The town of Hanover is "following up on" allegations that six Greek organizations have engaged in criminal activity, acting Dean of the College Sylvia Spears said in an interview, although she declined to specify which organizations are involved in the allegations.
If official charges are made, these organizations may be subject to fines and other consequences, Spears said.
"I imagine that there are some legal ramifications for the [national corporations], but those kinds of things are certainly between the state of the town and the corporations," Spears said. "The College is only engaged in that we have individual students who need support."
If a Greek organization is found to have served alcohol to an underage individual, the organization can be tried as a corporation and can be charged with reckless conduct a felony-level fine for providing alcohol to those who are underage, according to a 1997 state Supreme Court decision regarding a fraternity at the University of New Hampshire.
With evidence that Greek organizations are supplying underage individuals with alcohol, the organization can be fined from $2,000 for a misdemeanor to $100,000 for a felony, according to Christopher O'Connor, a Grafton County prosecutor.
The organizations are not facing any investigation from the College, according to Spears. After the investigations are complete, the College will follow its "standards of conduct" in assessing how to deal with indicted organizations or individuals, depending on who is charged, Spears said.
The College will not respond until the town's process has been completed.
"At this point, it would be too early to say what any follow-up would be from the College," Spears said.
The potential investigation follows substantial discussionof how to handle underage drinking at the College.
On February 4, Hanover Police announced their intention to begin implementing compliance checks, or "sting operations," at Greek organizations to ensure that minors were not being served alcohol. The announcement raised concern among students that such sting operations would push underage drinking underground, increasing students' health risks.
Following a vocal student response against the movement, Hanover Police officials announced on February 11 that they would delay implementing compliance checks.
"From the statements made in recent days, it is clear that the Greek Leadership Council and other involved student groups also share this goal and are committed to working energetically to achieve harm reduction," Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone wrote in a February 11 press release.
In response, the Student and Presidential Alcohol Harm Reduction Committee was formed in mid February to investigate alcohol use at the College. SPAHRC compiled a 60-page report outlining its findings and suggestions, which was presented to the Dartmouth community on May 19. Recommendations included the formation of a student monitoring initiative to ensure Greek houses comply with College alcohol policies, the creation of an alcohol coordinator position and the limitation of beer cans through a more liberal keg policy as part of a slate of proposed policy changes. SPAHRC also created a town-College task force on alcohol consumption, which met for the second time May 20, and is chaired by Spears and Hanover Town Manager Julia Griffin.
