The Red and Black

Issue date: 9/30/97 Section: Undefined Section

A University fraternity allegedly involved in a hazing incident last fall has settled a civil suit filed by former pledge Roderick Perrymond. The suit against the national and University chapters of Phi Beta Sigma was settled for an undisclosed amount of money. Perrymond, a former University football player, was a Phi Beta Sigma pledge in September 1996 when he was treated at a local emergency room for deep bruising and minor tearing of blood vessels in his buttocks. Perrymond told police he had been paddled about 70 times by members of the fraternity in an off-campus apart- ment during an intake ceremony for the fraternity. In October 1996, the University found the fraternity had violated the University hazing policy and suspend- ed them from campus for five years. The University also found former Phi Beta Sigma members Zatara Howard, Kevin Welch and Thomas Stevens guilty of disorderly conduct and suspended them from campus until winter quarter 1998. Perrymond and his attorney, Troy Gay, filed a civil suit Oct. 24, 1996, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court against the national fraternity, the University chapter and the three for- mer members of the fraternity who were involved in the paddling. "I have no comment either publicly or privately about the case," said Lawrence Miller, national director of Phi Beta Sigma when reached for com- ment about the civil suit resolution. Civil action against Howard, Welch and Stevens is still pending. Phi Beta Sigma can re-apply for campus recognition in the fall of 1998 by appearing before an ad hoc commit- tee and demonstrating how they will prevent future hazings and reform their membership intake process. The fraternity could then return to campus for spring semester 1999 under a three-year probated suspension which means any hazing violations during this period would result in the permanent expulsion of the organiza- tion from campus.

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