Fraternity At N. C. State Used Racist And Sexist Pledge Book

The latest entry in this year’s edition of “Fraternities Behaving Badly” comes from North Carolina State University. The school’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity has some serious explaining to do after the discovery of a pledge book that referred to minorities, women, and children in horribly graphic terms.

Holladay Hall, the chancellor's office at North Carolina State (courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Holladay Hall, the chancellor’s office at North Carolina State (courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

On Thursday, several students who work at a restaurant near N. C. State’s campus in Raleigh discovered that someone left a little green book behind. When they opened it, they found a list of names that matched up with the online membership list of N. C. State’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. According to one of the workers who found the book, N. C. State senior Katie Perry, the book was also full to the brim with “jokes about raping people, raping children, raping dead women,” as well as outright racist remarks. Among some of the jokes and comments:

“It will be short and painful, just like when I rape you.”
“If she’s hot enough, she doesn’t need a pulse.”
“That tree is so perfect for lynching.”
“Be kind to the whales because they’ll lead you to the dolphins.”

Officials at both N. C. State and Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters in Charlotte struck fast and hard. Within hours of learning about the book, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters ordered the chapter to temporarily suspend operations. They also pledged full cooperation with N. C. State’s investigation of the matter. Fraternity CEO Mark Timmes said the material in the book was “not consistent with our values,” and added that the national staff is “trying to get our arms around the situation.” N. C. State also ordered the chapter to suspend operations, and is actively working to find out who is responsible for what dean of students Mike Mullen called “highly disturbing” material. He also added that the book in no way represented the other members of N. C. State’s Greek community, most of whom “are living up to the values they espouse.” On Friday, all 22 of N. C. State’s fraternities were ordered to suspend social activities involving alcohol for the rest of the semester.

On Monday, the N. C. State chapter formally took responsibility for the book via a letter in the student newspaper, Technician. Chapter president Max Copeland admitted the book belonged to a recently inducted brother, and issued an unreserved apology for comments that were “unacceptable by any means.” It can be safely assumed that a good portion of that chapter’s pledge class has either already lost their pins or is in the process of being stripped of their pins.

In a colossal understatement, Perry thinks the discovery of this book should be a reality check for all fraternities at N. C. State. “These aren’t children,” she said. “They’re my age. They know they’re doing this.” Suffice to say that this fraternity is in serious need of a teachable moment–preferably in the form of a year-long suspension and a complete housecleaning. While it deserves credit for taking responsibility, you have to wonder how it was even remotely acceptable to do this in the first place.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.