TO THE EDITOR:
The current prosecution of the Pi Lambda Phi pledges is unjust. Not a Pi Lam brother, I can only guess that the pledge brothers were in an environment in which intra-fraternity punishment seemed a more immediate threat than arrest.
Fraternities can be prosecuted as organizations. Last winter, Dartmouth’s Alpha Delta was charged with serving alcohol to minors. Following law and precedent, police charged the fraternity, not the individuals serving alcohol. Crimes involving the pledge process should be treated in the same manner.
Beyond the university, we see cases where small actors are punished for deeds forced upon them by their unassailable superiors (e.g. Abu Ghraib, Lehman Brothers). We should change this trend now.
Yes, charging the fraternity as a whole could estrange the brothers, or it might bring needed systemwide change. If individual charges must be brought, they should target the responsible individuals: the pledge master and fraternity officers.
Arresting pledges for pledging activities is unfair to them. By alienating these young brothers, we further the divide between fraternities and the greater community. This issue should not hinge on the punishment of the pledges, but of the culture perpetuating it. At the very least, I hope the courts recognize the nature of the pledge process when passing judgment on our peers.
Jack Leland Largess ’16
Geography
