Frat banner probed for causing
'uncomfortable feelings'
The
banner, which faced a neighboring sorority recruitment event, said “New
Members Free House Tours!”
The school launched a Title IX investigation into the incident
after a student reported the banner, claiming it caused “uncomfortable
feelings.”
Delta Tau Delta;
University of Md, 1961
"And we liked it that
way."
Members of Wichita State University's Phi Delta Theta fraternity caused
controversy Saturday when they hung a banner from a balcony that read,
"New members... free house tours."
In a tweet, the Wichita State Student Affairs Office responded saying,
"WSU does not condone sexual harassment in any form."
WSU Student Affairs later issued the following statement:
“After
reviewing the incident involving a banner posted at Phi Delta Theta
fraternity last week, WSU Student Affairs doesn’t believe university
disciplinary action is appropriate. Any action taken by the fraternity
chapter and its members is independent of the university decision. The
banner triggered uncomfortable feelings, but the banner was protected
speech under the First Amendment.”
Once I was able to sing dirty frat ditties for several hours without repeating myself; most had any number of leeringly disgusting lyrics. Some were suggestive; others were smutty, indecent, provocative or risqué, if not downright immoral and obscene. So I'm not unfamiliar with the concept.
ReplyDeleteIt baffles me though- how can "NMFHT" or "New Members Free House Tours" "trigger uncomfortable feelings" akin to sexual harrassment? I don't get it.
Apparently I need a young person to explain this to me, as I'm too innocent to understand!
(LSMFT might cause discomfort too: usually the symptoms were dry mouth, a cough, and a raw throat; but it wasn't considered sexual harrassment- it was just a cigarette promo!)