Delta Sigma Phi under investigation after date party

The Delta Sigma Phi fraternity’s date party took place at Boomers! Parks in Irvine, California. Chapman opened an investigation into the fraternity. Photo by Bonnie Cash

Chapman has opened an investigation into the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity after students came to Dean of Students Jerry Price with reports concerning the fraternity’s first date party at Boomers! Parks in Irvine, California, in early October. While Price does not know to what extent the fraternity members’ actions violated the code of conduct, he said that, from what he knows, the fraternity’s behavior was “discouragingly inappropriate.”

Chapman’s Delta Sigma Phi chapter was reinstated on campus after a 22-year hiatus. The fraternity’s Eta Lambda chapter at Chapman was shut down in 1996 due to “financial instability.”

The fraternity is not on probation, Price said, as there is not enough evidence to warrant it.

He could not disclose any of the allegations made because the investigation is still open, but said that university staff is working with Boomers! Parks in Irvine find out what happened at the date party. Price said he has received limited information from the company.

“We are going to reserve judgement until we have the full investigation completed, but the allegations – if accurate – are deeply troubling for many reasons,” Price said. “The behavior described in the allegations is not only embarrassing for the fraternity, but embarrassing for the university. It becomes a reflection of our university, which should trouble everybody.”

The Panther contacted Boomers! Parks in Irvine, but employees repeatedly declined to comment.

Connor Peirce, Chapman’s Delta Sigma Phi chapter president, did not respond to questions from The Panther.

But Phillip Rodriguez, the newly appointed national executive director for Delta Sigma Phi, provided an email statement to The Panther that said the fraternity has “zero tolerance” for members who choose not to live up to the values of Delta Sigma Phi.

“We are working in partnership with the Department of Student Engagement to hold those who violated our policies responsible,” Rodriguez wrote. “The Chapman community deserves, and can expect, a better fraternity experience than what some of those men delivered.”

Price said that the most common reasons that students or fraternities are placed on probation are “social events” that “violate standards or university policy” and hazing.