MUNCIE — Theta Chi fraternity has revoked the charter of its Delta Kappa Chapter at Ball State University.

The fraternity’s national headquarters in Carmel issued a statement Wednesday morning saying the charter was revoked for “confirmed violations of Theta Chi policies.” It offered no details.

As a result of the revocation, the university has withdrawn its recognition of the chapter, reportedly the oldest brotherhood on campus, and its members must find other places to live.

Current members who live in the Theta Chi house will need to secure alternate housing for the remainder of the academic year, BSU spokesperson Kathy Wolf said.

The university’s Office of Greek Life will be offering assistance to the fraternity’s members in finding other housing, including on-campus.

Wolf declined to offer any reasons for the revocation or the withdrawal of recognition.

A member of the BSU chapter of the fraternity who answered the phone referred questions to the Carmel headquarters, saying members were instructed not to comment.

The Delta Kappa chapter would be eligible to recolonize at Ball State no earlier than the fall of 2021, which would require the approval and collaboration of the university and the fraternity’s national headquarters.

The Delta Kappa Chapter of Theta Chi is Ball State’s oldest continuously running fraternal organization, having been chartered on Jan. 20, 1951, according to the organization’s website.

The fraternity reportedly has about 75 members. Its house stands along Riverside Avenue a block east of the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church that serves campus.

During part of the 2017-18 school year, Ball State’s 13 fraternities, including Theta Chi, agreed to take what was called a “pause” in “social gatherings,” aka parties — while members attended alcohol-skills-training workshops and sexual-violence bystander intervention workshops coordinated by the school’s Office of Greek Life.

There was a sharp drop in reports filed by the Office of Greek Life related to alcohol, fighting, hazing, excessive noise or sexual misconduct during the pause.

Officials from the national fraternity and from Ball State informed the local chapter of the revocation during a meeting on Tuesday night.

The Theta Chi chapter at Ball State and one of its members were sued by a former member this past June.

The plaintiff alleged he suffered injuries when struck in the face by a frat brother who had been drinking.

It was a common practice at the fraternity house for members to greet one another “by slapping each other in the face in a playful manner… with an open hand and light force,” the lawsuit said.

Theta Chi was founded in 1856. It has more than 191,000 initiated members and 239 chapters across North America. Leadership development, personal development and a commitment to academic success are fundamental to its mission.

Source: IndyStar