Fraternity Educates Its Members About Sexual Misconduct and The Clery Act
USC’s Phi Sigma Kappa is the first fraternity in the nation to receive training on sexual assault and Clery, Title IX and VAWA compliance.
The University of Southern California chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa was trained Wednesday on Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), pending legislation and technology that potentially impacts how crimes are reported and prosecuted.
The seminar comes in response to the increase in sexual assault reports on college campuses nationwide and the passage of new legislation including California’s “Yes-Means-Yes” law. The goal of the seminar was to provide the members of Phi Sigma Kappa with a better understanding of the federal and state laws regarding sexual misconduct and other Clery related crimes and to empower students to take a more active role in bystander intervention and campus crime prevention.
The seminar was conducted by Criminal Sciences’ Jason D. Friedberg, a former chief of police at Bucknell University and nationally recognized campus safety expert.
Clay Frey, founder and CEO of Criminal Sciences, commended the organization for taking a stand. “This is the first fraternity in the country to make an effort to proactively educate its members in order to create a safer campus environment. Fraternities are usually ground zero for this type of activity, so the fact that you have a Greek organization trying to get out in front of this and make a difference should be applauded.” Criminal Sciences’ technology assists Title IV institutions gather, respond, report and audit information in real-time, ensuring Department of Education compliance with federal and state laws.
Keaton Smith, a USC senior and Phi Sigma Kappa’s president, observed “it is possible for the Greek system and fraternities to exist in the modern world, as long as they continue to innovate and be wary of archaic or dangerous practices.” While the fraternity has not had any member related incidents, it is their goal to improve their image and the quality of their membership both interpersonally and academically as well as raise the bar when it comes to fraternity conduct both on and off campus.
The event was open to Greek leadership, USC Department of Public Safety, university officials, LAPD command staff and other invested guests.
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