The AU chapter of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity will pick up community service and philanthropic activities this spring for George Washington University's chapter, which was shut down because of hazing.
DTD's national organization revoked the GW chapter's charter Feb. 11 after the fraternity confirmed allegations of hazing. Investigations had been underway for more than a month.
In a press release, DTD Executive Vice President James B. Russell said, "The chapter demonstrated its inability to effectively manage operations and abide by fraternity policies, practices and expectations."
The former GW members of DTD will be allowed to stay in their house on G Street until the end of the semester. However, the fraternity will not be allowed back on GW's campus until at least 2007.
As for now, Student Judicial Services at GW will conduct hearings for members of the DTD executive board there. The results of the hearings will be based on individual circumstances and prior student judicial records.
University representatives at GW did not return phone calls for comment.
While the GW chapter has fallen on hard times, DTD remains a strong fixture on the AU campus.
Garth Eberhart, assistant executive vice president of DTD's national chapter, spoke highly of the AU chapter.
"There is a very good chapter at AU - a lot of positive things are happening," Eberhart said.
Eberhart said the national chapter appreciates AU's willingness to pick up some of GW's community service and philanthropic activities.
This spring, AU's DTD chapter will take over GW's "Adopt a School" program at an elementary school in Southwest D.C. Some members of the fraternity have already been in contact to find out what they will need to pick up for the dispersed GW group.
Eberhart also said AU's chapter will play a substantial role in welcoming the return of GW's chapter in 2007.
"When we return to GW, AU's Delts will be supportive" in getting that chapter re-established, he said.
Rosario Palmieri, the DTD adviser at AU, said he does not want his chapter linked to the scandal at GW.
He said the Delts at AU are founded on principles to treat each other with the respect to which human dignity is entitled, and that the AU chapter is not involved in hazing.
"We do not believe in hazing in any form," Palmieri said. "It's not what we're about."
While Palmieri said it was a shame to see what happened at GW, he credited the national organization for stepping in and acting according to the fraternity's principles.
"It's not easy to withdraw the recognition of a chapter," he said.
Delta Tau Delta has 120 chapters and expansion colonies across the United States. There are more than 2,000 alumni in the D.C. area alone.
The fraternity plans to partner with GW to re-establish the chapter after "a reasonable passage of time"
