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The GW Hatchet

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Leaked Pi Kappa Phi chapter emails detail potential violations

Hatchet file photo by Sam Hardgrove | Assistant Photo Editor
Hatchet file photo by Sam Hardgrove | Assistant Photo Editor

Officials said they are reviewing emails leaked last week that include messages sent over one fraternity chapter’s Listserv.

After the personal email account of a White House staffer and alumnus was hacked last week, thousands of emails were released — including those sent over the GW chapter of Pi Kappa Phi’s Listserv from February 2015 to June 2016. Those emails reveal details behind the chapter’s potential violations of GW’s code of conduct, including the existence of a “slush” fund, un-registered mixers hosted or attended by the chapter’s members and damage to the chapter’s on-campus townhouse.

A review of the emails by The Hatchet found them riddled with profanities and derogatory comments by chapter members about each other, other campus Greek life organizations and members pledging to join the chapter.

“For the pledges who show up to this, please make them your slaves…make drinks, watch pukers, etc.,” a member wrote in one of the emails.

Justin Angotti, the assistant executive director of education and accountability of Pi Kappa Phi’s national organization, said the organization’s officials are examining the emails.

“The national organization is reviewing the contents of the emails directly related to the chapter and will subsequently investigate any potential violations of the fraternity’s standards of conduct,” he said in a statement.

University spokeswoman Kurie Fitzgerald said in an email that GW officials have been in touch with the chapter’s national organization, and that they will also investigate any conduct violations.

“We take seriously any allegations that a George Washington University student organization, including a Greek Life organization, has engaged in inappropriate behavior,” she said. “We expect student organizations to uphold University values and comply with University policies and the Code of Student Conduct.”

The alumnus whose account was hacked, Ian Mellul, was a staffer working for the White House and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign on an as-needed basis, The New York Times reported. The emails from his personal Gmail account were leaked last week and posted online by DC Leaks, a group that has hacked into the email accounts of other Clinton campaign staffers and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Pi Kappa Phi’s chapter president Andrew Jones, Interfraternity Council President Brandon Capece and Mellul did not return a request for comment.

Some of the leaked emails shared details on job and internship opportunities, while others discussed parties or mixers with other Greek life organizations — mostly sororities — that took place while the chapter was on probation.

The Pi Kappa Phi chapter was on disciplinary and social probation until Dec. 31, 2015, for hosting a registered event off-campus with alcohol in November 2014, during which some participants — some of whom were underage — had to be treated at a hospital for over-consumption of alcohol, according to the University’s sanctions website.

The University’s Code of Conduct prohibits students under the age of 21 from possessing or using alcohol and prohibits students over the age of 21 from providing underage students with alcohol. It is unclear how old the students at the events were.

“We got a mixer tomorrow night with the lovely ladies of Chi Omega. Theme is Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes (they are telling sisters its Golf Pros and Tennis Chi-Os but we all know the truth),” read one email from February 2015. “To avoid getting another noise complaint on a Thursday night, we are starting this one off early. So basically just dress frat as fuck and make your way to the 9-0 at 9:00. If you have paid the slush fund you are good.”

Other emails included anti-Semitic remarks, calling members “Jewish” or “Jews” for not participating in philanthropy events.

“Guys stop being so Jewish and donate some pennies for fucks sake,” read one email sent in March of this year about an event.

On days that members of the national Pi Kappa Phi organization were on campus, members were instructed via the Listserv to lock the doors to their bedrooms in the townhouse and keep illegal behavior to a minimum, according to the emails.

Members were scolded via email for not keeping the townhouse clean. Some said that complaints made to the Office of Students Rights and Responsibilities could cause the chapter to lose their townhouse.

“This is not something you can blame on the kids who live there, or even on any of the brothers who decide it’s cool to break shit and never help clean up. It’s a culture thing that the school isn’t going to continue to standby and watch. This is something we all have to face,” one member wrote in a September 2015 email.

In at least two of the emails, members including Mellul asked others to not send such messages over the Listserv, because it could damage the chapter if ever revealed.

In an email from January 2016, one chapter member reprimanded others for spending too much time at a rush event going to the upstairs of the group’s townhouse to “consume ice cream” instead of meeting with potential new members.

“I understand if you want to go upstairs and do whatever it is you need to do (i.e shotgun, whatever) for 5 minutes, but staying up there for an unnecessary amount of time is stupid,” he wrote.

Mellul responded to email, admonishing the member for sending the message over the Listserv.

“This is such a bad violation of recruitment policies and nationals could royally fuck us if they wanted to… I’m not being a narc but you gotta at least keep a clean paper,” he wrote.

– Catherine Moran and Elise Zaidi contributed reporting.

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