An individual is not an organization

Earlier this year, two students at Utah State University were charged with various counts of sexual assault. These individuals made a horrible choice that will impact them and their victims for a very long time.

They were Greek, members (and eventually ex-members) of the Pi Kappa Alpha and Sigma Chi fraternities. However, these were still individuals who made decisions all by themselves. It was not an action that the fraternity made as a whole.

However, the fraternity as a whole is being punished.

Of these groups, Pi Kappa Alpha has taken the proper steps to let its members know this is not okay. The members expelled the individual from the fraternity, they changed their codes to more explicitly say that sexual assault is not tolerated and they have inspected their own members to make sure anyone that isn’t upholding their standards is kicked out.

Still, the school pushes on to punish these fraternities.

We’re all familiar with the stereotypes surrounding fraternities. They are “bros:” loud, drunk and willing to do anything they can to get in a girls’ pants.

However, this stereotype, while not only untrue, doesn’t leave any room for the positive aspects of a fraternity, including brotherhood and philanthropy. The Greek community brings far more good to the university than it does bad. Handing out group punishments does nothing more than perpetuate this negative stereotype.

I understand that the university felt like it had to do something to address the concern. Sexual assault is a serious crime and should be treated as such. I believe those two deserve every bit of what the justice system hands them. However, the university is choosing a scapegoat instead of addressing the actual problem.

These crimes were committed by two individuals who did not honor consent. It was not a brotherhood activity, and it is not, nor has it ever been, condoned by the fraternities. Instead of passing the blame onto a group who happened to be affiliated with a scumbag, take down the scumbag and change the way you educate about sexual assault.

—reid.al73@gmail.com