JACKSON Miss.
A University of Mississippi fraternity asked school officials Tuesday to lift a one-year suspension that was given after a student said he was assaulted and called a racial slur at a party.
Freshman Jeremiah Taylor, 18, said he was pushed down the stairs while attending a Delta Kappa Epsilon party Aug. 22 on the Oxford campus, according to school officials. Taylor has told the student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, that he was called the N-word.
“We have filed an appeal that says the evidence doesn’t support the penalty. The sanction imposed was not appropriate considering the lack of evidence against the chapter,” said David Easlick, executive director of Delta Kappa Epsilon International, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“We’re denying everything,” Easlick said.
Calls to reach Taylor for comment were not immediately returned.
Jeffrey Alford, associate vice chancellor for university relations, said the appeal will be handled “expeditiously.”
After listening to 20 witnesses last week, the university judicial council announced the fraternity was found guilty of violations of harassment, assault, disorderly conduct, possession of alcohol and hosting an unauthorized party. Ole Miss announced sanctions against the fraternity Friday.
In addition to the one-year suspension, the fraternity was fined $1,000 to be used to fund an alcohol and drug education program on the campus; each of the members are required to do 20 hours of community service and each is required to participate in a racial sensitivity and alcohol drug abuse program,” Alford said last week.
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University of Mississippi: https://olemiss.edu/
–Associated Press
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