Dean of Students Laura
Blake Jones called out the
Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity
at the University of Michi-
gan in a message to MLive
published Dec. 17. Blake
Jones said “several gen-
erations” took part in haz-
ing activities at the Theta
chapter and the fraterni-
ty’s national headquarters
turned a “blind eye” to haz-
ing.
On. Nov. 7, the University
terminated the fraternity
for hazing infractions with
opportunity for recoloni-
zation after five calendar
years. The IFC released a
statement saying the Coun-
cil supported the Univer-
sity’s
decision
following
the Student Organization
Advancement and Recogni-
tion review conducted by
the Greek Activities Review
Panel.
Alpha Sigma Phi disasso-
ciated from the University
and Interfraternity Coun-
cil in September, opting
instead to join the newly
formed Ann Arbor Inter-
fraternity
Council.
The
fraternity cited new zon-
ing codes implemented by
City Council as the reason
for the change. According
to the Office of Greek Life,
fraternities must answer to
the University regardless of
governance.
“These sanctions result
from a Hazing Response
Team
investigation
that
found
substantial
evi-
dence of dangerous recur-
ring practices within Alpha
Sigma Phi’s new member
process, including forced
alcohol
consumption
and
violent physical hazing,” the
IFC wrote in the statement.
Nicole
Banks,
interim
director of Greek Life and
assistant dean of students,
did not respond to The Dai-
ly’s request for comment.
Kim Broekhuizen, associate
director of the University’s
Office of Public Affairs,
said in an email that disaf-
filiation does not mean the
chapter will not be held
accountable.
“The
general
practice
of a minimum suspension
for five years allows time
for the current students to
matriculate from U-M and
for the headquarters to put
greater support in place for
the chapter to operate effec-
tively following a closure
for cause, to ensure that
the same challenges do not
recur,” Broekhuizen wrote.
“The University investigat-
ed complaints against Alpha
Sigma Phi that occurred
while the chapter was an
active member of the Inter-
fraternity Council. Alpha
Sigma Phi’s intention to
disaffiliate voluntarily did
not absolve the chapter of
accountability for its behav-
ior.”
The suspension from the
IFC came before an MLive
article published Dec. 5
disclosing the results of a
Freedom of Information Act
request regarding the fra-
ternity’s closure. Text mes-
sages and emails between
members of Alpha Sigma
Phi described a “40-yard
dash,” during which mem-
bers would allegedly run
on pledges’ backs during
the chapter’s “Hell Week.”
The
fraternity
brothers
described the event taking
place and a student being
injured.
“We had people run our
backs during our hell week,”
an Alpha Sigma Phi member
wrote in a group message
obtained through the FOIA
request. “That doesn’t mean
it’s a tradition or a (good)
idea, but it means (it’s)
become normalized by us.”
The
University
of
Michigan has agreed to a
$300,000
settlement
after
former employee, Amy J.
Wang,
claimed
she
was
wrongfully terminated by the
school. Through an attorney,
the University signed the
settlement on Dec. 3, which
was later released to MLive
after a public records request.
According to the lawsuit,
associate
vice
president
of
finance
Nancy
Hobbs,
who was Wang’s boss, had
asked Wang to “fraudulently
misrepresent” the role of
another employee to federal
immigration officials. Wang’s
complaint arose because the
employee, who was working
at the University through a
North American Free Trade
Agreement program allowing
temporary work visas, was
in a permanent managerial
role despite restrictions in
the
program’s
regulations
prohibiting such a position.
