Zeta Beta Tau members disaffiliate

The nonrenewal of fraternity Zeta Beta Tau’s housing lease for the 2013-14 academic year was what caused members, now considered fraternity alumnus, to disaffiliate from the chapter, International ZBT Executive Director Laurence Bolotin said during a phone interview Tuesday.

Bolotin said the decision to refuse lease renewal was that of landlord Michael Shartiag, a ZBT alumnus who owns the property at 1640 N. Jordan Ave., and not that of the international organization.

International ZBT had been in contact with Shartiag throughout the process and had advocated for an extension of the lease,
Bolotin said.

“Based on violations of the lease that occurred, we certainly understood the decision to not renew the lease,” Bolotin said.

Bolotin said he preferred not to comment on the nature of the violations.

During a phone conversation Monday night, former ZBT president Kyle Mataloni said there had been an ongoing conflict between members of the fraternity and Shartiag for “longer than I’ve been at IU.”

Mataloni also said ZBT’s situation has “nothing to do with the University.”

“We were upset with national headquarters and decided to deaffiliate ... There is no longer a ZBT chapter at IU,” Mataloni said.

Shartiag could not be reached for comment.

In addition to nonrenewal of the lease, IU placed the chapter on deferred suspension through Jan. 1, 2014, with social restrictions imposed until April 23, 2013, following a judicial review.

Those sanctions are accompanied by more than 15 “educational expectations,” IU Assistant Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life Michael Goodman said in an email Monday.

University and International ZBT have pursued separate investigations of the chapter, which Bolotin and Goodman said is still active.

The chapter was found responsible for actions that endanger the community, disorderly conduct, harassment and alcohol violations, Goodman said.

Bolokin said the University was investigating sexual assault violations among chapter members.

“To my knowledge, no individuals were contacted saying they were the subject of an investigation,” he said.

Following the international organization’s separate review of ZBT members at IU, some men were removed from the organization due to “their past judicial record on campus,” Bolotin said in an email Monday evening.

He also said some men elected not to participate in the membership review, and they were granted early alumni status.

According to University reports, the fraternity had been placed on disciplinary probation, a “serious warning” that could result in a student organization’s suspension in the case of further misconduct, since Feb. 23.

In cases of “deferred suspension,” according to the document, an organization’s sanction of suspension can be deferred for a period of time, as long as the group completes a “lesser sanction” within that time.

Michael Auslen and Charlie Scudder contributed to this story.