© 2024 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

SU students involved in racist frat videos could face expulsion

Tom Magnarelli
/
WRVO Public Media File Photo
Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud addresses the press Monday

Everything is on the table, according to Syracuse University officials, including expulsion, for the 18 students involved in racist videos by the Theta Tau fraternity. SU officials said it will be a fair but expeditious disciplinary process.

Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud said Monday while he believes in freedom of speech, the behavior in the videos involves conduct, as well as speech.

“That conduct is the reason this is part of the student judicial process,” Syveryud said.

Each case is being reviewed separately. The students will get the chance to tell their side of the story. A university conduct board will make a decision and that can be appealed. Dolan Evanovich, the senior vice president of Enrollment and the Student Experience, said their code of conduct covers behavior, harassment and hazing.

“There are multiple offenses that could be brought into play," Evanovich said. "There are multiple codes that have been violated and each of them have a disciplinary process associated with it, and a disciplinary result associated with it. We will be reviewing each individual case with each individual student who has committed an individual code of conduct violation.”

Evanovich said there are more videos, but the university is not releasing them.

The disciplinary process could take up to two weeks. And all of this comes as graduation is scheduled for next month.

The university expelled the Theta Tau fraternity over the weekend. A campus conversation meeting is scheduled for Wednesday among students, university leadership and members of the board of trustees.

Tom Magnarelli is a reporter covering the central New York and Syracuse area. He joined WRVO as a freelance reporter in 2012 while a student at Syracuse University and was hired full time in 2015. He has reported extensively on politics, education, arts and culture and other issues around central New York.