USU fraternity faces criticism for ‘toxic masculinity’
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 6:40 p.m. on Sept. 23 to better clarify the contents of the anonymous email. The article was updated again at 5:50 p.m. on Sept. 30 to include the full statement from Sigma Phi Epsilon.
To read more about our decision to publish this story, you can read Our View here.
An anonymous email sent to The Utah Statesman on Sept. 12 provided screenshots of Slack and Snapchat messages between Utah State University fraternity members involving innuendos, sexual remarks and jokes.
The screenshots showed the Sigma Phi Epsilon Slack group chat had 67 members and revealed the names of the 35 members who participated in a poll titled, “Does a milf have to have children to be a milf,” along with with screenshots of a conversation discussing the poll.
This screenshot is just one of seven screenshots of messages on Slack and Snapchat between members of the fraternity sent to the Statesman in an anonymous email.
Some participating members include Utah State University Student Association elected officials, including current USUSA Vice President Abraham Rodriguez and current USUSA Logan Vice President Erik Fogth.
The email also included screenshots of sexual jokes in a Snapchat group message called “SigEp 21-22,” as well as a Snapchat photo of a member of SigEp talking with a student on campus captioned, “Another freshman victim.”
The Statesman reached out to three members of SigEp, who all declined to comment after being advised not to speak on the subject.
The anonymous email was also sent to other university officials, including USU President Noelle Cockett, police chief Blair Barfuss and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vice President Jane Irungu.
The email, sent from a Carry Ann, who chose to remain anonymous after the Statesman responded, stated, “Below are images conveying the toxic masculinity of what truly goes on in the fraternities at Utah State University.”
The next day, USU student Cole Lancaster took to his Instagram story to post about his recent expulsion from the SigEp fraternity, along with the same screenshots that were shared with the Statesman.
Lancaster joined SigEp last spring as a way to get more involved. He said things turned sour in March when he started to notice inappropriate behavior and comments that he called “locker room talk” in their official communication chats.
Around that time, he said he reported these behaviors to the Office of Equity, showing them the same screenshots that were shared with the Statesman and posted to Lancaster’s Instagram account.
According to Lancaster, the consequence for SigEp members was a one-hour sexual harassment training, which in his eyes “wasn’t enough.”
However, according to a statement from Coleton Richmond, SigEp’s current chapter president, the fraternity nor any of its members had to face repercussions.
“These communications were previously investigated by the Title IX office and no formal wrongdoing was found and the allegations were not pursued further,” Richmond said in a text message.
Coleton Richmond, the chapter president of SigEp, sent SigEp’s statement on the situation in a text message to the reporter.
Amanda DeRito, the USU associate vice president for strategic communications, explained that each fraternity member, along with every student employee, is required to complete a training each year from the Office of Equity in addition to the Title IX training that is mandatory for all students.
USU’s Sexual Misconduct Policy defines sexual harassment as “unwelcome sex-based conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to an employment or education program or activity.”
DeRito said whether or not behaviors align with definition, USU encourages everyone in the community to call out their peers and fellow Aggies for sexist attitudes and jokes.
“We know that normalizing behaviors like rape jokes and sexist attitudes can lead to, and even support, sexual misconduct behaviors,” DeRito said.
Though the shared screenshots were messages from last spring, Lancaster said after getting glared at on campus from current fraternity members upon returning to school, he felt he needed to warn others now.
“This behavior online is perpetuating toxic masculinity and rape culture and other different aspects that are larger than just locker room talk and receiving a one-hour sexual harassment training,” Lancaster said.
Shortly after the post went up, Lancaster said one of the SigEp members reached out to him, asking him to take the post down. Lancaster didn’t reveal who had asked him, but he did end up deleting the post.
Lancaster felt it was important to reveal the names of the individuals on the screenshots he posted to hold people accountable.
“I didn’t want to manipulate the images, because that’s the raw reality of it,” Lancaster said.
Although the screenshots resurfaced during the same week sororities and fraternities get to recruit new members, also known as recruitment week, and after the email notifying Lancaster of his expulsion, Lancaster said his reason for posting didn’t have anything to do with either.
“If this behavior is okay and welcomed online, and there aren’t many repercussions or high standards that frats or sororities or Greek life in general are held to, could this spiral into something bigger?” Lancaster asked.
Lancaster explained others reached out to thank him for his decision.
“After people were hearing my story, even before I posted, they were reaching out via my DMs and saying ‘Hey, I’ve had worse experiences with not only this frat, but others on campus. Thank you for posting this and exposing what you can expose,’” Lancaster said.
Lancaster said his expulsion was probably because he didn’t pay his membership fee. His expulsion means he cannot associate himself with SigEp, wear or display SigEp insignia, attend any chapter meetings or events or join any other fraternity.
