EDITORIAL – Establish order and trust in Greek system

The fraternity system at California State University in Chico is in serious trouble.

In… The fraternity system at California State University in Chico is in serious trouble.

In February, a student died from drinking a large amount of water. The victim was allegedly being hazed by members of a fraternity that had already lost its school affiliation.

In a separate case, four members of the Chi Tau fraternity have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Matthew Carrington. Four other members of the same fraternity face lesser charges.

So, of course, university officials decided to crack down on the fraternity system. But like any university administration facing the possibility of appearing to have little to no control of its student population, Chico must perform an intricate balancing act between creating an effective structure to ensure campus safety and building trust among student groups.

Pitt administration knows that battleground well.

Step number one for Chico administration is to stay focused on what the problem is — hazing — and not any and all questionable behavior that fraternity members engage in.

After members of Phi Kappa Tau admitted to participation in an adult film at their off-campus residence, the school suspended the chapter.

A production company called Shane’s World made the film in which neither the campus nor the fraternity was identified. The fraternity was not paid for the film.

According to a Shane’s World publicist Nicole Henderson, the company typically arranges a movie and sends porn stars and film crews to a party to make an unscripted film. Participating students — all of whom must sign release forms, be 18 years old with identification and receive testing for sexually transmitted diseases — play sex-themed party games and are rewarded with oral sex or intercourse.

University President Paul Zingg said he was disgusted by the behavior and promised that further punishment is forthcoming. He mentioned he was not concerned with the fact that making a pornographic film is legal.

University spokesman Joe Wills added, “This fraternity will be dealt with in an unmistakably firm fashion.”

The university has every right to take some disciplinary action. But it seems, given Chico’s fraternity system track record, the administration is jaded in its judgment.

If any punishment should be given at all, it ought to come from the national chapter of Phi Kappa Tau, which has already suspended the school chapter and is investigating the incident before taking any next steps.

At its core, the concept of fraternal organizations is a positive thing. They bring people together, perform service activities and sponsor philanthropic and social events. They should be punished for illegal behavior like hazing, not a harmless porn.