It’s not even term time yet, but already an American fraternity’s been suspended for playing up.
The fraternity at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia has been suspended pending an investigation into which members thought it was ok to put crude signs calling for women to be dropped off at their fraternity building upon arrival to college for the upcoming year.
Instead of, you know, get reading ahead of class so they could be well-prepared, a few members of Sigma Nu anticipated new students’ arrivals eagerly by making giant signs saying ‘Rowdy and fun. Hope your baby girl is ready for a good time’, ‘Freshman daughter drop off’ and ‘Go ahead and drop off mom too ...’ and then hanging them from their balconies.
Needless to say, the signs were ordered to be taken down by the university.
Ellen Neufeldt, the university’s vice-president of student engagement and enrolment, said: ‘Messages like the ones displayed ... by a few students on the balcony of their private residence are not and will not be tolerated.’
The university president wrote on Facebook: ‘There is zero tolerance on this campus for sexual assault and sexual harassment.’
It’s unknown as to how many fathers saw the sign and think ‘oh yes, that’s right, I’ll drop off my daughter and my wife here’, but you can bet it made a bunch of people very uncomfortable. Not least the fraternity who are now suspended from doing all fraternity-ish things.
Brad Beacham, the executive director of Sigma Nu’s national headquarters told NBC that the local chapter will be suspended during the university investigation and that ‘information received by the fraternity today indicates that some chapter members may have had involvement with the banners’.
And while universities have to investigate stupid incidences like this, resources are taken away from bigger issues – like preventing rape on campus, a serious problem across America which affects countless young women who’re simply there to learn.
**You might also be interested in: **
Here's A Worrying Sign That Frat Boy Culture Has Officially Hit The UK
Alabama Uni's Sorority Alpha Phi Are Getting A Lot Of Shit For This Recruitment Video
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.