Knight News has uncovered additional evidence UCF relied on when deciding to suspend Alpha Tau Omega in connection with a party where a woman said she was raped by two students.
A newly released incident report reveals a concerned mother, whose daughter reportedly provided aid to the woman who was sexually assaulted, called UCF’s Greek Life office to report the fraternity was tied to the party on April 20, according to the report.
The report, filed on April 23 by Greek Life staff, cited the phone call from the woman who described the house where the party was held as “unofficial off-campus house” of the ATO fraternity. She also reported members of ATO were hosting the event, according to the incident report.
UCF rules allow it to punish a student organization that “implicitly allows active members of the student organization to be in a position to act on behalf or with authority of the organization.”
According to a statement release by ATO nationals, however, the party was not an ATO event, and was in no way connected to the fraternity.
The incident report, along with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit for Jack Ryan Smith, prompted the organizational conduct action, according to UCF Police public information officer Courtney Gilmartin.
ATO was placed on interim organizational suspension on Tuesday, citing one charge of disruptive conduct and five charges of alcohol related misconduct, according to the suspension notice. A hearing to review the whether ATO will remain on interim suspension will be held May 7.
A woman alleged that David Anthony Kirk and Smith gang-raped her while she was “blackout drunk” at the party, according to Smith’s arrest affidavit. Smith was arrested on April 21, a day after the graduation party mentioned in the incident report. Kirk was arrested the day after the incident report was filed, on Tuesday, April 25.
Both Kirk and Smith have bonded out of the Orange County Jail.
