A Sacramento State Greek club faces multiple sanctions and penalties after the campus Intrafraternity Council said it posted lewd signs and violated Sacramento State?s alcohol policy.

According to a ruling handed down by the council, Sigma Pi Fraternity is guilty of posting approximately 100 signs – some sexually explicit and others glorifying alcohol abuse – and using alcohol with prospective pledges during the university?s “dry recruitment period.”

The decision came after a 4-hour IFC trial and deliberation on Sept. 10, at which Moe Stephens, the university?s Greek community advisor, presented evidence and three members of Sigma Pi presented a defense.

“Most of the Greeks on campus are good people,” said counsel Chief Justice Brandon Kline, who wrote the IFC decision. “But just like anywhere else, sometimes you get an unhealthy mix of people and then mistakes happen.”

The IFC ruling against the fraternity includes:

? 10 hours of community service.

? Sponsor a program in conjunction with the Women?s Resource Center.

? Submit all fraternity printed material to the IFC for review before displaying or handing it out.

?-Loss of privileges to use university facilities and property.

?-Loss of IFC voting privileges.

“The gentlemen of Sigma Pi Fraternity at CSUS sincerely express their apologies,” Sigma Pi President Ali Nassirian wrote in a letter published in last week?s State Hornet.

The letter also asserted that the fraternity?s signs were “misunderstood” and that its members are “men of honor with high moral values.”

Sigma Pi plans to appeal the ruling to the 5-member IFC executive board. If the board upholds the ruling, the fraternity can take its case to university administration.

The violations are another black eye for Sac State?s Greek community that last spring saw another fraternity, Delta Chi, suspended by the IFC after a member streaked across a stage during a May benefit for Sac State?s Children?s Center. IFC found the fraternity guilty of public nudity and sentenced its members to 30 hours of community service, social probation and mandated it pay for a forum on sexual abuse this fall.

Then, as now, university officials hoped one incident wouldn?t tar all Greek associations and touted IFC?s peer leadership in rooting out problems.

“The Greek community contributes more to campus life than any other group. These problems have been around in the past,” said Greek advisor Stephens. “But the IFC is acting. They realize that if one chapter does something like this it affects them all.

Stephens found Sigma Pi?s signs at approximately 8:30 a.m. on the first day of the semester and immediately gathered them up.

The yellow and black placards resembled road signs and depicted stick figures in a sexually explicit position or doing a “kegstand,” a drinking game where partiers perform a handstand on top of a keg while guzzling beer.

University officials charged that Sigma Pi posted the signs Sept. 3 without consulting their club adviser.

“The alum advisor normally OKs signs and posters, but these were done on the sly,” Stephens said.

The IFC also found Sigma Pi violated Sac State?s rule prohibiting Greek clubs from using alcohol during the first weeks of school.

The “dry recruitment period” for IFC clubs such as Sigma Pi starts from when students first move into the residence halls the week before a semester begins, and ends Thursday when invitations go out to prospective pledges.

University officials say that Sigma Pi members and recruits had a drinking party at an off-campus home on Aug. 30. Although the fraternity did not sanction the party, the presence of members made it an “affiliated” party subject to campus regulations.Kline said that IFC?s action sends a strong message to other Greeks.

“This situation isn?t good for us,” he said. “With the Delta Chi thing last year and now this, the Greek system on this campus is under a microscope.”