National Chapter Locks UVa. Fraternity Brothers Out of their House

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Updated: 11:55 PM Aug 16, 2009

Members of the University of Virginia fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, have threatened legal action after their national organization locked the brothers out of their house, denying them access to their belongings.

Posted: 6:48 PM Aug 14, 2009
Reporter: Matt Holmes
Email Address: matt.holmes@newsplex.com

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August 14, 2009

Fraternity and sorority houses are more than just homes to their members.

"That's just kind of the meeting point. It's where you have all your parties, it's where you have a lot of your functions and it's where you meet. It's what holds the fraternity together," said Adam Smith, President of the UVa AEPi chapter.

The battle between UVa's chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi and the national organization that runs the fraternity has gotten awfully bitter. The brothers on grounds say they are sick of dealing with "slimeballs", while the national folks have shut down the frat and locked the brothers out of their house.

If you didn't know better, you would think the AEPi house at UVa was bracing for a storm. Windows shuttered and doors locked. Smith says the brothers have thousands of dollars worth of clothing and electronics inside the house and no one from the national headquarters will return their calls to let them collect their belongings.

The ordeal stems from a hazing allegation in which the brothers say they were never given a chance to tell their side of the story. However, Smith says that hazing incident truly does not have very much to do with why the house has been locked down.

Adam Smith is the second-straight non-Jewish president of UVa chapter of AEPi, a nationally Jewish fraternity, and that is something he says does not sit well with the national chapter.

"It's tough to say that discrimination wasn't a factor, because it just feels like they've told us straight up many times, 'you're not Jewish enough,'" said Smith.

Smith says he was told by the national organization that the fraternity will try to reorganize in a year, putting the current brothers through an interview process that would determine whether or not they could remain in the fraternity.

"I feel like a lot of people just wouldn't want to get back into the whole fraternity scene with people that really don't care," said Smith.

Smith's message to the people who own the house and decided to lock the brothers out, "Just let us get our stuff out and just go."

CBS19 tried multiple times Friday to get a response to these allegations from the folks at the national headquarters, but they have yet to get in contact with us.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Steve Location: Chicago on Mar 7, 2010 at 11:58 AM

As an AEPi alum at a different school, I know that keeping the fraternity Jewish is very important. Its just like why the Christian and African-American fraternities take pride in their culture. I'm not offended that I can't join those houses. It's important to have a house where Judaism is accepted. Also, AEPi is a private organization, so no lawsuit in an effort to take Judaism away from the fraternity would work. Other formerly Jewish fraternities took Judaism out of their mission statement and have gone DOWN in size (SAMMIES and ZBT are two of them). AEPi has gotten larger because they decided that staying Jewish was important. Taking Judaism from AEPi would be the beginning of the end of the fraternity.

Posted by: John Location: New York,NY on Jan 6, 2010 at 10:53 AM

AEPI nationals absolutely urges the Rushing of Jewish Brothers and counts Non-Jewish Brothers as second class citizens. I have encountered this first-hand as a Non-Jewish Brother. It is so painful to see a people that have been historically discriminated against pass discrimination to those whom are different, yet willing to espouse the fraternity's purpose. Without hesitation these same individuals would become outraged (as they should be) at anti-semitism, but are perfectly alright with their own brand of discrimination. All I can say is pass oppression..become oppressed. Discrimination is wrong from the country club to the greek system. Welcome to America where diversity is embraced.

Posted by: Rob Location: Virginia on Aug 31, 2009 at 04:16 PM

I was a brother in the late 70s, and sometime after I graduated, I received a letter from National accusing me of "conduct unbecoming a brother", and gave me a very short time limit to respond or be excommunicated. As I had no idea what they were talking about, and I was busy with grad school at the time, I ignored the letter and was kicked out of the fraternity several years after I graduated. With no explanation. So NOTHING National does surprises me.

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