PRESS RELEASE: Statement from Pike president

We believe as a fraternity that we took the appropriate actions for the situation at hand, and because of these actions we saved this young woman’s life. It is our hope that the university will conduct a fair and objective investigation.

We are certainly disappointed by the university’s decision to suspend the fraternity, and this decision has made us less hopeful that a fair investigation will be the case. Both the fraternity and its members are entitled to due process, and it is dangerous when this is withheld. It is not hard to find examples of life ruining situations when due process has been denied, for instance the Duke Lacrosse situation or the case of Deb Brown.

The false allegations made against the Duke Lacrosse team tainted the image of that team for years, and the false allegations against Deb Brown ruined her life and forced her to spend an undeserving 17 years in prison. It is simply our hope that the investigation will be fair unlike these previous cases. We wholeheartedly believe that when the investigation is completed our actions will be upheld, and it will be concluded that we are in no way at fault.