Three members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity who were involved with an alleged May 13 cocaine incident have been suspended from the fraternity, pending an investigation by SAE's national headquarters, according to Brandon Weghorst, associate executive director of communications and spokesperson for the national organization. SAE's national headquarters announced the students' suspensions Tuesday on its website.
There are currently no plans to take disciplinary action against Dartmouth's SAE chapter as a whole, Weghorst said.
"At this time, the chapter's status has remained the same," Weghorst said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth. "They are an active recognized chapter."
SAE's national headquarters is launching its own investigation into the matter, which is separate from the investigation being conducted by Hanover Police, according to Weghorst.
"Any time we receive notice of an incident or complaint, the national headquarters launches its own investigation immediately," Weghorst said. "Staff members and local alumni work together to find out specific details in a number of areas."
As the investigation continues, SAE representatives will "take additional actions, if necessary," according to Weghorst, although he wrote that it is too soon to say what those actions might be.
"If we find that other members have failed to follow our substance-free housing, we will not hesitate to strip them of membership in our organization," Weghorst wrote in an e-mail.
Drug use at SAE had occurred prior to the May 13 incident, according to a source within the house who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the subject.
"Most brothers probably know who the cocaine users in the house are," he said. "It's not a secret that is really attempted to be kept."
A statement released on the national organization's website commended Phil Aubart '10 for his enforcement of the fraternity's substance-free policies. Aubart called Safety and Security on May 13 after observing four students who allegedly possessed a small amount of cocaine in the pool room of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Brian Shea '10 and Andrew Lohse '12 were subsequently charged with cocaine possession.
"We pride ourselves on being true gentlemen, and doing the right thing is not always easy or popular," Weghorst said. "[Aubart] absolutely did the right thing by calling out his brothers whose values and actions defy what we stand for."
Another SAE member had reportedly confronted the students earlier that night in the library, another common space in the house, and told them to take their cocaine out of the library, according to the anonymous source.
In an e-mail to the members of the fraternity dated March 5 two months prior to the alleged cocaine incident Aubart addressed the issue of members doing cocaine off of the framed composite pictures in the house.
"I don't think its [sic] too much to ask for you to do it in your rooms, or better yet not at the house at all," the e-mail read.
At the end of the e-mail, Aubart moved for a one-term suspension for any brother who does cocaine in common spaces within the house.
None of the house members who received the e-mail responded with comments to the full recipient list, according to the anonymous source. The source said he could not comment on whether members had replied to Aubart individually.
"Other brothers were also uncomfortable with the cocaine use but didn't feel comfortable bringing it up at meetings or anything," the source said.
In an affidavit filed with the Lebanon District Court, Hanover Police reported that Aubart said the e-mail informed SAE members that subsequent cocaine use would result in a report to Safety and Security. The text of the e-mail obtained by The Dartmouth contained no mention of Safety and Security.
Drug use at SAE has been less discreet than at other houses, according to the source, especially in common spaces. On previous occasions, other composites and frames had been removed from the walls and smeared with cocaine residue without being replaced, according to the source.
Following the reported drug use, Aubart was allegedly subjected to repeated harassment by Lohse and Clark Warthen '10, another member of SAE. Both Lohse and Warthen have been charged with witness tampering.
The witness tampering allegedly consisted of the destruction of a table, housed in the upstairs of the building, that had been constructed by Aubart.
"[Aubart] cared a lot about that table," the anonymous source said. "That's why they targeted it."
Warthen's "strong and vocal dislike" of Aubert was common knowledge among SAE members, according to the source.
Presently, the sentiment at SAE is that Aubart is not welcome in the house, the source said.
SAE President Brandon Floch '11, Tyler Brace '11, president of the Inter-fraternity Council and Shamus Hyland '11, moderator of the Greek Leadership Council, declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigations.
Deborah Carney, assistant dean of residential life and director of Greek letter organizations and societies, could not be reached for comment by press time.
Staff reporter Grace Afsari-Mamagani contributed reporting to this article.
