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INVESTIGATION COMPLETED INTO INCIDENT
INVOLVING FRATERNITY MEMBERS AND FOOTBALL PLAYERS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Richard McKaig, dean of students at Indiana University, announced today (April 21) that his office has completed its investigation of a March 22 incident involving members of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and several IU football players.
McKaig said seven students will be charged this week with violations of university policy. Other students may be charged later if the initial university judicial proceedings indicate that charges are warranted. Federal law, specifically the Buckley Amendment, prohibits the university from releasing information about disciplinary actions against individual students.
One football player, Curtis Randle El, was stabbed during the incident, which occurred outside an apartment at Varsity Villas. The Monroe County prosecutor has charged one of the fraternity members, Richard Gilliam, with felony battery. The prosecutor also issued misdemeanor charges against Tyrone Browning, Kyle Moffatt, David Donte Wilson and Damian Gregory.
During the three-week investigation, IU football coach Cam Cameron, with his staff and players, met several times with members of Phi Beta Sigma and the fraternity's adviser. The meetings were designed to ease tensions between the two groups.
"As a result of the meetings, each group has a better understanding of the other," Cameron said. "They realize that as leaders in their community they must make mature decisions, and they will continue to work together to resolve their issues.
"Last month's incident was inexcusable, and it is one that we can avoid in the future if we work together," Cameron said. "These kinds of incidents will not be tolerated by Indiana University, the Athletic Department or me."
IU President Myles Brand directed McKaig to coordinate the university's inquiry into the matter. McKaig's staff interviewed more than 40 people, many of whom participated or were present during the incident at Varsity Villas, which is near the Bloomington campus. The Athletic Department, its football program and the fraternity cooperated fully with McKaig's investigation.
Under IU's Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct, the students could be found responsible for actions which endangered other students, physical abuse, acting with violence, and violation of law. The code provides that the university may discipline students for misconduct not committed on its property if the misconduct undermines the security of the university community. Acts the code cites as doing so include participation in group violence.
"All the parties involved were cooperative in the investigative process," McKaig said. "I'm sure their cooperation will continue as we move into the judicial hearing stage, which naturally takes considerable time to be done fully and fairly."
Each student charged with violation of the code will appear before a campus judicial hearing board. The board, which consists of students and one staff member, will determine responsibility and recommend sanctions, if appropriate. The possible sanctions range from reprimand to expulsion. McKaig hopes the hearings will be completed as quickly as possible, but recognizes the complications raised by students' schedules at the end of the semester and the beginning of summer break.
(Christopher Simpson, Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations, 812-855-0850, csimpson@indiana.edu or Todd Starowitz, 812-855-9610)