One Tufts student is pursuing charges through the Dean of Students office stemming from an incident which he alleges occurred in front of the Sigma Phi Epsilon (Sig Ep) fraternity house.
(Daily File Photo) An allegedly racially-motivated altercation took place outside of the Sig Ep house on Friday night.
Junior Riyadh Mohammed alleges that the incident was racially motivated. According to Mohammed, he was escorting his girlfriend home and walking by the Sig Ep house on 114 Curtis St. in the early morning hours of April 30 when someone called him "an Indian." When he replied that he was not an Indian, but rather an Arab, an unknown person allegedly called Mohammed a number of racial slurs, including "terrorist." Mohammed is the president of the Arab Students Association (ASA).
According to an anonymous Sig Ep alumnus, who came upon this incident as he exited the fraternity house, the incident appeared to have concluded by the time police had responded to it. "Riyadh went home," he said, and it seemed to be "the end of the situation."
After dropping his girlfriend off, Mohammed returned to the Sig Ep house. "I wanted to educate him [whoever had used the racial slurs] about what it means to be an Arab and how that is different from being a terrorist," Mohammed said.
According to Mohammed, he approached the fraternity house and the three fraternity members standing on the porch. He said that this second encounter soon turned physical and that he was attacked by these Sig Ep members.
Mohammed alleges that he was knocked to the ground and kicked by the three members and that a series of head injuries resulted in his temporary unconsciousness.
"When I came to, they were dragging me into [the Sigma Phi Epsilon house], pleading with me not to call the police," Mohammed said. "There was no way I wasn't going to call the police."
A report regarding the incident was filed with the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) on the morning of April 30. According to the report, Mohammed placed a call at approximately 2:49 a.m. claiming that he was the victim of an assault that took place in front of the fraternity house.
There is more. Read the article... The Tufts Daily - Student alleges assault by members of Sig Ep
To paraphase the popular bumper sticker: "HATE is not a Cardinal Principle".
