Student protesters occupy Swarthmore fraternity house, want it closed

Students at Swarthmore College occupied an on-campus fraternity house after alleged documents describing some members’ derogatory comments and sexual assault jokes were leaked.

The demonstration aimed at shutting down the Phi Psi chapter at the private liberal arts school in suburban Philadelphia is now entering its third day. About 30 students Monday morning were sitting at the college-owned house, which is mainly used for Phi Psi parties and other social activities. As many as 100 protesters were there over the weekend.

“We’re trying to force the college to make the right decision on this,” senior Morgin Goldberg, 22, said.

Last week, two campus publications, Voices and The Phoenix, released internal Phi Psi documents from 2012 to 2016 that they say were anonymously leaked. The redacted documents included jokes about sexual assault; derogatory comments about women, minorities and the LGBT community; videos and photos of sexual encounters where all parties may not have known they were being recorded — and even referenced a “rape attic.”

Goldberg said the school must terminate the fraternity’s lease. Signs hanging read, “This house is ours” and, “Nothing has changed. Admin knew all along.”

Phi Psi, which is not affiliated with a national organization, was suspended in 2016 for violating Swarthmore’s alcohol and drug policy. It reopened for parties a year ago.

“We’re hoping the college and board will understand the gravity of what has been occurring,” Goldberg said.

The college said Monday that the authenticity of the documents has not yet been verified. A task force charged last year with exploring the role of Greek life on campus — Swarthmore has two fraternities and one sorority — is continuing its work and will be sharing its findings later this week, the college said in an emailed statement.

Swarthmore’s Phi Psi chapter posted on its Facebook page condemning the language in the documents.

“They are not representative of who we are today,” the post read. “None of us would have joined the organization had this been the standard when we arrived at Swarthmore.”

After the protests started Saturday, Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith suspended activities at both Phi Psi and the school’s only other fraternity, Delta Upsilon. But demonstrators want the school to go even further.

“We don’t think (fraternities) have a place on campus,” Goldberg said.

Swarthmore is home to about 1,600 students. It’s located about 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia.