David Jesse

Detroit Free Press

A 137-year-old sorority at the University of Michigan has been disbanded by its national organization for "serious violations," the national chapter confirmed Tuesday.

The Eta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, the oldest sorority on U-M's campus, was notified Monday that it would be disbanded. Students living in the house in the 1400 block of Washtenaw in Ann Arbor can stay in the house until the end of April.

"Despite ongoing support and education provided to the chapter by Fraternity officers and staff, recent chapter activities constituted serious violations of Fraternity policies and were contrary to the Fraternity’s basic principles," Liz Rinck, a spokeswoman for the national chapter, said in an e-mail to the Free Press.

She declined to specify what caused the chapter to be disbanded. Representatives of the local chapter could not be reached for comment.

In January, the university had suspended the chapter for violations of the university's Greek Life policies, including hazing and underage drinking, U-M spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said.

In early February, representatives from the national chapter visited Ann Arbor to talk to the students about abiding by university policies, the Michigan Daily reported Monday evening.

On Monday, students received a letter from the national organization, the Michigan Daily reported. The Daily obtained a copy of the letter.

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“On February 10, Vice-President Mandy Wushinske and I visited campus and met with members of your cabinet and university administrators including the dean of students,” national president Laura Doerre wrote. “At that time it was clearly stated that all members and new members of Eta Chapter were to adhere to all sanctions from the university and the Fraternity. It is disappointing that the chapter violated both the university and fraternity sanctions last week.”

Rinck declined to release a copy of the letter to the Free Press.

Kappa Alpha Theta is the second U-M Greek organization to be disbanded in recent years. At the end of last school year, Sigma Alpha Mu was disbanded by its national organization after members were involved in the well-publicized trashing of the Treetops Resort near Gaylord.

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Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @reporterdavidj.