Yale Suspends Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity After Sexist Chants

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REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Students walk on the campus of Yale

The Ivy League school is under fire after a fraternity’s new members allegedly chanted phrases relating to sex acts and other obscenities against women, while marching across the campus in October.

The school said that the fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, had “threatened and intimidated others.” Videos of the chants, which included cheers like “No Means Yes! Yes Means Anal!” have caused outrage. The “Dekes” were banned from recruiting students from Yale for five years because clearly, the incident gave the school a bad reputation.

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A public summary of disciplinary actions was made by the school to prove that it discouraged sexual harassment and the school said it wanted to ensure “an educational environment free from harassment and intimidation.”

That didn’t please Doug Lanpher, executive director of international DKE office, though, who said he was disappointed that Yale had made the announcement on grounds that the negotiations should have been kept confidential. “We know it was in poor taste,” Lanpher said. “We don’t advocate what they said. We believe that the chapter’s behavior has changed.”

Delta Kappa Epsilon was founded in Yale in 1844, and reportedly counts both President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush as alumni. Chapter leaders have apologized and the fraternity’s national office has ordered them to stop pledge activities. But it’s a bit late to try and save their reputation now.

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