Tri Delta occupies Lodge J of Sorority Village./Alisha Compton, Managing Editor

When a national headquarters investigation into Emory’s chapter of Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) began, members were presented with two options: relinquish membership or undergo a membership review, according to Associate Director of the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life (OSFL) Arthur Doctor.

Some chose to relinquish membership, Doctor said. For those who chose the membership review, Tri Delta personnel asked members questions that may have included whether members felt the chapter is aligned with the values of the organization, according to Doctor.

During the investigation, the national headquarters halted chapter activities.

Now, the chapter will not host social events this year and remains on probation, Doctor said.

Emory’s Tri Delta chapter will participate in formal recruitment Spring 2018, Doctor said.

Doctor said the Executive Office sent a letter to the chapter that included sanctions against the chapter and directed the Wheel to Jennifer Ebert at the Executive Office for further information. Ebert told the Wheel she was unavailable for an interview by press time.

One sanction includes periodic chapter meetings with OSFL “to provide updates on their progress,” Doctor said.

In a Sept. 19 statement to the Wheel, Executive Office Director of Public Relations Jason Gomez wrote, “Our goal has been to enable the chapter to change the culture into one that reflects the best of Tri Delta and offers its members the best possible experience. Tri Delta is pleased to be working alongside Emory University in supporting our Alpha Omega chapter in creating a strong and sustaining and successful future.”

The chapter does not have a president or executive board, and representatives from the Tri Delta Executive Office and regional volunteers are currently running the chapter, according to Doctor. The new executive board will be approved by national headquarters “sometime this semester,” Doctor said.

The investigation, which occurred at the same time as the membership review, found the chapter responsible for violations of Tri Delta’s international fraternity policies.

Doctor said he did not know which specific policies the Executive Office determined the chapter had violated and that the probation does not necessarily mean the chapter violated Emory’s Code of Conduct.

“There’s no need to start an investigation,” Director of OSFL Marlon Gibson said when the Wheel asked why Emory hasn’t started an investigation.

In a Sept. 1 statement sent to the Wheel on behalf of Executive Office President Kimberlee Di Fede Sullivan, “Recently, we learned that members of our Alpha Omega Chapter at Emory University engaged in behaviors that do not align with our standards,” the statement said.

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Former Executive Editor | Richard Chess (20C) served as the Wheel's executive editor from March 2018 to August 2019. He also held various other positions at the Wheel including as news editor and senior editor. As news editor, Richard covered issues related to the city of Atlanta and reported that the 2016 Migos scandal cost Emory $37,500. Richard has received numerous collegiate journalism awards for his investigative and objective news coverage, including an SPJ Mark of Excellence Award in 2019.