Syracuse Suspends Fraternity After Video Surfaces of Members Taking Racist Oath

A Syracuse University fraternity, Theta Tau, was suspended from all activities on Wednesday after videos surfaced that showed chapter members taking a racist oath, and making hostile comments toward gay people and people with disabilities, according to a statement from Kent Syverud, the university’s chancellor.

Videos of the engineering fraternity were obtained and published by the campus newspaper The Daily Orange. They show members using racial and anti-Semitic slurs and other offensive language inside the fraternity house, according to the newspaper.

In his statement, Syverud wrote that he was “deeply concerned” by the videos, which he called “extremely troubling and disturbing,” and that the department of public safety was investigating the videos and the people involved.

“The conduct is deeply harmful and contrary to the values and community standards we expect of our students. There is absolutely no place at Syracuse University for behavior or language that degrades any individual or group’s race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, disability, or religious beliefs,” Syverud wrote. “What happened at Theta Tau serves as a reminder that violations of codes of honor, behavior, and values will be met with swift and appropriate consequences.”

Before the videos were posted online by the campus newspaper, students protested in front of the fraternity house and the chancellor’s house demanding that the university release the videos.

At a campus forum on Wednesday afternoon, Syverud said he did not want to be the person to release the videos, for “complicated reasons,” according to the student paper.

The fraternity’s national office did not respond to a request for comment.

Fernanda Zamudio-Suaréz is breaking-news editor. Follow her on Twitter @FernandaZamudio, or email her at fzamudiosuarez@chronicle.com.