A newsletter published Monday by a secret society at UNL includes lists of alleged promiscuous women, gay men and alcoholic greeks on campus.
The newsletter, printed by the campus chapter of Theta Nu Epsilon, includes several other sexist, racist and homophobic statements.
Such offensive newsletters are nothing new at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They’ve been published for years by this secret society and others, generating controversy after controversy.
A copy of the most recent newsletter was anonymously dropped off at the Daily Nebraskan on Monday.
Responding to the newsletter, some UNL officials and student leaders suggested the material should be ignored, arguing that the group thrives on media coverage. Others called for a crackdown on the newsletter.
All said they were appalled by the content of the newsletter, but none had concrete plans for stopping its continued publication.
“There’s so much hurtful information in that newsletter,” said Linda Schwartzkopf, the director of Greek Affairs, adding that the students who publish the newsletter are an embarrassment to the greek system.
“What they state they want to accomplish and what they are doing are so far away from what they say their mission is,” she said. “They are cowards who hide behind anonymity.”
Still, officials said, there is not much the university can do to stop the newsletter’s publication.
“It’s freedom of the press and the First Amendment,” said Sgt. Doug Petersen of University Police.
Petersen said in his 28 years as an officer, he has never seen a copy of the newsletter or heard of a complaint about it from any greek houses.
Matthew Hecker, the director of Student Judicial Affairs, echoed Petersen’s comments.
Students are entitled to a constitutional expression of free speech and UNL has no speech codes, as they have been repeatedly stuck down by the courts at other universities, Hecker said.
John Bender, an associate professor of news-editorial who teaches media law, said some statements in the newsletter could be considered libelous in a civil lawsuit.
For many UNL officials and greek houses, the best way to deal with the newsletters is to ignore them.
“I don’t think (the newsletters) serve any legitimate purpose for the campus,” said Matt Schaefer, the president of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska. “Usually, they’re full of hateful and bigoted comments that don’t have a place.”
Giving the group publicity glorifies TNE and other underground organizations, he said.
“If everyone ignored the newsletters and the groups, there wouldn’t be so much fascination,” said Schaefer, a senior political science major.
Juan Franco, the vice chancellor for student affairs, agreed, saying a Daily Nebraskan story about the newsletter would only bring unwarranted attention to it.
Greek houses typically throw away copies of the newsletter, said Steve Curtright, Interfraternity Council secretary and a sophomore political science major.
Jill Rosno, the president of the Mortar Board and a senior biological sciences major, said that’s what happens at her sorority, Chi Omega.
“It gets people talking for a couple of days,” she said. “But it doesn’t seem to be too big of an issue.”
Matt Connolly, the external vice president of ASUN and a senior business management major, said almost everybody knows about the newsletter. Asked if he would comment on the most recent newsletter, he said: “I’m going to leave that one alone. This is one I’m not going to touch.”
Other campus officials took a more proactive position on the newsletters.
Jan Deeds, the director of the Women’s Center, urged anyone with information about who printed the newsletter to come forward.
“That’s not who UNL is,” she said. “That’s not who the greek system is.
“If peer pressure is what’s keeping people from bringing forward and holding people accountable for these kinds of hateful comments and derogatory statements, then I think somebody needs to step up and resist that and say no.”
