Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 31, 1991 TAG: 9103310050
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The president, John Casteen III, sent a letter Friday to the presidents of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Delta Upsilon and Phi Epsilon Pi, the fraternities that federal and state agents and the Charlottesville police raided March 21 after a six-month undercover investigation.
Casteen set a deadline of April 15 for the fraternities to show that members are not using illegal drugs or involved in drug transactions. Otherwise, he said, the university will not renew their contracts to operate as campus groups. The contracts expire April 30.
In addition, he told the fraternities, members must show that they are complying with the university's policies prohibiting discrimination, hazing, alcohol consumption by minors and sexual assaults.
Casteen also said the university intended to enforce a stricter anti-drug policy at the 33 fraternities.
His letter did not address sororities.
It is not clear whether the fraternities will lose their affiliation with their national chapters if their contracts are not renewed for the next school year.
Narcotics agents seized the three houses under federal drug-trafficking laws and charged students with offenses that carry prison terms up to 130 years and fines up to $6.5 million.
Federal agents seized a dozen small sandwich bags containing marijuana, hallucinogenic mushrooms and LSD tablets, as well as paraphernalia at the three houses.
Twelve students were indicted, eight by the federal authorities and four by the state authorities.
The police and the federal government have freely admitted making examples of the fraternities in hopes of deterring students from using drugs.
by CNB