The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at James Madison University is under fire after a member passed out a recruitment guide that encouraged would-be pledges to invite women to parties from a list rating female freshmen by appearance.
In the "rush guide" sent by a tipster to Barstool Sports and Gawker, the frat brother admits that the list he released is "creepy," but explains that "we will do whatever we can to try and get you guys laid.”
The guide reads, in part:
I have written a list of hot girls and their suite/room in [the dorm]. Now this is a little creepy thing to do but necessary so let’s keep this low key. You must travel together to all of the suites on this list, and invite these girls to the parties (social schedule will also be attached). You are to introduce yourselves, build rapport (if you don’t know what that is look it up you degenerates), invite them (their whole suite) to the party of the respective night, and tell them to come up to your suite around 9pm to pregame. Don’t forget to get their phone #’s. Now, I’m praying you guys brought liquor or something that allows you to pregame.
The guide was sent to male students who the frat brother thought would be good "potential recruits." It included a handwritten list of 11 freshman girls, each ranked on a scale of one to 10, that the would-be pledges could use to pick their guests for frat parties. The list was titled "Hanson Hotties," referring to one of the dorms.
The guide also encouraged recruits to go to dorm meetings to "get a glimpse" of "all the hot tail."
Barstool Sports published the tipster's email:
This is a letter that has been going around the JMU campus of some douche RA who looked up the names to all the kids in his dorm and picked the cool ones and sent them letters of “potential recruitment.” He also looked up all the girls and rated which ones were hot and not. Read these pictures it’s great.
Bill Martin, the executive director at Phi Gamma Delta national headquarters, said only one frat brother was suspected of creating the letter and confirmed that the student was removed from the chapter.
"At this time we believe that the so-called 'rush guide' was the action of one member acting without the knowledge or approval of the chapter," Martin told The Huffington Post. "The chapter has been cooperating with University staff to address the matter and also has taken action to remove the member who posted the offensive material."
It's unclear what the fate of this member -- the chapter's self-proclaimed marketing and media chairman -- will be. A JMU spokesman said the university will "take appropriate action as warranted" and that "behavior that violates the university’s discrimination and harassment policies will not be tolerated.
Of course, allegations of harassment and egregiously off-color statements made by frats are nothing new. This. Happens. Nationwide. All. The. Time.
In fact, 30 frats were shut down between March and April in a nationwide sweep by universities to combat hazing, alcohol-related problems, criminal investigations and other student conduct infractions. It's unclear whether that was a banner month for fraternity shutdowns. But experts say frats are now under more scrutiny because the Internet makes it easier to circulate incriminating material and thereby identify misbehavior.