By
The Wildcat Opinions Board
Break out the soap and pass it on to the boys of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity - apparently, they wash their hands of any part in the mob beating of a random man by possible visitors of their house last week.
The assault, which took place in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, involved about 15 people attacking a 31-year-old student who passed by the North Tyndall Avenue fraternity house while visitors, many in Halloween garb, partied outside.
The victim was not an acquaintance of any of the men he met that night, and was approached by one of the men gathered outside as he walked by the house at about 2:30 a.m., he told the Wildcat earlier this week.
The men chatted for a bit, and then, as the victim left, several men who he described as acting "suspicious" followed him and assaulted him, bloodying his face and stealing his backpack, he said.
Chapter president Jason Chlowitz denied that any members of the beleaguered fraternity, which had its university recognition stripped in 1997 because of party risk violations, were involved in the assault. He also said that the party was attended by about 500 people, and that the fraternity "can't be accountable for what 500 people are doing."
Sounds like a simultaneous admission of guilt and a passing of the buck.
While fraternity officials insist that none of the people who chased the student to the steps of Manzanita-Mohave residence hall and beat and kicked him while he lay curled up on the sidewalk, they also flippantly say they could not have been responsible for the people who did.
So it would follow then that fraternity members are aware that the attackers were actually attendees of their party. And still they refuse responsibility for their actions?
If the assailants were in fact guests at the party - which is quite likely, given that they were wearing Halloween costumes and were seen by eyewitnesses running into the house after the attack - then they were the fraternity's liability. They were guests at the frat's private party, and while it is true that one Jason Chlowitz could not physically restrain a group of men intent on committing a criminal act, the organization still should be held responsible.
The fight would not have occurred if the assailants were not at the party, that members of ZBT decided to throw, at their house. Period.
Although it would appear that Chlowitz is passing off responsibility so that the fraternity does not have another scar on its reputation, it would reflect most admirably on the group if fraternity leaders stepped forward and accepted responsibility for the actions of a few people they had on their property. This is not admitting guilt, rather, this is taking accountability like grown, mature men - something a gaggle of costumed people kicking a man to the ground were not.
The victim said fraternity members are supposed to uphold traditions of honor, but the men of ZBT are not living up to this expectation.
"Their loyalty is to protect tradition, but I don't see what they're protecting with this behavior," he said.
In the face of criminal mischief, accepting responsibility for the actions of their guests would be the most honor ZBT could muster.
