The local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Pi Gamma, was closed by the national fraternity with an official vote of its board of directors Jan. 7, prohibiting the fraternity to return to Sacramento State.

Lou Camera, director of Student Activities, was notified of the decision last week by mail.

Paul Cody, the Greek liaison in the UC Davis student programs and activities center, was also notified that the Davis chapter had lost its charter.

Luke Wood, Associated Students Inc. vice president of student affairs, was a member of the Pi Gamma chapter and said that the fraternity plans to appeal the board’s decision and regain the charter.

“The chapter can appeal the decision at the general convention in August, but if they have been asked to be removed by the campus then nothing can be done,” said William Lyle, director of communications for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Camera said the fraternity will not be able to appeal its status at Sac State at this time. “Possibly in a couple of years, but not at this time,” he said.

The fraternity was suspended by Sac State last fall because of outstanding debts and, Camera said, he thinks the hazing allegations are what caused the national association to pull the Sacramento charter.

The letter Camera received from Alpha Phi Alpha Executive Director Gregory Phillips said the chapter cannot be involved in any activity held in the name of the fraternity and that it is illegal for the chapter to participate in any local and campus fraternity activities.

A spokesman from the Alpha Phi Alpha executive office said the charter was removed “due to inactivity within the chapter for a number of years.”

The national organization requires that a minimum of eight students be active in the organization to keep the charter.

Camera said the Pi Gamma chapter only had three members at the most.

“The members falsified information, claiming eight members, but the national headquarters had no record of the people they were claiming as pledges,” Camera said.

Members of the Pi Gamma chapter will no longer be able to attend social functions, business sessions or recruitment activities in any form, the letter said, and if the members are caught doing so they can be prosecuted.

Tom Carroll, Student Activities program adviser, said members will be held personally accountable for any criminal charges brought against them and that members should look to Chico as an example of what can happen when a fraternity begins acting without the proper authority.

“This is particularly relevant to what happened in Chico with the Chi Tau fraternity,” he said. “A rogue group was conducting business and now four individuals are being charged with hazing crimes and manslaughter.”

The Chi Tau fraternity was removed from the Chico State campus but was still conducting business and accepting new members. Recently a prospective member died from a hazing incident.

Camera said members of the Pi Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha have already tried to form a new group on campus called Men of Distinction.

They were denied the application because it looked like they might be a shadow organization for their fraternity, and because campus clubs, besides non-departmental fraternities and sports clubs, cannot discriminate based on gender.

Carroll and Camera said they do not want to see the members of the fraternity prosecuted for conducting business or activities in the name of the fraternity.

Camera said initiated members will be considered alumni of the fraternity and will still be able to wear their letters to school because it’s considered freedom of expression.

“I would hope that if someone knows of them conducting business on campus that they would let me know,” Camera said.

Rebecca Adler can be reached at [email protected]