The 10 students facing academic suspension after allegations of hazing last fall claim they are being treated unfairly by the Student Judicial Affairs because they are black, and one of the accusers says the punishments are too harsh. Five members of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. and five prospective members are accused of paddling, punching, pushing and threatening two prospective members as part of a potential review process to be inducted into the predominately black sorority.
One of the accusers, Dominique Winston, says the hazing did occur but she thinks the punishment is inappropriate. Fellow accuser Chantal Conley refused to comment. "I don't think anybody should get suspended or expelled," Winston said. "The punishment was too severe."
Winston said she did not know what an appropriate punishment would be. Former President Nakia Collins, who faces a three year suspension, said the punishment administrators handed to a predominately white Pi Kappa Alpha, which was banned from campus last spring after pledge Brent Johnson drowned during a fraternity-sponsored camping trip, was mild in comparison to the punishment being handed down in this incident.
"I hate to compare this to the Pikes," Collins said. "Because that was a horrible, horrible situation, but someone died and the only thing that happened was the fraternity was banned. To my understanding, it didn't go through judicial affairs, and no one's academic career was disrupted by what happened." Judicial Affairs coordinator Terry Huffman refuses to comment to the DAILY EGYPTIAN.
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