Administrators at the University of Richmond sent an official statement commenting on the withdrawal of the charter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity Beta-Beta chapter to all the presidents of the university's fraternities and sororities on Thursday, Dec. 6.
Members of the Beta Beta chapter have not released a press statement but two alumni of the chapter, Ryan Byrnes and Brian Ruddock, created a blog post sharing their disapproval of the withdrawal.
"It's difficult to know exactly how Beta Beta arrived where it did this week," Byrnes said in the blog post. "Perhaps the demise began from within, with bad foresight paired with bad fortune leading to a departure from the path to the good of the order.
"Perhaps outside forces accelerated the downfall, with enough allegations made against the chapter - some true, some false - to overshadow the positive actions that brothers continued to do."
Ruddock said: "Outside of my immediate family, no institution has had such a positive and measured impact on my life. To know that Beta Beta may cease to exist, offends a selfish, sentimental part of me. Something that I truly love is gone."
Linda Evans, assistant director for media and public relations at the University of Richmond, could not comment on the matter and was told that any statements would have to come from the Fraternity.
Mitchell B. Wilson, executive director for the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, said the charter had been withdrawn, and the Beta-Beta Chapter would have 30 days to submit an appeal. The charter was withdrawn on Tuesday because of the Chapter's failure to comply with the virtues expected of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, especially but not limited to social function violations that were mainly alcohol-related. The Chapter had been operating under sanctions for the past two years because of previous violations of these policies, and the charter was withdrawn because of the Chapter's continued violations, Wilson said.
Because of the 30-day judicial process with appeals, Wilson could not comment further on the issue.
"It is difficult for the Kappa Sigma Fraternity to realize the loss of a Chapter that has been on our rolls for 114 years," Wilson was quoted in the news release. "Unfortunately, the current undergraduate Chapter did not and would not respond to the change that was necessary. There were opportunities and chances given but the Chapter failed to change. We are deeply disappointed."
The Beta-Beta Chapter had been active and operating since its founding on March 5, 1898, according to the news release.
According to the statement from the University of Richmond, officials from the university will work to help the fraternity return to the university, but such a change would not occur any sooner than four years from now.
Contact staff writer Rebecca Wilson at rebecca.wilson@richmond.edu
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