Scroggs issues sanctions for opossum hunt

By Jenna Youngs

Published Feb. 15, 2005

After seeking reduced penalities, Alpha Gamma Rho will face stricter punishment than their original verdict mandated, including social probation, community service and a mandatory constitutional revision.

The sanctions stem from an incident in November 2004 during which members of the fraternity gathered roughly 40 opossums and two raccoons and placed them in a 60-gallon barrel. Some of the animals were dead, and were put into the barrel with live animals.

The sanctions were recommended by the Committee on Student Organizations, Governments and Activities after the fraternity appealed sanctions given by the Department of Greek Life.

Two members of the fraternity, Zachary Famuliner and Adam Thomas, have been charged with two counts of animal abuse and one count of illegally possessing or disposing of wildlife without a license, all class A misdemeanors.

"SOGA developed the sanctions, and I felt they were severe enough that they will learn from the experience," Scroggs said.

SOGA member Amy Engelkenjohn said the committee recommended the sanctions because it wants fraternity members to learn from the experience.

"The members did not appear to understand the severity of their actions," she said. "They didn't accept responsibility, neither the members directly involved nor the ones who defended their brothers. They failed to demonstrate they could adequately prevent this from happening in the future."

Scroggs said SOGA heard the case because the fraternity appealed Greek Life's sanctions.

"I thought the fraternity should have accepted Greek Life's sanctions," Scroggs said. "SOGA made them a little more severe and added the one about the constitution."

The fraternity will now be on social probation until the conclusion of Fall Semester 2005, and will be on university disciplinary probation until the conclusion of Fall Semester 2006. Social probation prevents the fraternity from participating in any events involving alcohol, and university probation allows for tougher punishments if fraternity members commit further infractions.

The fraternity also will have to develop an annual educational program about animal abuse, and each member will have to serve eight hours of community service with the Missouri Department of Conservation. The chapter also has to revise its constitution to include an amendment prohibiting the illegal use of animals.

"Greek Life's sanctions could have helped them grasp the severity of the situation, and we made ours more severe than Greek Life's in hopes they would begin to understand," Engelkenjohn said.

Alpha Gamma Rho national spokesman Philip Josephson said the headquarters suspended the MU chapter, pending last weekend's conclusion of an educational program.

"It was appropriate the university took action and we agree with the action taken," he said.

Engelkenjohn said the committee's goal with the sanctions is to teach the fraternity.

"The committee's intent wasn't to punish Alpha Gamma Rho, but to help them learn from the mistake and grow," she said.