ACJC hears fraternity theft case

The All-Campus Judicial Council made a preliminary recommendation yesterday that the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity should not live in their house on the Fraternity Quadrangle next year. The ruling came as the result of a Dec. 31 incident in which security officers found holiday decorations inside the SAM house that had been reported stolen from homes in the Brighton area. “SAM faces the loss of their house for the next year,” President of SAM and junior Tim Maier said. “As long as they don’t have any problems [next year], they will be able to re-apply for their house.”Any recommendation ACJC makes as the result of its hearings is sent to Associate Dean of Students in charge of discipline Matt Burns, who may modify the decision before he gives it to the student or group. “One of the things that ACJC said [in their preliminary sanction] was that we can live together somewhere else so that we can work on the things in the fraternity that we have to work on.” Fraternity Presidents’ Council Chair and SAM member junior Alex Braveman said. “[But] Dean Burns told us that because the application is due, there’s going to be no place for us to live [together].””We don’t know what has come out of the Dean’s office. We have nothing official,” Director of Residential Life Logan Hazen said. Their housing is uncertain if SAM loses its house since group applications for next year have been processed. “We haven’t heard anything official from the Dean’s office to see what – if anything – is possible [regarding SAM members living together],” Hazen said. It is unlikely that SAM members can live with each other since housing applications were due when the preliminary ruling came down. “We’re not being given a chance to live together.” Braveman said. “A lot of the juniors and seniors now want to move off campus. It’s going to be hard to do what we have to when the leadership is off-campus. The new leadership of our house [is] trying to change what went on. It’s going to be hard to [really] change what’s going on when we’re not living together.”Although the parameters of the sanction have been outlined by the ACJC, the decision is preliminary. “We do have the option to appeal the sanction.” Maier said. SAM’s president expressed regret for the situation. “We as members of SAM apologize for any embarrassment we may have brought to the academic community here at the university.” Maier said. “We’re going to fight for our house and continue to have a presence on campus.””I’m not allowed to comment,” Chief Justice of ACJC and senior Erica Contini said. “I can’t say whether ACJC even heard the case.”Associate Dean of Students in charge of discipline Matthew Burns also declined to comment.If Burns approves the ACJC recommendations, the decision may still not be final. “Once we get this in writing, we have a week to appeal, which we’re planning to do,” Braveman said. Although SAM may lose its house, its chapter will likely remain intact. “[SAM is] still affiliated with the university and [its national chapter],” Maier said. Maier does not expect legal charges pressed against individual brothers.Farrell can be reached atnfarrell@campustimes.org.