The Statesman reached out to Ian Nemelka, USU’s fraternity and sorority life coordinator, who responded by forwarding the message to DeRito.
Ultimately, Lancaster feels like he did the right thing.
“It’s not okay,” he said. “Bottom line is that it’s not okay.”
Richmond’s statement concluded that SigEp will continue to strive to live up to their standards and values.
“We will continue to be a positive force in the USU community and live our Cardinal Principles of Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love,” he said.
-Jacee.Caldwell@usu.edu
Photo Courtesy of Sigma Phi Epsilon Facebook
As a women reading this article I am in awe by the lack of attention to detail put into this. There was also no need to call out names especially when I assume there was no consent to release their names from a private group chat. I am also not sure when the term Milf ever became degrading or part of “rape culture”. What about dilfs should we write a whole gossip article about that and expose women for calling someone a dilf?
Glad to see everyone’s behaving themselves well up on campus if these are the types of stories making headlines. I’m not a fan of the frats or this message board posted, but this is a huge stretch to try and cause problems out of something that’s not a problem. Citing this message as “Rape culture”? What a stab at people who have been abused or assaulted for you to casually tie this story to them, this is not “Rape culture”. You should be ashamed for your name to be on this article. You might not like what those guys are saying but the first amendment still stands for what it stands for, and no one is by any means being threatened or verbally assaulted by their remarks. Cancel culture at its finest.
This article contains a serious lack of research and extreme amount of insensitivity towards women.
This might be the worst article I have even read, and hope this gets taken down immediately. At this point, you are literally just gossiping. You provided very little and inadequate evidence, period. Regardless of what is happening at Sig Ep, this article is too early and unnecessary. At this point in time just stay out of it and let authorities handle the investigation. There is a reason why legitimate publishing institutions don’t release articles until they have enough evidence to back their claims. You guys really made yourselves look like clowns. I’m embarrassed that the statesman would even post something like this. All of your credibility is gone. Many students all over social media have lost respect for this paper, and are constantly voicing negative feedback. Sounds like the writer and Lancaster are trying to cancel Sig Ep, but I hope both of them get canceled instead. This is a really bad look to future employers, especially for an aspiring journalist. I by no means support Sig Ep, and don’t condone anything they have done nor am I happy about the allegations they are under, but what a terrible article. You should be ashamed.
It is disappointing to see Statesman take an angle like this on FSL—one that unnecessarily levies heavy criticism on an organization and from a screenshot that is not nearly as incriminating as Lancaster seems to believe that it is. What is perhaps most frustrating about the story is that because of it having been published, students are likely going to become more distracted from the genuinely concerning components of FSL culture. The negative impact that this story may ultimately have on Fraternity and Sorority Life at USU (an already struggling community) and the particular members of Sig Ep who were called out simply cannot be overstated. There are certainly issues that the Greek community must work harder to overcome (and there has been great progress in recent years), but articles like this may unfortunately make those efforts even more of a challenge to address in the years to come.
This is a very poorly written article about a literal non-issue. There are several names dropped (is that even legal?) and words such as “sexual misconduct” and even “rape” which have absolutely nothing to do with the so-called “issue” at hand. Well done for putting these young men’s futures at risk over something as silly as defining a slang term.
As a human being I am thankful that this was exposed. Now those people have to face the things they did/do/say/said. They got a slap on the wrist with a talk. I find it quite unsettling that there are a ton of stories like this and not enough action has been taken. It’s time for a change.
As a man this is revolting. Talking about and participating in rape culture is disgusting. The idea of voting for what is considered MILF’s or DILF’s is immature and extremely cross. Grow up boys.
I am an Aggie alum and near 50 and I have LONG been utterly perplexed as to why there is ANY greek system on our campus any longer. They have been nothing but problematic for DECADES. Seriously…since my Freshman year, it has brought nothing but rapes, assault, harassment, hazing, alcohol problems, and just a whole bunch of awful to an otherwise fine institution. The space at USU is so limited that the space that houses the greek system is sorely needed. The ROI on these frat houses is terrible and have been NOTHING but a PR disaster for USU. Get rid of them entirely.
And sorry…If the above comment IS a woman (which I highly doubt…more likely a member of the fraternity mentioned) they need some education about what rape culture actually IS.
The Greek system at USU contains the highest after-college income group of alumni and has created USU’s biggest donors. President Cockett has stated several times in the breakdown of donors, Greeks outweigh non-greeks in alumni return donations. This is among the many other positives that come out of the greek organizations and is why USU continues to invest in the row and will continue to grow it. This fine institute you speak of is built on greek money. If rapes, assaults, harassment, hazing, or alcohol problems are your concern, then give USU football a call.
Great reporting. I’m glad this publication got this information out so these frats can’t keep hiding behind a mask. They deserve to be shown as they are.