U. removes signs criticizing 'frat violence'

University grounds workers removed dozens of signs criticizing the administration's handling of an alleged attempted rape at the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house from several campus buildings yesterday morning, only hours after they were posted. Dozens of bright pink signs were plastered across campus early in the morning, but students arriving on campus later than 8:30 a.m. probably did not see any flyers, as Physical Plant employees ripped most of them down before classes met. The flyers asked, "Would Sheldon and Lucy let their own daughter go to a ZBT party? How many more people must be hurt before Hackney will stop frat violence?" Two signs were also glued to the back of ZBT's house this afternoon. University and Philadelphia Police have narrowed their investigation of the reported January 26 rape attempt at ZBT's Superblock house to one suspect. Both Philadelphia and University Police say they learned of the incident only a few weeks ago when the alleged victim, a Harvard University student, reported it to Harvard Police. In the spring of 1988, ZBT came under fire from both women's and black groups on campus for a fall 1987 rush event featuring two black strippers. The fraternity was suspended for the incident and is still on probation. University officials said they did not know who hung up the signs, and they were not registered with the Office of Student Life, as flyers must be before they are hung. Norman O'Connor, the director of housekeeping for Physical Plant, said the signs were removed because they were "not put up the way they were supposed to be." O'Connor said the flyers were glued to statues, doors and windows, instead of being stapled to kiosks as guidelines mandate. "The foreman of the grounds crew . . . would just automatically take those down," O'Connor said. But Students Against Acquaintance Rape co-founder Erica Strohl last night questioned Physical Plant's actions, noting that all illegally-posted flyers are not removed early in the morning. "I think the rules are there, but I think they're only enforced when people don't like what they say," Strohl said. College senior Strohl said she thinks the flyers are a sign of people's frustration with the administration and with anti-rape efforts on campus. "Sometimes in STAAR we get frustrated because it doesn't always seem the education we do has an effect, and other people feel the frustration too," College senior Strohl said. "That's why these signs go up." Hackney said yesterday he did not see the signs and was not aware that physical plant employees had removed them. But he defended the administration, saying "we do take violence against women, and violence in general, very seriously, and we're pursuing [the investigation] vigorously." Hackney added that the administration is currently developing a policy of how to deal with the violence problems on campus.

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