CARBONDALE - Three suspended Southern Illinois University Carbondale students are suing the university and five of its employees for racial discrimination stemming from an alleged 2004 sorority hazing incident.

Monet Williams, Tequeira Johnson and Nakia Collins - members of the historically black Zeta Phi Beta sorority - claim the university disciplined them differently because they were black. The university, however, contends that no racial discrimination took place and referred to incidents where both black and white students in SIUC's Greek system were suspended.

The civil case was filed in 2005 and is before the U.S. Federal Court for the Southern District of Illinois in Benton. Richard Fedder, the Carbondale attorney representing the three women, said the trial date was postponed Thursday until the week of Sept. 17.

The claim stems from an alleged hazing that took place from Oct. 3 to Oct. 7, 2004. About a month later, SIUC student Chantal Conley filed a report with the university police department, claiming she was hazed and hit by a wooden paddle during Zeta's initiation process.

Because Conley specifically named students, the report was forwarded to the university's Student Judicial Affairs office, which is responsible for disciplining students for Student Conduct Code violations, one of which is hazing.

The sorority member who allegedly paddled Conley was found not guilty by Student Judicial Affairs. But Williams, Johnson and Collins were found guilty of hazing and suspended for three years. On appeal, Williams' suspension was reduced to two years.

The university, which is represented by Chicago lawyers Donyelle Gray and Ellen Douglass, filed a motion for summary judgment in May. If the judge approves the motion, he would make the final decision rather than a jury.

In its motion, the university claims the three suspended students have not met the burden of proving they were treated differently or that the university "acted with discriminatory intent."

In Fedder's reply, he specifically cited the permanent ban of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity after the April 4, 2004, drowning of a pledge.

The university's Student Development Office, which enforces rules regarding fraternities and sororities, banned the predominately white fraternity after finding the Pikes guilty of violating eight rules regarding alcohol, hazing and risk management at fraternity events.

Fedder argues that in the Pikes case, punishment was given to the entire fraternity, not individual members like this case. The university, however, stated that Student Judicial Affairs only has jurisdiction over students, not student organizations.

bethany.krajelis@thesouthern.com

529-5454 ext. 5138