In the books, Pt. 2
April 24, 2007
Punished: April 1, 2003
Violation: After reviewing information provided by the fraternity, Rick Clark, then NIU’s director of Programming and Activities, concluded that Delta Chi “provided alcohol to two underage pledges” in February 2003.
According to a letter Clark wrote to Delta Chi, one pledge was sent to the hospital for “possible alcohol poisoning” and the other was found passed out in a lounge floor in Grant Towers North.
In addressing the fraternity, Clark, who is now the director of outreach at Career Services, wrote that the organization was fortunate “no one died or was seriously injured” as a result of the incident.
Judicial action: Delta Chi was prohibited from sponsoring or co-sponsoring events involving alcohol until Oct. 31, 2003. The fraternity was also forced to cover expenses required to schedule, plan and coordinate a speaker on alcohol for all of Greek Row and NIU.
According to documents obtained from NIU’s Judicial Affairs office, Delta Chi did not comply with the educational program sanction and its disciplinary status was extended. Though the documents did not say how long the extension would last, Delta Chi is still under deferred suspension.
Punished: May 4, 2006
Violation: After a Greek Judicial Hearing Board found inconsistencies in statements from Pi Kappa Alpha members, the fraternity was charged with hosting and providing alcohol to minors at an unregistered social event.
According to the board’s report, defendants’ statements were inconsistent with those of pledges who said drinking did occur at the Pi Kappa Alpha house.
Judicial action: The fraternity chapter was given a one-year deferred suspension, was required to attend a civility class and to complete community service with NIU Grounds. The organization also was fined $250.
Punished: Nov. 7, 2006
Violation: Sigma Alpha Mu pleaded guilty in the matter of “Violation of Greek Affairs social policy” for what a witness described as a keg party that occurred Sept. 9, 2006, with about 35 to 45 people.
Judicial action: $250 fine, one-year university disciplinary probation, 500 hours community service to be completed by Feb. 2, 2007; Attendance of member to civility class and one educational program on sexual assault completed by Feb. 2, 2007 to be coordinated with Greek Affairs.
Punished: Jan. 30, 2007
Violation: At about 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2006, two underage males, who were roommates in Grant Tower B, walked to the AKL house at 917 Greenbrier Road for a “pledgeship party.”
One individual, who originally pledged AKL but later withdrew, reported that he brought a soft drink with him in his pocket because he didn’t want to drink alcohol. About 10 to 15 minutes after he arrived, he blacked out, but later did not recall drinking any alcohol that night.
The other roommate, an AKL pledge who decided to join, recalled seeing “many people drinking and walking around” at the fraternity house, and was encouraged to drink and socialize. After a short time, he became intoxicated and remembered not being able to “function normally.” After blacking out, he awoke on the floor the next day wearing someone else’s clothes.
The AKL pledge was then given a ride back to his dorm room, but felt ill and considered admitting himself to the hospital, but instead nursed himself back to a better condition. Later that Friday evening, a police officer came to his room and informed him that his roommate had been admitted to the hospital.
The first individual, who did not join the fraternity, was allegedly thrown out on the fraternity house’s front lawn unattended, according to one witness statement reported to the DeKalb Police Department. A written statement from a member of the fraternity denied this claim. Another witness described the intoxicated male as looking “like he was going to die.”
Three women, who were guests at the party, felt the individual required medical attention and became irritated at waiting for fraternity members to arrange transport to Kishwaukee Hospital and decided to take the individual themselves. The individual was admitted at about 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 10, 2006.
The individual did not remember drinking, but his medical records indicated a .28 blood alcohol content. Levels of .35 or higher are considered potentially fatal for average males.
While in the hospital, the individual was contacted by Anthony Querciagrossa of New Lenox, the fraternity’s president, who told him he needed to tell everyone, police included, “his,” – meaning the fraternity’s – story.
After the individual was released from the hospital, he returned to the fraternity house to retrieve his keys and wallet. When he arrived, Querciagrossa pulled the individual into a room with four others, where the fraternity president told him to call a police officer, according to witness reports obtained from DeKalb police.
The individual asked to leave the room, but was denied. The individual told police “Tony’s story,” that the individual had been drinking before he came to the fraternity house. When Querciagrossa spoke to the police regarding the incident days later, he said that at no time did the individual object to lying to the police or making the phone call, nor did he ask to leave the room.
After the phone call, the individual left the house and flagged down a police car, which he took to the DeKalb police station to tell officers the truth.
In a police interview on Nov. 22, 2006, Querciagrossa admitted he had been in “save-the-frat mode” when he asked the individual to say he had been drinking before coming to the frat house.
Following the investigation, Querciagrossa was charged with and pleaded guilty to unlawful delivery of alcohol to a minor and for obstructing justice – a Class 4 felony – for conspiring with those involved to make a false report that underage drinking did not occur at the AKL house.
According to documents obtained from the DeKalb County Courthouse, Querciagrossa’s felony charge was reduced to a Class A misdemeanor for attempt of obstructing justice.
Querciagrossa was sentenced with 18 months court supervision and was required to complete 16 hours of community service at the Minooka School district Feb. 2, 2007. Querciagrossa also was required to attend a victim impact class on March 14, 2007.
Judicial action: The fraternity pleaded guilty to hosting and providing alcohol to a minor, among “numerous [NIU] social policy violations” As a result, the chapter was suspended by the national organization until the spring semester of 2008.