The chapter of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity at Cornell University was placed on probation last week after an investigation conducted by the university found that the fraternity was forcing pledges to participate in what it referred to as a “pig roast,” or a competition to see which pledge could have sex with the most women.
According to the Cornell Daily Sun, in the competition, “new members could accumulate ‘points’ by engaging in sexual intercourse with women.” If that isn’t already sexist and disgusting enough, in the case of a tie, members were told that the pledge who had sex with the heaviest woman won. According to the investigation by the university’s Fraternity and Sorority Review Board the contest allegedly took place sometime in 2017, but the brothers involved haven’t been named and the length of the contest is unknown.
As a result, Cornell has given the fraternity two years of “probationary recognition,” that will require the chapter to be fully reviewed by the national Zeta Beta Tau organization — which says it also plans to institute a “live-in advisor” at the chapter’s house. The fraternity will also have to participate in Cornell’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week programming.
Cornell’s vice president of campus life and student affairs said in a statement that the competition, “is abhorrent to me and antithetical to our values as a community. Behavior that degrades and dehumanizes women contributes to a climate and culture of tolerance for sexual violence.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a Cornell fraternity has been in hot water over some pretty horrific allegations — late last year, the school announced it would be closing its chapter of Psi Upsilon fraternity indefinitely after members were involved in an alleged hate crime.