TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A sorority member at the University of Arizona has alleged she was sexually assaulted by two men at a fraternity house during a night of drinking in late August.
The student told the university’s police department that she consensually kissed one of the men at one point while at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house on Aug. 26 but doesn’t remember agreeing to sex, according to search warrant records posted Monday night by KOLD-TV in Tucson.
The sexual assault allegations surfaced two weeks after the university had suspended activities for its 21 fraternities amid reports of misconduct, including assault, hazing and drug- and alcohol-related behavior. Suspensions on all but five fraternities have since been lifted after they had mandatory meetings with the dean of students.
In speaking with an investigator, the sorority member recalled consuming tequila, including sharing a cup of the beverage with friends; witnessing two men sexually assaulting her, even feeling one man’s breath on her face; awakening the next morning without pants and underwear on; and noticing a difficulty in swallowing, a possible sign of strangulation, according to the records.
Later that day, she reported the allegations to police and underwent a forensic exam at a hospital.
In a recorded call with the sorority member two days after the encounter, one of the men acknowledged he had sex with her, but he said she had agreed to it and denied that another man had sex with her. He said he had been drunk and “fuzzy” on what happened. He said people took video of the sorority member and him kissing in a bathroom, according to the records.
The Associated Press left email and phone messages with the university Tuesday seeking comment. Its police department said the investigation is ongoing and declined to say if any arrests had been made. The Pima County Attorney’s Office said the case hasn’t been referred to it for prosecution.
The university had put Sigma Phi Epsilon on probation from July until May of next year after a hazing complaint. Sigma Phi Epsilon isn’t among the five fraternities that are currently listed as suspended.
The national fraternity organization said they ordered members of the Arizona chapter to comply with any investigation.
“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,” read a statement from Brian Warren, chief executive officer of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Retaliation against the alleged victim or any witnesses would also not be tolerated, Warren said.
Other cases of alleged sexual assault at fraternities draw national attention
Meanwhile, at Cornell University, a former student alleged that multiple Chi Phi fraternity members sexually assaulted her in October 2024. The allegations have sparked campus protests, renewed scrutiny of the Ivy League school’s disciplinary system and a state investigation into the alleged assault. Several of the men have denied that they engaged in any nonconsensual sex or denied they touched the woman at all.
This week, a woman sued Alpha Delta Phi and its Chicago chapter, alleging she was raped in February by a member of the fraternity at the University of Chicago. The woman, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, claimed she was sexually assaulted during a party at an on-campus residence and that she reported the assault to city police the next day.
When asked about the case, Chicago police did not name the fraternity or provide an exact address, but said they are investigating a report of a sexual assault that happened on the same block early on Feb. 8.
The University of Chicago and Alpha Delta Phi did not respond to emails in time for publication.
Chicago police are also investigating after a woman reported being sexually assaulted during a party at another fraternity earlier this month. The University of Chicago said in a statement last week that a woman reported being sexually assaulted at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house. The fraternity said none of its members took part in the alleged attack.
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Associated Press writer Laura Turbay in Arkansas contributed.
The Associated Press