A Morgan State chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi has been placed on probation until fall 2015, university officials said Tuesday for discriminating against a gay student who wanted to join the fraternity, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Senior Brian Stewart filed a formal complaint with the university, in late October claiming that the fraternity rejected him because he is gay. The 20-year-old former White House intern said that he dreamed of joining the fraternity because his mentor had been a member. He was devastated when someone sent him messages via social media, which used a slur to describe his sexual orientation, the Sun reports.
Morgan spokesman Jarrett Carter Sr. said a disciplinary panel, made up of students, faculty and staff, investigated the complaint and found that the chapter violated university policies. Three students in the fraternity also faced judicial review, but Carter declined to comment to the Sun if those students received disciplinary actions.
The probation means that the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity on Morgan's campus cannot register as an official organization, participate in university-sponsored events or host events on or off campus, the Sun reports.
"It's very rare to get a complaint like this from students against other students," Carter told the Sun. "It's not something that the university tolerates or takes lightly."
Stewart told the Sun that he thought his academic achievements and his interview were enough to impress the Kappa Alpha Psi, but he was rejected the day after his interview.
Stewart said he is no longer interested in joining the fraternity and that he filed the compliant to raise awareness.
Students at Morgan have held two campus-wide discussions about discrimination against gay people, since Stewart's complaint.
"It's all a part of something we're going to continue to do just to make clear our expectations about tolerance and respect and support for one another," Carter told the Sun. "Overall, the students have been telling us that this is very surprising and out of the ordinary."
Read more at Baltimore Sun.