- A University of Miami frat was shut down after a video leaked of members reciting a misogynist chant.
- The video shows Sigma Phi Epsilon members chanting a sexist song laden with themes of necrophilia.
A University of Miami fraternity was shut down earlier this month after a leaked video showed men chanting about having sex with a dead woman.
But the organization's alleged transgressions go beyond the misogynist chant, according to three women who told Insider that they believe the fraternity was also serving drugged drinks at a party earlier this month.
Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon were recorded reciting the sexually violent chant ahead of the raucous pool party that sparked additional, unconfirmed allegations of drugged drinks. Video taken before the October 1 party shows dozens of young men jumping up and down as they chant a song laden with themes of necrophilia.
"We dig her up every now and then, we fucked her once and we'll fuck her again!" the men can be heard chanting in a video reviewed by Insider. "Get in, get out, quit fuckin' about!"
Current students told Insider the video quickly made the rounds around campus. The university's student newspaper, The Miami Hurricane, was the first to report the news of the fraternity's suspension. According to the Hurricane, the song also includes a line about keeping the victim in a wooden box.
One woman who spoke to Insider on the condition of anonymity said when she saw the video, she was disgusted.
"How do you mosh to chanting about raping women?" she said.
A spokesperson for Sigma Phi Epsilon's national board of directors told Insider the governing body unanimously voted to revoke the Miami chapter's charter less than a week after the party.
The spokesperson cited video of the chant, saying the national headquarters received a copy of the footage, which showed members of the fraternity engaging in "misogynist actions" not aligned with the fraternity's values.
"We expect SigEp chapters to provide their members and campus community a safe and supportive environment," SigEp communications officer Heather Matthews said. "That's the cornerstone of a positive Fraternity and university experience, so we take that expectation seriously and hold our chapters to that standard."
The University of Miami administration did not respond to Insider's numerous requests for comment, nor did the president of the school's SigEp chapter.
Jacqueline Menendez, a UM spokeswoman said the university was conducting an investigation in an email to The Miami Herald.
"University staff members have met with student groups throughout the week to address their concerns, and are encouraging students to report any additional information regarding this event, as we continue our investigation," she said to the Herald.
Video of the chant and the fraternity's subsequent expulsion stirred buzz across campus, students told Insider. But the organization's alleged transgressions don't stop there, according to three female partygoers who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution by members of the fraternity. All three womens' identities are known by Insider.
Allegations of white powder in mixed drinks
Sigma Phi Epsilon's annual pool party is the group's biggest event of the year, according to one of the students. This year's event was scheduled for Saturday, October 1, and was located at an off-campus house in Coral Gables, partygoers said.
A flier obtained by Insider advertising the "Adult Swim" themed party described the event as "Disneyland for degenerates" and boasted a foam pit, bouncy slide, and professional DJ on site.
A female student who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution by members of the fraternity told Insider she and a group of friends arrived at the party about an hour after it started.
The student said she almost never gets mixed drinks at frat parties, preferring instead to drink canned seltzers that she's bought herself. But the group wasn't planning on staying very long, so they approached the bar to grab some liquor.
She told Insider she watched carefully as members of the fraternity made their drinks, turning away only for a couple of seconds before grabbing the cups and taking a few sips.
But moments later she said one of her friends noticed a white powder floating at the top of her drink. She took a video of the drink, which Insider has reviewed and which clearly shows a visible white substance.
Insider could not confirm what the white powder was, but some common "date rape" drugs, including GHB and Ketamine, can come as a white powder, among other forms.
The women quickly tossed their drinks and decided to leave the party, but not before warning some of their friends who were in attendance.
The two other partygoers Insider spoke with and also wished to remain anonymous, said that the woman who took the video approached them and said she believed her friend's drink had been drugged.
The student who originally took the video of her friend's drink told Insider that she became exceedingly drunk in the hours after leaving the party. She'd had only one seltzer and a couple of sips of her friend's drink, she said, but spent the night feeling close to blacked out.
She told Insider she believes she and her friend were drugged at the party. Members of the SigEP chapter did not respond to Insider's questions about the video or the allegations about drink spiking.
The students who spoke to Insider were not the only ones who were allegedly drugged at the party. Two young women named Abby and Mary spoke to the Miami Hurricane and recounted similar stories of seeing white powder in drinks.
Both women told the outlet they also began to hear similar stories from their sorority sisters who attended the event and described instances of partygoers afflicted by uncontrollable vomiting or an inability to stay awake.
The Miami Herald reported that mentions of white powder could have come from sandbags that were used to secure tent poles for a volleyball court. The SigEp fraternity told the news outlet the reason why people may have found powder in their drinks was that some of the red Solo cups had fallen onto the ground and were reused.
Fraternity apologizes
On October 14th, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers apologized for the sexist video and denied allegations of drugged drinks, according to a statement provided to the Miami Herald.
"The brothers of the former Florida Gamma Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon are deeply sorry for the chant prior to the October 1st event," the statement said. "Repeating this chant was wholly inappropriate, reprehensible, and does not represent who we are. We apologize in the strongest possible terms to anyone hurt by the lyrics or our actions."
After the University of Miami chapter closed, its website was also shut down. According to an archived web page viewed by Insider, in 1991, the fraternity implemented a continuous development program called the "Balanced Man Program" which promotes a lifestyle based on three principles; virtue, diligence, and brotherly love.
This isn't the first time a SigEp chapter has been shut down. In 2019, the chapter at The University of Nebraska-Omaha was closed after an investigation determined it violated alcohol and risk management policies, according to KMTV 3 News Now, a local television station.
The University of Miami police department did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
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