December 3, 2014

Princeton Eating Club Removes Two Officers

There was more trouble at the Tiger Inn this week as the Princeton University eating club forced two officers to resign following the sending of inappropriate emails to members last month. The two men have resigned as vice president and treasurer of the club, one of several that line Prospect Street and the last of the clubs to admit women.

One email included a photo of an intoxicated freshman female, referred to as “an Asian chick,” performing a sex act on a senior on the dance floor. According to Planet Princeton, to which the story was first leaked, and The New York Times, the email was sent to all undergraduates who belong to the club.

Another email that went out to club members the same day referred to an October 13 talk on the campus by Sally Frank, who gained notoriety as a student when she sued the eating clubs to force the admission of women.

“Ever wonder who we have to thank for gender equality? Looking for someone to blame for the influx of girls? Come tomorrow and help boo Sally Frank,” the email read.

Last month, the words “Rape Haven” were sprayed on the stone wall in front of the eating club. They were quickly removed. According to University spokesman Martin Mbugua, an investigation by the school is underway.

“The safety of our students is our top priority and we take such cases very seriously,” he said in an email Tuesday. “When information is received, we investigate the matter thoroughly and carefully in accordance with our sex discrimination and sexual misconduct policy, after which we determine if and when action should be taken.”

Mr. Mbugua said the University began its investigation of the incident as soon as it received a report. “This is an unusually complex situation that involves multiple elements and participants,” he said. “The investigation is ongoing and we have made significant progress.” The Princeton Police Department is also looking into the photo incident.

The emails were made public one day before it was announced by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights that it had finished an investigation of Title IX complaints against the University in 2010 and 2011. According to the results of the investigation, the school violated Title IX by favoring the rights of the students accused of misconduct over those who made reports against them. The University revised its policies and came to an agreement with the agency on the concerns. Last week, the University hired a full-time Title IX Coordinator.

The incidents are not the first to put Tiger Inn in the news. Earlier this year, most members of the club’s undergraduate board resigned following a party at which proper security issues were not followed.