UNL Closes Fraternity After Sexual Assault Allegations, Student Protests

Aug. 25, 2021, 4:45 p.m. ·

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Update: A fraternity at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been suspended after an alleged sexual assault at a fraternity house early Tuesday morning. UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green says the Phi Gamma Delta house has been closed and operations have been suspended at the FIJI chapter, which was under probation for previous violations. UNL police are investigating an alleged sexual assault at the house near the UNL Student Union and several hundred people protested outside late Tuesday. So far, no arrests have been made in the case.

Hundreds of people gathered outside of a UNL fraternity on Tuesday night to protest an alleged sexual assault early that morning.

A sexual assault reportedly occurred at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house, also called "Fiji," early Tuesday morning. The report was filed at 3:47 a.m. on Tuesday, according to UNL’s crime log.

Protestors called for the accused fraternity member to be expelled from school and for justice to be served.

Some in the large crowd made signs and threw eggs as they stood across the street from the house, in front of the Student Union. Reportedly, protestors plan to continue demonstrating Wednesday evening.

UNL Police were on the scene and blocking off traffic and keeping protestors from walking along an alleyway next to the house.

The protest was organized on the anonymous and location-based social app called Yik Yak.

The Fiji fraternity at UNL was suspended in 2017 from the Interfraternity Council, or IFC, and the university. They were charged with breaking the student code of conduct repeatedly and were specifically accused of yelling out sexually harassing comments during the women’s march on campus in 2017.

Their alumni bought the house from the university to continue operations without university or IFC oversight, after the announcement of the suspension. The house returned to IFC membership in 2020.

Both the fraternity and UNL’s student government released statements on the investigation and protests.

Statement from ASUN, student government on the rape investigation at UNL.
Statement from ASUN, student government on the rape investigation at UNL.
Statement from Phi Gamma Delta fraternity on the sexual assault allegations.
Statement from Phi Gamma Delta fraternity on the sexual assault allegations.

University Police released this statement on the situation:

“All allegations of sexual assault are taken seriously and investigated to the extent possible," the statement read. "We are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident, a suspect has been identified, and FIJI members are cooperating with the investigation. At this time, no arrests have been made and we cannot comment further on an ongoing police investigation."

There has been a petition sent out through social media called ‘Ban FIJI Forever,’ which has received more than 40,000 signatures.

In response on Wednesday, the university closed the fraternity.

"We are closing the fraternity house and suspending operations of the Fiji chapter while this investigation is ongoing, due to potential violations of that probation," Green said in a statement.