Frats cited for ‘COVID party,’ other events

University: Students could be expelled, evicted from housing

Lehigh University’s coronavirus outbreak has bloated Northampton County’s infection rate and led to fears that the campus may have to shut down, but officials say that hasn’t stopped some student groups from throwing parties.

The university cited three Greek fraternities — Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Upsilon and Chi Phi — with student conduct charges, alleging they threw parties or gatherings last week, according to a notice posted on the university’s website.

One of those gatherings, according to the university’s notice, was a Feb. 11 off-campus

“COVID Party” hosted by Chi Phi and attended by students who had recently tested positive for the coronavirus.

In a letter to the university’s

undergraduate students, Vice President of Student Affairs Ricardo Hall said both on- and off-campus parties were quickly shut down, and the students and organizations are facing suspensions, evictions from university housing and even expulsions.

“The consequences are great because the stakes are high,” Hall wrote in the letter.

Data from the university and the state Health Department show that, since the beginning of the 2021, Northampton County added 8,897 coronavirus cases, with 597 of them coming from university students living on or near the South Bethlehem campus. That amounted to 6.7% of the county’s total so far this year.

But the balance shifted dramatically last week. The county added 1,059 cases, with 303 of them, or about 29%, attributable to Lehigh’s student population. A campus alert on Feb. 12 warned students that rising cases could result in the quarantining of all undergraduate students on and off campus.

In an effort to try and curb the rising rates, Lehigh implemented changes starting Monday that include less in-person instruction, recommendations for double-masking, and expanding testing to include faculty and staff with frequent campus interactions, along with the rest of the student body.

Even as these examples of bad behavior come to light, Hall emphasized that “the vast majority of students are doing everything they can to keep themselves and everyone around them safe, in hopes of eventually returning to a more ‘normal’ campus life.”

He pointed out examples of students at the campus who’ve been leaders in helping transform the culture around COVID-19, with the student government working to organize a council that would help bring forward possible solutions to these kinds of student-based issues.

Kristen Wenrich, director of the Bethlehem Health Bureau, said this week that cases at Lehigh over the past week have increased the numbers of infections in the city, and there seemed to be no other factors contributing to the rise.

In addition to the charge against Chi Phi, Lehigh listed the following citations of failing to respect the community:

On Feb. 11, it is alleged that Delta Upsilon held an in-person recruitment event after witnesses reported seeing more than 15 first-year students seen wearing blazers and being guided into a house at 548⁄550 Hillside Drive on campus.

On Feb. 12, Lehigh University police responded to 454 Birkel Ave., where several Delta Upsilon members live, after receiving reports of more than 15 people entering the residence in violation of COVID restrictions. This happened on the same day that the chapter was placed on modified temporary suspension status for the alleged recruit event held the day prior.

On Feb. 13, it is alleged that Alpha Tau Omega hosted an off-campus party with alcohol in violation of COVID restrictions.

Representatives from the Greek organizations could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

Hall wrote that it’s understandable that students are frustrated and experiencing general “COVID fatigue,” but breaking the rules will only prolong the problem.

“We’ve seen time and again that when the protocols are followed, we see lower rates of infection,” he wrote. “Beyond the importance to health and safety, doing the right thing when it’s difficult — the actions we take today and tomorrow — also ultimately define our community. Thank you for doing your part and for expecting the same from others.”