To avoid criminal prosecution, members of the former Beta Theta Pi fraternity will pay their alumni trustees thousands of dollars for damages they caused to the house at 6 Webster Avenue after the group was derecognized by the College in December.
Police say they will not prosecute if the members repay the Beta trustees an undisclosed amount by April 18. Some students may still face College discipline.
Keith Lockwood '98, who had been elected Beta president, said, "I think the trustees are being reasonable by allowing us to take responsibility for what we did and not siccing the cops on us. They really didn't come down too hard on us."
When the vandalism was discovered in December, no one claimed responsibility for the damage, which included "broken windows and furniture, doors torn off hinges, broken light fixtures and toilet stalls, and a bar dismantled in the basement," according to Hanover Police Detective Sergeant Frank Moran.
But the former members of the fraternity have come forward, admitting they were responsible for the damage.
"It is our understanding that the damage was done as a result of the brothers' disappointment in their being derecognized by the College, guys just venting their frustrations," Moran said. "We're going to give them the opportunity to make restitution. If that doesn't take place, they will be notified about future prosecution."
The cost of the damage was initially reported to be more than $15,000. But the figure has been reduced because some items believed missing have been returned.
Moran said the plan for restitution will cause the police to "stand back" temporarily and allow the trustees to deal with the students, who, "to the extent that it was comfortable, have attempted to be cooperative."
Lockwood said the figure to be paid has not been decided because it could be reduced if more missing items are returned.
"Part of the charges are things missing from the house which some of the brothers borrowed or just assumed they could take," Lockwood said. "We have to have the things returned within the next few weeks. Then we'll get a final number and go from there."
Beta chapter advisor William Glos '58 said the trustees will allow the former brothers to decide the amount each individual will contribute for the restitution.
"The brothers know what they did, and they know how much it cost. It's up to them to raise the money and to make the restitution," Glos said. "I have every confidence that they will do that."
Lockwood said, "The ex-brothers who were on in the fall will pay for the damage, although we haven't decided on a method of payment or if some people are going to pay more than others."
Dean of the College Lee Pelton said disciplinary action against the responsible individuals is "under consideration and is absolutely possible."
Police offered the students the chance to pay the restitution. If they had not agreed, the police would have prosecuted students individually or the group as a corporation, Moran said.
Moran said the large number of students involved made it impractical for police to prosecute individually. "We chose the third option which was to coordinate an effort for restitution with the trustees. If they are content with that we wouldn't necessarily have to prosecute."
The house at 6 Webster Avenue will stand vacant for the near future. Glos said the trustees do not plan to sell the house, and he expects that a re-recognized Beta Theta Pi will someday move back into the house.
The trustees are "in the discussion phase" of making plans to enable Beta to seek re-recognition in a few years, Glos said.
"The Beta Theta Pi challenge in the next few years is to convince the College that it is worthy of being a recognized undergraduate fraternity again and to serve the community in that function better than it has in the recent past," Glos said.
