One semester after former Delta Kappa Epsilon pledge Jeff Dublinske accused the fraternity of abuses that led to the university’s indefinite suspension of Deke, things are much brighter for the university’s oldest fraternity.

The fraternity regained recognition from Syracuse University after the completion of two investigations, by both SU’s Office of Greek Life and Deke alumni, into the accusations.

‘At the conclusion of that, there were mutual concerns identified that allowed the chapter to reach a agreement with my office,’ said director of the OGL, Bill Longcore. And that agreement allowed the fraternity to regain its recognition.

Deke’s present status is a far contrast from its predicament last March, when SU spokesman Kevin Morrow told The Daily Orange, ‘DKE is not presently recognized by the university.’

Longcore refused to comment about any sanctions that may have resulted from the investigations, citing the fraternity’s right to confidentiality. Morrow’s comment regarding SU’s recognition of Deke came while the investigations were ongoing, Longcore added.

Reached in California, director of chapter operations for Deke’s national organization Brendan Walsh said he believed SU’s chapter is on probation with the university for two years. He also said Deke brothers have to do 20 hours of community service per member.

These types of punishments are often sufficient with similar circumstances but Longcore refused to comment more specifically.

Deke was also subject to a membership review by its national chapter conducted by Walsh in October. The review consisted of his interviewing each brother, the findings of which Walsh refused to disclose.

The probation is a university sanction, Walsh said, though he did not know the specifics of the classification.

Longcore would not expand on what that probation might entail.

In February, OGL sent a letter to the fraternity notifying it of the decision to indefinitely suspend Deke. That letter prompted Morrow’s initial comments.

Deke President Scott Ekroth did not return several calls for comment.

Dublinske, now a sophomore, told of how the brothers forced pledges into the ‘rat line.’ Pledges lined up with their feet at 90 degree angles and their heads touching their chests in the fraternity’s basement. Each was clad in Deke attire ( a navy blue blazer, white button down shirt, red tie, white undershirt, khaki pants, a brown belt, white boxer shorts and navy blue socks ( as they always had to be.

While in line, the brothers would yell at the pledges, Dublinske said, a treatment that once lasted for two-and-a-half hours.

The night he quit, after nearly four weeks of pledging, Dublinske had a temperature of 103 degrees and had just returned to Syracuse from a family trip when he received the call to go to the fraternity house.

‘I was like, ‘I can’t go, I’m sick,’ ‘ he said. But the brothers sent other pledges to fetch Dublinske, the pledge class’s president, from his room.

The pledges told him how brothers were pouring water on all the pledges and would continue to do so until he got there. Dublinske – who had been on his way to the doctor’s office – agreed to go to the house.

He arrived not dressed in Deke attire, and told the brothers he was going to the health center.

It was then that a senior Deke brother, who has since graduated, told Dublinske to go into the basement (where the other pledges were) and he would get him out as soon as possible.

When he got downstairs, Dublinske ended up in the center of the rat line, where all the pledges were staring at yellow flood lamps, with a single red light in the middle.

The lights were subsequently turned off, and the pledgemaster, who has also since graduated, called Dublinske out of line, and pushed his head up so the two made eye contact.

Tell me what happened, the pledgemaster told him. After Dublinske related his story, he was told he had a choice: he could leave – and that there would be consequences for doing so – or he could stay.

Remembering the senior brother’s promise, Dublinske stayed.

What happened next was the main reason for Dublinske depledging.

‘The brothers were calling me ‘faggot,’ telling me I wanted to suck their dicks, saying I wore my boxers backward because I liked it – essentially saying I was gay.’

Dublinske then removed his pledge pin, tossed it on the floor and walked out – as the brothers called after him, ‘Fuck you faggot, can’t wait till we see you on campus.’

They then told him he could not go to the bars, talk to them or return to the house.

The only other member of Dublinske’s pledge class who did not complete the membership process, sophomore Christopher Weakley said, ‘Everything that (Dublinske’s) name is associated with is bullshit. I shouldn’t say anything anyway, this has been going on for a while and I want it to be over. I don’t want to be associated with it anymore.’

OGL’s hazing policy, according to its Web site, gives examples of what the office and the university consider hazing. It lists many actions Dublinske detailed, including: ‘Having substances thrown at, poured on, or applied to the bodies of individuals.’ And, ‘Morally degrading or humiliating games or any other activities, which make an individual subject of amusement, ridicule or intimidation.’

At the start of the pledge process, all recruits and new member educators sign a statement, which is returned to OGL, saying that they have read the hazing policy and agree to abide by it. Dublinske signed such a form.

‘Clearly the law and university policy prohibits hazing,’ Longcore said. ‘Not all hazing is the same. While we can easily say hazing is prohibited, perhaps we should just be more concerned with hazing that presents imminent danger then we would in some other kinds of hazing where we have the opportunity to educate the chapter.’

Longcore added that he has no knowledge of any legal action against the fraternity.

Shortly after he depledged, Dublinske paid a visit to Longcore and detailed his experiences. It was then OGL’s director told him there would be an investigation.

‘After I told them what happened the first time, that was the only time we spoke about what happened,’ Dublinske said. ‘There was no real follow-up. I was kind of surprised. William Longcore took great care in asking if anything happened with brothers, seeing how I was doing, but he said nothing about the investigation.’

Longcore, who declined to confirm he spoke with Dublinske because of confidentiality issues, said he felt the person he spoke with about the Deke accusations was entirely forthcoming. So, he felt no follow-up was necessary.

‘When you talk to somebody and you say, ‘Is that all of it?’ and they say ‘yup,’ that pretty much brings that to closure,’ Longcore said.

Andy Cohen, Alpha Chi Rho brother and Interfraternity Council spokesman, refused to comment on Deke’s situation.

There is no set policy or formula for rendering punishments to fraternities. Each incident is considered on a case-by-case basis.

In the Spring 2000 semester, fraternity Alpha Tau Omega lost university recognition following accusations that ATO brothers damaged hotel property during a fraternity event in Alexandria Bay.

ATO, however, retained its house and recognition from its national chapter.

Longcore disputed the implication that ATO brothers were held to a different standard then those in Deke.

‘I don’t believe there is any inconsistency here at all,’ he said.

‘There are a variety of factors that go into attempting to determine what an appropriate action would be. Sometimes those sanctions point to the departure of a chapter from the greek community. It is very difficult to provide a particular formula over a period of time to say that, if these things occur, then this is the likely outcome.’

Spokesman for ATO Gideon Pfeffer said, ‘We don’t worry about other houses. We’re not trying to get back on campus, so that doesn’t influence us.’

ATO adviser professor Steven Chamberlain was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Nearly nine months after his ordeal in Deke’s basement, Dublinske is moving forward.

‘It’s too bad,’ he said. ‘There are probably some houses that are what fraternities are supposed to be. Deke just brings down the whole fraternity standard.’

Published on November 15, 2001 at 12:00 pm