A fraternity that ignored an order forbidding it to hold its Homecoming dance at its house after the dance was banned from the Holmes Student Center will not be punished.

Kappa Alpha Psi was told it could not have its dance on Homecoming weekend because of an alleged fight that occurred at the student center Oct. 1.

A Kappa Alpha Psi member and an Alpha Phi Alpha member allegedly exchanged punches at the dance, according to sources. University officials, however, said there was no evidence that Alpha Phi Alpha was involved in the scuffle and therefore, it was not punished.

But the fraternity is not as upset about losing its dance as it is about the way it was treated. Kappa Alpha Psi President David Mitchell said Thursday, “We were hanged first and then tried.”

Mitchell also said Thursday the process the university uses to evaluate situations and punish black fraternities is not as fair as the system used for white fraternities.

“White greeks are judged by their peers and the Black Greek Council is judged by Rick Clark (associate director of University Programming and Activities), and what he says goes,” he said.

The fraternity was told because it broke up the alleged scuffle and ejected the two students involved in the altercation, it would lose its Homecoming dance privileges but could reschedule the dance for a different date. The fraternity, however, depends upon the Homecoming dance, which attracts many alumni for revenue.

The fraternity sent a letter to NIU President John La Tourette after its appeal was denied asking for a change in the system that was used to review it. La Tourette did not respond.

Mitchell said the fraternity did hold the dance/party Friday and Saturday, and “everything went well.”

“There were no problems. A lot of people showed up,” he said.

NIU Judicial Director Larry Bolles, who is the adviser of the fraternity, estimated there were about 300 people who attended.

“A majority of the group (that were at the Friday party) were alums,” he said.

According to sources, some of the fraternity’s alumni called the president to protest the university’s actions against the fraternity.

Bolles said he did not see any problems during the several hours he was at the party.

DeKalb Police confirmed there were no problems at the fraternity house over the weekend.

Don Buckner, associate vice president for Student Affairs, said the fraternity will not be sanctioned for holding the dance/party at its house, even though it was told not to.

“There are no sanctions that I know of,” he said.

Mitchell hinted Thursday further action against the university will be taken if the fraternity was punished for having the dance at its house, but would not elaborate.

In the spring of 1992, a student was stabbed in the residence halls after a dance at the student center. Dances were not cancelled after the incident.

Vice President for Student Affairs Barbara Henley, La Tourette and Michelle Emmett, director for University Programming and Activities, did not return calls made by The Northern Star.