University response frustrates fraternity

A week after they found swastikas spray-painted on the house they are looking to buy, members of the traditionally Jewish fraternity Zeta Beta Tau said they were frustrated with the lack of progress in the investigation by The University of Memphis and Police Services.

Although Police Services are working with the FBI and the Memphis Police Department to solve the crime, no leads have been found, said ZBT vice president Hunter Lang.

Lang also said no one from The U of M had contacted fraternity members since the incident.

"I kind of feel like its being stopped," said Lang. "They're letting it die down."

Cameron Watson, junior psychology major and brotherhood development director for ZBT, said he was also displeased with the investigation.

"Around campus I've had people walk up to me and apologize for what happened to the house, but nobody's doing anything about it," Watson said. "It's a lot of apologies and no action."

The Daily Helmsman could not reach Police Services, the FBI or MPD for comment by press time.

Lang said the vandalism is still an open wound for ZBT members.

"We don't want to pull the Jew card, but I think they're all still kind of upset about it," Lang said.

The slow progress of the investigation is just the latest in a long list of problems ZBT members have with The U of M administration, Lang said.

Members were frustrated that after two years of trying to purchase the house located at 3604 Midland, ZBT remains a fraternity with no home, he said.

Lang said The U of M had approved ZBT to move into the house as many as four times, but The University backed down on their decision each time.

"Three or four days before we were going to move in, they called and said we couldn't," said Lang, speaking of ZBT's attempt to move in to the house during the fall 2008 semester.

Several ZBT members cancelled dorm room reservations in anticipation of the move and were left scrambling to find housing after the change, Lang said.

"They were pretty much homeless," he said. "They had to go out of their way just to find a place to live."

Lang said some ZBT members were stuck sleeping on the sofas of fraternity brothers for as long as a month.

William Porter, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, said The U of M's wavering on the sale of the house is because of "significant and complex issues" surrounding the property that have yet to be resolved.

"There are a lot of issues that are connected to The University leasing that house to a fraternity," Porter said.

One of those issues is bringing the house up to Tennessee state fire codes, which would require fire sprinklers to be installed.

Lang said The U of M offered to install the sprinklers for "a couple thousand dollars," a figure he said was fair, but that The University once again changed their mind and upped the price to a staggering $300,000.

"It's just a ridiculous number," Lang said. "We're not idiots. We know fire sprinklers don't cost that much. For that price, they might as well tear down the house and rebuild it with the fire sprinklers."

Lang said The U of M suggested other properties ZBT could purchase for their fraternity house. One of those places was sorority row.

"They offered us options they knew we'd say no to, like a house next to a sorority," Lang said.

From a financial perspective, Watson said it makes sense for The U of M to at least rent the house to ZBT.

"They have a house on Midland sitting completely empty when they could be making money renting it to us," he said. "They have a house sitting there losing money."

ZBT rented the house in September for recruitment week.

Watson said the problems with purchasing the house have continued for too long.

"I don't care how unorganized you are," Lang said. "It doesn't take two years to write a lease and get someone in a house."

While Lang said he suspected that some employees at The U of M were intentionally blocking ZBT's bid for the property, he said administrative incompetence is also to blame.

"I think it's bad bureaucracy," he said. "It's an administrative block. I think at times they forget they're here for the students and without us they wouldn't have jobs."

Despite the frustrations of ZBT, Porter said The U of M has done its best to accommodate all fraternities on campus.

"I don't think The University has consciously drug its feet," he said. "I do think the folks at The University who are involved in this are determined to pull all this together and give a firm answer to ZBT."