In a stinging rebuke, officials at Morgan State University, a historically black college in Baltimore, Md., have placed its Kappa Alpha Psi chapter on probation until fall of 2015 after a student complained that he was rejected because he is gay. Brian Stewart, 20, a former White House intern, filed the complaint in late October after disparaging remarks were made on social media outlets between fraternity members which Stewart subsequently used as proof in his argument.
According to the article, “Morgan spokesman Jarrett Carter Sr. said a disciplinary panel investigating the complaint found that the Alpha Iota chapter violated university policies on discrimination. The probation means that Morgan’s chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity cannot register as an official organization, participate in university-sponsored events or host events on or off campus. “It’s very rare to get a complaint like this from students against other students,” Carter said. “It’s not something that the university tolerates or takes lightly.”
Stewart states that, although he was initially excited to apply because his mentor had once been a member of the fraternity, he has no plans now or in the future to reapply or accept a spot in the fraternity even if one were offered. “I didn’t know I was going to have no control — that my interview meant nothing, my achievements meant nothing, because they had already made up their minds,” Stewart said. He added that his objectives at this point were to raise awareness.
According to the report, since word broke on campus about Stewart’s complaint, students at Morgan have held two campus-wide discussions about discrimination against gay people, drawing hundreds of participants. “It’s all a part of something we’re going to continue to do just to make clear our expectations about tolerance and respect and support for one another,” Carter said. “Overall, the students have been telling us that this is very surprising and out of the ordinary.”
