ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 18, 1992                   TAG: 9201180284
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ISHAMEA HARRIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


FRATERNITY KICKED OUT AT W&L

The Delta Tau Delta fraternity was kicked off the Washington and Lee University campus Friday for breaking probation and wrecking its fraternity house.

The school's Student Affairs Committee voted 9-0, with one abstention, for a five-year suspension of the fraternity's charter for the "systematic destruction of the fraternity that occurred before the Christmas break," said Brian Shaw, spokesman for the Lexington university.

The student newspaper reported extensive damage, including broken windows, walls knocked down, removal of ceiling tiles and dismantling of a brick bar.

"This was a serious violation," said David L. Howison, dean of students. "This damage was systematic and not an isolated act of violence."

The chapter had been placed on probation in October by the fraternity's national organization and its Housing Corp., a group of alumni who oversee house maintainence, for violating the university's alcohol policy and abusing the house.

"The fraternity was suspended in part to set an example to other fraternities that such behavior will never be tolerated," Howison said.

The fraternity has 10 days to appeal the suspension in writing to the university president. Jameson Leonardi, a fraternity member, told the Washington and Lee newspaper that the Housing Corp. would appeal.

Taylor Cole, president of the Housing Corp., said this was an important lesson for the chapter, and that fraternities would be strictly accountable for acts of vandalism. But Cole said that the fraternity would attempt to get re-established when it is able.

"There's quite a tradition here and I don't want to abandon it," he said.

Delta Tau Delta, which has been on the W&L campus for 100 years, is the third oldest fraternity in the nation and the oldest in the Southeast region.

Thomas Eisenhaurer, a staffer for the W&L student newspaper, contributed to this story.



by Archana Subramaniam by CNB