On Saturday afternoon, at least one person had a suggestion for where else they could go. A white sheet of paper was taped to the front door of the former ATO house. It was an advertisement for an apartment.
“2 BR 2 Bath Available Now,” the advertisement read.
The fraternity made national news in 1992 when it was kicked off campus after a freshman pledge was hospitalized with a nearly fatal .48 blood alcohol content. Last April, ATO president Tommy Paslaski told the Indiana Daily Student he was working to improve the reputation of the house. Now he has no comment.
In the wake of the chapter’s closing, there are many questions left unanswered about what will happen next. University and criminal investigations are not complete. The possibility of the fraternity’s return to IU is unknown.
Another question: what will become of the house where all of these incidents took place?
The house is not owned by the national chapter of the fraternity or IU. It is owned by Delta Alpha of ATO, Inc., the board of alumni directors and housing corporation for the IU chapter of ATO. The decision of whether to evict the students currently living in the house lies with them.
“We don’t understand yet which direction we’re going in regards to the house,” said Kent Miller, president of the board of directors, Saturday. “We have been having board meetings to discuss this very matter, and as of right now, we feel it is a little premature to be making that decision.”
All chapter activities must cease, according to a statement released by the ATO national office Thursday.
The closing of the fraternity chapter was in response to the leaked video specifically depicting an initiated member of the fraternity performing a sex act upon a hired exotic dancer in the presence of about half of the fraternity’s 140 members.
“We have no idea who leaked it,” IU Spokesperson Mark Land said.
By Thursday morning, fliers had been placed in front of nearly every seat in Ballantine Hall Room 013. The fliers read “BAN ATO” and listed the Twitter account where the video had been initially posted. The video and the account have since been removed.
“As we began our investigation, the national office was doing the same thing,” Land said. “They essentially have the authority to step in and pull a fraternity whenever they want.”
The IU investigation, separate from the ATO investigation, is ongoing and run by the Office of Student Life and Learning and the Office of Student Ethics, Assistant Dean of Students Steve Veldkamp said. The investigation is now focused on whether the actions of those involved in the incident are violations of the student code of conduct, Land said.
“There cannot be an investigation of the fraternity because there is no fraternity now,” Land said.
Though the ATO investigation concluded that the student performing the sexual act was a 21-year-old initiated member, hazing activities are still being considered in the IU investigation, Veldkamp said.
“Given ATO’s track record, the campus, headquarters and even the rest of the fraternities and sororities not only condemn their actions but are making a statement that this is not acceptable Hoosier behavior,” Veldkamp said.
The University stood by the decision from the nationals of ATO on Friday afternoon. The large Greek letters on the front of the house were taken down as former fraternity brothers watched.
The sign in the yard bearing Alpha Tau Omega’s name was covered by a tarp, then later replaced by a large wooden box shielding the sign. After the letters were gone, students in the house hung an ATO flag from an upper window.
The rest of the greek community at IU has taken steps to remove themselves from the circumstances surrounding ATO. The Interfraternity Council’s website has removed the page for ATO.
“The Indiana Fraternity and Sorority Community is extremely disappointed by the behaviors exhibited by the former Alpha Tau Omega chapter,” a statement from the Indiana Fraternity and Sorority Community said. “It is our duty to be leaders and not only educate our members, but work to solve our most pressing problems.”
Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault, an organization affiliated with the IFC, has spent the last week organizing their BannerUp campaign, meant to raise awareness of IU’s sexual assault initiatives. This campaign included large banners hung on fraternity chapter houses that read “real men respect women” and other variations within the theme of respect.
ATO was a member of MARS, and its banner for the campaign has since been removed.
“The events surrounding the now former chapter of Alpha Tau Omega are extremely unfortunate, embarrassing and are completely counter to the values of MARS,” Jesse Scheinman, who oversees the MARS program, said.
On Saturday night, students driving around campus leaned out their windows, yelling “ATO party tonight!” But the house was silent.
