A University of Arizona sorority member has alleged she was sexually assaulted by two men at a Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house during a night of drinking in late August, according to search warrant records released on Monday night.
The student told the university's police department she consensually kissed one of the men at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house on 26 August but does not remember agreeing to sex. She recalled drinking tequila, including sharing a cup with friends, described witnessing two men assaulting her, and said she woke the next morning without pants or underwear and noticed difficulty swallowing, a possible sign of strangulation. She reported the allegations to police that day and underwent a forensic exam at a hospital.
The allegations came two weeks after the university suspended activities for its 21 fraternities amid reports of assault, hazing and drug and alcohol related behaviour. Suspensions on all but five fraternities have since been lifted after mandatory meetings with the dean of students. Sigma Phi Epsilon, which had been on probation from July until May of next year over a hazing complaint, is not among the five currently suspended chapters.
In a recorded call with the sorority member two days after the encounter, one of the men acknowledged he had sex with her but said she had agreed to it and denied that a second man had sex with her. He said he had been drunk and "fuzzy" about what happened, and that people took video of the two kissing in a bathroom, the records show.
Brian Warren, chief executive of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said the fraternity has suspended those involved while the investigation proceeds. "Any member found responsible will be expelled from Sigma Phi Epsilon, and we will cooperate fully with law enforcement as it seeks accountability under the law," he said, adding that retaliation against the alleged victim or witnesses would not be tolerated.
The university's police department said the investigation is ongoing and declined to say whether any arrests had been made. The Pima County Attorney's Office said the case had not been referred to it for prosecution.
The case follows other allegations of sexual assault at fraternities that have drawn national attention, including a claim by a former student against multiple Chi Phi members at Cornell University and a lawsuit accusing Alpha Delta Phi of a rape at the University of Chicago.