MIT Fraternity to Appear Before Licensing Board

Next week, MIT's Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity chapter will appear before the Boston Licensing Board to answer charges that an underage Wellesley College first-year was served alcohol there last month.

This is the third time that an MIT fraternity has appeared before the board in two years. The first of these incidents, the 1997 death of fraternity pledge Scott Krueger after a night of drinking, thrust MIT's drinking policy into the national spotlight.

The Oct. 28 hearing will center on an informal party held Sept. 2 at the SAE house. After leaving the party, the Wellesley student was taken to the Metro West Medical Center in Natick when she showed symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

MIT spokesperson Robert Sales said the recent incident was not part of any larger problems with alcohol at MIT.

"These things happen, but it's certainly not a trend. We do whatever we can to educate our students about alcohol awareness," he said.

The Licensing Board closed MIT's Phi Gamma Delta fraternity in September 1997 after the death of Krueger, an 18-year-old first-year who died after drinking at a fraternity party.

Last year, the Licensing Board placed the Theta Chi fraternity on probation for seven months after a Boston University first-year suffered alcohol poisoning while drinking in a brother's room.

If the board finds that SAE violated one of its licensing agreements-- which explicitly prohibit the consumption of alcohol by underage students--there can be a wide range of repercussions.

The board can respond by requiring all members of the fraternity to attend alcohol awareness programs or to submit a plan on managing alcohol on premises. It can also place the fraternity on probation or close it outright.

"I'm a big fan of fraternity houses in the city of Boston. I think they make the city young, vibrant," said Daniel F. Pokaski, chair of the Licensing Board.

"But there's a line that can't be crossed," Pokaski added. "If we find that a frat is being run like an animal house or disturbing the quiet of the neighbors, the board will act accordingly."

Pokaski said he could not speculate about repercussions in this case before the hearing next Thursday.

Meanwhile, SAE was suspended by MIT on Sept. 22, which effectively bans SAE members from participating in school events as a group, Sales said.

SAE had already been put on alcohol-free probation by MIT, following a 1998 incident where a prospective student was served alcohol during 1998's campus preview week.

SAE fraternity members could not be reached for comment.

SAE has also been suspended by the Interfraternity Council (IFC) of MIT.

An IFC suspension prohibits a fraternity from rushing first-years, IFC Judicial Committee Chair Patrick Kremer said.