Westminster frat disciplined, moved to student housing

Members of the Westminster College chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon enjoy the sunshine Thursday in front of the fraternity house. College officials are moving SAE members to student housing for the rest of the year as a disciplinary measure for unspecified "conduct issues."
Members of the Westminster College chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon enjoy the sunshine Thursday in front of the fraternity house. College officials are moving SAE members to student housing for the rest of the year as a disciplinary measure for unspecified "conduct issues."

Westminster College's Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity will have to finish out the year in student housing, public relations director Rob Crouse said.

SAE members received news they would have to vacate the fraternity house Thursday. Dean of Student Life Bomani Spell also sent a letter to fraternity members Wednesday, Crouse said.

"They were on probation earlier in the year for conduct issues, and then were taken off probation," he added.

Spell could not be reached for comment by press time.

Further unspecified "conduct issues" lead to the reprimand.

"If there are no more incidents, they will be able to return in the fall in time for rush," Crouse added.

Crouse said the SAE national organization has been informed of the situation, but he's unsure if they're planning any kind of action. SAE's communication director could not be reached for comment by press time.

In January, SAE spokesperson Johnny Sao made no mention of a suspension when asked about the Westminster chapter's standing, in the context of a cease-and-desist placed on a University of Missouri chapter.

"I can confirm that the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at Westminster College is still active and in good standing," he said in an email.

The chapter's president, Patrick Flesch, declined to comment on the current situation.

The Westminster chapter was founded in 1948. In 2008, the chapter was put under a cease-and-desist order by the national organization after a then-16-year-old drove home drunk after attending an SAE party, according to past Fulton Sun reporting. The student crashed, dislocating her hip and breaking a femur.

Following that incident and a month-long investigation, the school introduced a policy requiring all fraternity and sorority members to take risk-management training annually.