Polytechnic school investigating online reports of abuse by fraternity
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Officials at a small college in Massachusetts are investigating Facebook postings in which female students claim they were subjected to degrading and abusive behavior by fraternity members.
At least three women at Worcester Polytechnic Institute reported that while having sex with fraternity members, other members rushed in and poured water on them or hit them with ice or pudding, Boston’s FOX 25 reported.
The anonymous allegations appeared on a Facebook page about campus life called WPI Confessions without naming any fraternity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WPI's Dean of Students Philip Clay told FOX 25 that the administration was contacted by students that were so concerned about the posts and the comments that followed, they felt something had to be done.
[pullquote]
Clay says allegations like this are taken very seriously, but this is the first time it has come from a Facebook post.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"That's one of the challenges of these anonymous confession sites, is that there's very little information to go on so we immediately started launching the best investigation we could," he told the station.
A letter was sent out to the campus community last week from the college’s interim president, Philip Ryan, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday. Leaders of student government and Greek organizations also signed the letter.
“Such posts are deeply disturbing -- not only because they allege that such vile acts may have taken place at the hands of some of our own community members, but because these posts offer a warped reflection of the values of this university and the vast majority of its citizens,” Ryan wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}About 4,000 students attend classes on the college’s sprawling campus set on a secluded hilltop.