had known several of the senior brothers in the fraternity. They lived in the Sequoia residence hall together during their freshman year.