Editor’s note: This story contains offensive language.
The University of Oregon Phi Kappa Psi chapter has been temporarily suspended after a defamatory document printed with the fraternity’s name and the names of many of its members surfaced.
The 32-page document, which the Emerald obtained on Sunday, contains a list of the names of UO Phi Kappa Psi members followed by questions for each member. The questions contain anti-gay slurs, rape jokes, references to illegal drug use and derogatory language directed at women. The front page is labeled “Brothers of Phi Kappa Psi.”
When reached Wednesday morning, UO Phi Kappa Psi chapter president Michael Wagemann said that he “highly doubts” the document was made by a fraternity member, and he added that the fraternity does not “condone or promote” the language used in the document. Wagemann then referred the Emerald to Phi Kappa Psi’s national headquarters, who announced the suspension Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement to the Emerald, the national fraternity wrote: “This week, the Phi Kappa Psi National Headquarters became aware of a document containing derogatory messaging allegedly written about and/or by members of the Phi Kappa Psi chapter at the University of Oregon. The fraternity immediately launched a cooperative investigation with the University and placed the chapter on interim suspension during this review.”
Homophobic excerpts from the document include:
- “I hear you’re a Patriots fan, Are you actually from New England or are you just a fag?”
- “Do you fuck 2s every weekend to convince yourself that you’re not gay?”
- “what’s up faggot? Who have you gotten more nuts from this year, twitter sluts or your girlfriend?”
- “Does a girl run your snapchat account or are you really that gay?”
- “What’s it like to lose your girl to a bisexual male cheerleader?”
Several women outside of the fraternity are referenced in questions, such as:
- “Did [redacted] actually rape you or are you too embarrassed to admit that you willingly fucked her?”
- “Do you enjoy banging 3s or are you just too blind to tell that they’re beat?”
- “How many times have you had to expand your tinder radius to find a new whore to fuck?”
- “Can i have your sisters phone number? She’s just so fucking hot. How do you think she’d look on my dorm bed?”
- “Do you get blacked out so often so the 4s you hook up with seem hotter?”
Other excerpts include:
- “How many schools have you shot up?”
- “How many copies of Mein Kampf do you own?”
- “What’s higher, your grade point average or the points of molly you take at parties?”
- “Can you go one week without doing something utterly retarded?”
- “Who’s a softer pledge master, you or [name redacted]?”
UO’s investigation will include interviews with a random sample of new and current fraternity members, said Assistant Dean of Students Marcus Langford. Using that information, a third-party investigator and the university will determine whether the chapter violated the UO Student Conduct Code.
“This is something that, quite frankly, I’m troubled by,” Langford said about the language in the document. “As an institution, it’s something that is counter to what we believe in.”
All of the chapter’s events and fraternity operations are suspended until the investigation is completed and the fraternity’s national headquarters and the university decide on further action, Langford said. The status of the fraternity’s pledges is “on pause” until the investigation is completed.
Langford did not give a timetable for the investigation.
UO Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Kris Winter added that the language used is discriminatory and may be a violation of other UO conduct codes relating to discrimination.
In 2015, UO sanctioned Phi Kappa Psi and six other fraternities for hazing, probation and disciplinary violations. The fraternity’s chapter house, located at the corner of East 11th and Hilyard Street, was featured in the 1978 movie “Animal House” and on College Weekly’s popular “Trending Houses” YouTube series.
Other chapters of Phi Kappa Psi have also faced recent controversy. A former Oregon State University student was found guilty of raping a woman at the OSU chapter’s fraternity house in 2015. Last year, Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, suspended its Phi Kappa Psi chapter until 2025 after reports of hazing, drug distribution and underage drinking.
The full document can be viewed here. The Emerald chose to redact students’ names.
Phi Kappa Psi national headquarters’ full statement is available here.
