OXFORD, Miss. – A University of Mississippi fraternity has
been sanctioned after an inquiry determined the group
provided alcohol to some of its members and guests the
night a student fell from a tree and died.
The Office of the Dean of Students found that members of
Beta Theta Pi violated the university’s alcohol policy by
providing a common source of alcohol, distributing alcohol,
lacking organizational control of alcohol and using chapter
funds to purchase alcohol.
During the course of the inquiry, it also was determined
that the chapter misled university officials by denying the
presence of alcohol at the chapter house and withheld
additional information during initial stages of the
inquiry. Consequently they also have been charged with
disregard of university authority.
The following sanctions have been imposed against the
fraternity:
university’s two-strike alcohol policy
of community service
off-campus social events) for the ’07-08 academic year
education program
an alcohol education program
participate in an ethical development education
program
chapter review of all members and officers
The campus inquiry into the violations was initiated after
18-year-old Bradley Jameson of Fort Worth, Texas, who was
not a member of the fraternity, fell 12 feet after a tree
limb broke as he was retrieving a football in the backyard
of the fraternity house in the early morning hours of Sept.
15.
Beta Theta Pi headquarters officials indicate they plan to
issue further sanctions later this week.