To the Editor:
The Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Office has charged members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the fraternity itself in connection with hazing violations during the fall 2011 pledge term. Additionally, this office has charged Andrew Lohse '12, the student whose initial reports revealed the existence of these noxious practices.
Although I am not privileged to know the details of this inquiry, I am writing to express my conviction, and that of numerous faculty members with whom I have discussed this matter, that punishment should not be meted out to any student involved in this affair who voluntarily stepped forward to report the wrongdoing. Punishing whistleblowers, even those implicated in the events, runs counter to good public policy because it deters those who would report misconduct.
Ronald GreenCohen Professor for the Study of Ethics and Human ValuesReligion Department
