As of 5 p.m. Thursday, there had been no campus-wide statement released by Syracuse University after The Daily Orange on Wednesday night published a recording of a video showing people in the Theta Tau fraternity house engaging in what Chancellor Kent Syverud has called “extremely racist” behavior.

Theta Tau, a professional engineering fraternity, was suspended Wednesday morning after the university confirmed it was involved in the creation of online videos showing fraternity members engaging in behaviors that were “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and hostile to people with disabilities,” Syverud said in a campus-wide email Wednesday.

The Theta Tau fraternity’s grand regent on Thursday said the national organization launched an investigation and will take “appropriate actions” in response to a video showing members of the SU chapter of Theta Tau engaging in what he called “disgraceful” behavior.

The statement from Matthew Clark, Theta Tau’s grand regent, was posted on the national organization’s Facebook page Thursday afternoon.

“Theta Tau has a no tolerance policy for this troubling and offensive behavior, and the actions of these individuals are truly disgraceful,” Clark said in the statement.

An SU spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment after The D.O. inquired about the national Theta Tau organization’s Facebook post.

Laura Williams-Sanders, director of SU’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, declined to comment on the Theta Tau videos on Thursday morning. She said she was busy supporting students.

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MORE COVERAGE: 

• Syverud: SU will start ‘top to bottom’ review of all Greek life policies, activities and culture
• Student Association leaders call for SU Greek life audit in wake of Theta Tau suspension
• Students protest Theta Tau videos outside Chancellor Kent Syverud’s house
• Gallery: SU campus community reacts to Theta Tau videos

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Published on April 19, 2018 at 5:05 pm

Contact Sam: sfogozal@syr.edu | @SamOgozalek