The College reprimanded all graduating members of the former Phi Delta Alpha fraternity for "dirty rushing" -- joining the organization during their freshman year -- by a letter of reproach delivering to the seniors' Hinman Boxes.
The letter said the students will not face disciplinary action, but that the students' violations would be noted in their personal files.
"Because the Dean of the College Office views sanctions as both educational and punitive and because your tenure at the College is almost complete, the 'teachable moment' has long passed," the letter said.
Dean of the Class of 2000 Teoby Gomez, the author of the letter, could not be reached for comment last night.
The letter was allegedly sent to all graduating senior members of the former fraternity including some seniors who reportedly did not join until after their first year, according to Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman.
It remains unclear whether graduate schools or future employers will have access to Gomez's records.
"I'm just shocked about how this was handled," Former Phi Delt president Matt K. Nelson '00 told The Dartmouth last night. "Not everyone who received the letter was guilty of dirty rushing."
According to the letter, the Phi Delt seniors were found in violation of Standard VII of the Standards of Conduct, which requires students to abide by College rules, including the one that prohibits freshmen from joining Coed Fraternity and Sorority houses.
But Redman, who conducted the derecognition investigations on violations including the dirty rushing charges, said some of the seniors who received the letter never dirty rushed, including two who transferred to Dartmouth during their sophomore year.
"They shouldn't have" received the letter, he said.
Redman also told The Dartmouth that to his knowledge, the Office of the Dean of the College never conducted its own investigations, as is normally required to punish individuals.
The Office of Residential Life did find the fraternity guilty of dirty rushing, but held the organization responsible, and not the individuals themselves. Nonetheless, Redman said the College was not actually punishing the individuals based on the ORL hearings.
"My reading of the letter suggested that they weren't being charged with anything, but that we know this occurred based on this other piece of information and that a copy of this letter will go in your file," he explained.
Members of the Office of the Dean of the College did not attend the derecognition hearings, nor did members of the Committee on Standards, according to Redman.
Redman said he is not aware of cases in which information from ORL hearings has been used by other offices, but that he believes COS or certain deans have the right to use his information, provided that they reach independent conclusions.
"I suppose that they could use my notes, but they'd have to come to their own decisions because anything we deal with is about the organizations," he said.
