FLORIDA – A member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at Stetson
University has apologized to the student newspaper staff for stealing
approximately 700 copies of the
Stetson Reporter’s Oct. 5
issue.
In addition, the sorority will pay the
Reporter $1,200 in
compensation to cover the costs of reprinting the stolen issue.
Dean of
Students Michelle Espinosa said the members of the sorority were upset because
of an article the newspaper ran detailing troubles with the sorority’s
house, which was found to have mold. She said sorority members stole the
newspapers, which were published during new member recruitment, because they
said they wanted to quash notions that their house was mold infested.
In
an email, Editor in Chief Mike Riggs said the member who apologized claimed to
have acted on her own, which he said was “contrary to what Zeta’s
president initially said to the dean of students.”
Zeta Tau Alpha's national Vice President
of Alumnae II Laura Mauro said the actions “were of the individual,”
not the chapter.
“She regrets
what she did, she apologized, and has taken responsibility for the case,”
Mauro said. “The chapter does plan to take appropriate internal
action.”
Although the theft “wasn’t a big
issue,” Espinosa said the incident was a learning experience for her
students.
“I think they have learned that there are systems in
place to respond to a complaint in student affairs,” Espinosa
said.
In this case, Espinosa said, a letter to the editor would have
sufficed.
By Karla Yeh, SPLC staff writer
