The Rock on Farm Lane on Aug. 26, 2020. —
Photo by Annie Barker |
The State News
Five days after an incident where The Rock on Farm Lane was broken and painted over with "Trump 2020" and "BLM sucks," the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta, or FIJI, announced one of its members was responsible for the incident via Instagram stories.
"It was brought to our attention that a member of our organization allegedly participated in the acts," the post said. "When we found out about the allegations we immediately held an internal investigation along with contacting our Graduate advisors and International Fraternity representatives. At this time, the individual is no longer affiliated with the chapter."
The letters of Phi Kappa Alpha, or PIKE, were originally painted on the rock, leading many to believe PIKE was initially responsible because in February, a member of the fraternity was suspended after drawing a swastika outside the fraternity's house.
"While there was a similar incident earlier this year, Iota Iota Chapter took immediate action to suspend the individual involved," PIKE Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Megan Nelson said in a press release. "The chapter has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of discrimination or hate speech and is fully committed to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusivity in the way it treats others, ensuring that all those with whom they interact feel welcomed, respected, and valued."
Throughout this week and next, Michigan State University is hosting open forums for the vice president and chief diversity officer position, where community members can provide feedback on each finalist.
