Washtenaw Co. prosecutor, city officials asks judge to halt parties at EMU fraternity

The city of Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit have asked a judge to order Eastern Michigan University fraternity Delta Tau Delta to temporarily halt all parties and complete sexual assault and alcohol awareness training in the wake of more than a dozen sexual assaults officials say are tied to the organization.

The request came in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Washtenaw County Circuit Court that alleges the fraternity has created a public nuisance in its house or on nearby properties where 15 sexual assaults and other crimes fueled by "copious" amounts of alcohol consumption have been reported. The suit also asks that underage drinking, which is illegal in Michigan, be prohibited at the fraternity.

Bystanders contributed to the dangerous environment by not reporting or intervening in sexual assaults in plain view and "survivors of sexual assault are intimidated and threatened if they suggest that they might come forward," according to the lawsuit.

"Fundamentally, we are trying to address what are very dangerous conditions that have been associated with partying and alcohol consumption at that fraternity," Savit told The Detroit News.

The lawsuit is filed under a law prohibiting public nuisances that has been used to intervene in drug houses and houses of prostitution, the prosecutor said.

"We detailed 15 reported sexual assaults since 2014 that either occurred at parties or following parties at the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house as well as other sexual assault-adjacent incidents," Savit said, adding that those other adjacent incidents included sexual harassment, indecent exposure and physical assault of romantic partners. "There is no question that the atmosphere there and the conditions there were a big factor in those sexual assaults."

There have also been instances of physical assaults, violence and other criminal activity linked to Delta Tau Delta, the suit says.

National and local officials from Delta Tau Delta did not respond Thursday to requests for comment.

EMU said in a statement that Delta Tau Delta is managed independently and located off-campus but that the university "shares the concerns of the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office."

"The University initiated a comprehensive review of the Delta Tau Delta chapter in September 2021," EMU spokesman Walter Kraft said in an email. "That review is underway at this time. We take these matters extremely seriously. The safety and well-being of Eastern students is our top priority." 

Savit said he and city officials are trying to be proactive and address underlying conditions at the house and get the parties to stop.

"It is about addressing the instant conditions, which are the parties, the alcohol consumption and underage drinking, as well as addressing the culture," Savit said. "I am hopeful that we can start to see a culture change not just with respect to Greek Life, but to students in general. If you are creating conditions that lead to sexual assaults, the party is going to be over."

The lawsuit outlines sexual assaults that allegedly occurred between 2014 and 2021 at Delta Tau Delta's houses or annexes in four locations in Ypsilanti. It also notes three reported sexual assault-adjacent incidents, such as sexual harassment, that happened near the fraternity house, bringing the total number of incidents up to 18.

"The conditions at Defendant Delta Fraternity continue to be ripe for further sexual assaults," the suit says. "And notwithstanding significant public outcry over the string of sexual assaults involving the fraternity, Defendant Delta Fraternity continues to host precisely the types of social gatherings that have led to this tsunami of sexual assaults."

A federal lawsuit was filed last year against the local and national chapters of Delta Tau Delta, along with national and local chapters of the Alpha Sigma Phi and Theta Chi fraternities, the Sigma Kappa sorority, EMU and several school officials. The federal lawsuit, which included a total of 24 plaintiffs, alleged numerous rapes in fraternity houses and other off-campus sites that allegedly were covered up by university officials.

In December, the 10 women who sued Delta Tau Delta, mostly former EMU students identified in court records as Jane Does,reached a settlement with the local and national chapters and the fraternity was dismissed from the case.

The other 13 women and the man did not bring claims against the fraternity but are pursuing claims against the other defendants. 

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com