Wang claimed when she
refused to lie about the
employee’s status she was
michigandaily.com
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Thursday, January 10, 2019
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Vol. CXXVIII, No. 50
©2018 The Michigan Daily
NEWS......................... 2A
OPINION.....................4A
SPORTS......................6A
SUDOKU..................... 2A
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A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 B - 6 B
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For more stories and coverage, visit
ACADEMICS
ALEX HARRING
Daily Staff Reporter
ACADEMICS
ZAYNA SYED
Daily Staff Reporter
DESIGN BY MICHELLE FAN
Dean: ‘generations’ of Alpha Sigma Phi
brothers took part in hazing activities
National headquarters disputes characterizations of the chapter while
IFC and University stand by the disciplinary sanctions imposed in the fall
University
settle suit
for $300k
ADMINISTRATION
U-M denies liability for
wrongful termination
of a former employee
AMARA SHAIKH
Daily News Editor
See ME/NA, Page 3A
Follow The Daily on
Instagram:
@michigandaily
See LAWSUIT, Page 3A
See HAZING, Page 3A
ME/NA
boxes now
included in
Rackham
2019 apps
Inside:
The Best of 2018 B-Side
University Towers, a student
apartment building on South
Forest Avenue, was received a
noncompliance notice from the
city early this week threatening
fines of more than $200 should
they continue to fail to comply
with municipal regulations.
The
notice
informed
University Towers it had failed
“to correct violations within
the
time
limits
specified”
in addition to a “failure to
obtain a current certificate or
compliance with the city of
Ann Arbor.”
The warning invokes the
City of Ann Arbor Housing
Code, which reads, “No person
shall lease or otherwise make
a dwelling or rooming unit
available for occupancy if a
certificate of compliance is
not in effect for the unit.”
Ann Arbor’s Rental Housing
Services
office
conducts
inspections of residential units
every 30 months and issues
certificates of compliance for
each property that passes the
evaluation.
The notice posted on the
doors to University Towers
declared “all tenants have the
right to put their rent money
in escrow for all unregistered
rental
units
and/or
those
posted as non-compliant” and
listed Jan. 10 as the follow-up
date for the violation. Failure
to comply by that date could
result in ticketing of University
Towers.
When reached by phone, a
receptionist from University
Towers who did not identify
herself said she had no comment
on the matter at the time,
but a manager may be able to
comment at a later date. At the
time of publication, The Daily
was unable to reach a manager
U Towers
violates City
housing code
Ceremony ushers in new class
of Washtenaw Commissioners
See TOWERS, Page 3A
RUCHITA IYER/Daily
The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners celebrated swearing in District 2 Commissioner Sue Think at the Washtenaw County Administration Building
Wednesday evening.
Student apartment building issued
warning for disobeying regulations
OLIVIA TAUBER
Daily Staff Reporter
Democrats control every seat on the Board after sweeping November elections
Elected officials and local
residents celebrated the swear-
ing in of the new class of county
commissioners at the Washt-
enaw County Administration
Building on Tuesday night.
Four incumbents and four new
members, all Democrats, of-
ficially assumed their roles on
the Board of Commissioners,
the first time the body has been
entirely Democratic in its his-
tory. The county has the most
Democratic representatives in
the state of Michigan.
Lawrence Kestenbaum, the
county clerk and register of
deeds for Washtenaw County,
led the swearing-in ceremony.
In a nod to the “blue wave” that
swept the Board, Kestenbaum
discussed the importance of
considering the entire scope of
beliefs within the county, which
he said was the “most wonder-
ful constituency anyone can
have.”
“The people around this ta-
ble do not represent the whole
political scope of this county,”
Kestenbaum said. “Reach out
to those who you do not agree
TAL LIPKIN
Daily Staff Reporter
See COMMISSIONERS, Page 2A
ANN ARBOR
#WeExist campaign
calls for representation
Rackham
Graduate
School
announced
last
month they will include
Middle Eastern and North
African identity options on
their applications for Fall
2019. The identity will fall
under the white racial cat-
egory, with Middle Eastern
and North African identi-
ties as further specifica-
tion, along with options
for applicants to identify
as European or other. The
move follows requests from
Arab students, staff and
faculty for the University
to officially recognize their
identities in a campaign
titled #WeExist.
The #WeExist campaign
began two years ago when
current and former stu-
dents Silan Fadlallah, Jad
Elharake,
Devin
Jones,
Ibtihal Makki and former
Central Student Govern-
ment vice president Nadine
Jawad had conversations
about what the Diversi-
ty, Equity and Inclusion