February 29, 2024

Photo by Genevieve Smith

 After an Israeli flag was taken from the exterior of the house, Choi expressed his support to the chapter.


In Oct. 2023, Mun Choi, UM System president and MU chancellor, authorized $1,170 of university funds to pay for MUPD security for the Mu Deuteron chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi at MU following the theft of an Israeli flag from the exterior of its fraternity house.

Christian Basi, director of MU and UM System Public Affairs, said Choi agreed to pay for MUPD security for Alpha Epsilon Pi’s house. He clarified that a “non-general operating account” was used to pay for the security in an email to The Maneater. Funds in that account do not originate from tuition or state revenue. 

On Oct. 15, 2023, members of Alpha Epsilon Pi reported to MUPD that an Israeli flag had been removed from the front porch of their fraternity house located on MU’s Greek Row.

In the days following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, members of the fraternity, “decided that [they] were going to put an Israeli flag outside [of their house] to show [their] support for Israel,” Jay Cohen, the chapter’s president, said.

According to an MUPD report from Oct. 15, the flag, valued at $30, was found missing at approximately 2:39 p.m. that day. Cohen said he had last seen the flag around 6 p.m. the previous day. 

The MUPD report classified the incident as larceny, or theft of personal property. According to Cohen, the security footage from cameras at the fraternity house made it difficult to identify any suspects. 

Cohen said that after the theft, he was seeking round-the-clock security at the chapter’s house after hearing concerns for members’ safety from parents, alumni and staff members at Alpha Epsilon Pi’s national chapter. Cohen said he then reached out to Cody Sallee, IFC’s advisor and Michelle Froese, MU’s Interim Dean of Students, to request security. Basi confirmed that these conversations occurred.

Cohen said both Froese and IFC’s president and advisor were not able to provide security.

Cohen alleges that on Oct. 11, Choi reached out to him via phone to apologize for the lack of support the chapter had received from “lower levels” and offered to fund security for the fraternity house. Choi subsequently visited the Alpha Epsilon Pi house on multiple occasions to express his support for its members.

According to the MUPD website, security from a sworn officer costs $65 per hour. Additionally, the website states, “charges will be processed by electronic Journal Entry, and notification of the entry will be sent by e-mail.” Alpha Epsilon Pi never received such charges, Cohen said.

Cohen said the fraternity never received an invoice for the security provided by MUPD. Choi paid for a total of 18 hours of specialized security from MUPD officers for the fraternity, Basi confirmed.

Edited by Sophia Anderson | sanderson@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com 

Edited by Scout Hudson | shudson@themaneater.com

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