FLORIDA — A member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at Stetson University has apologized to the student newspaper staff for stealing approximately 700 copies of the Stetson Reporter’s Oct. 5 issue.
In addition, the sorority will pay the Reporter $1,200 in compensation to cover the costs of reprinting the stolen issue.
Dean of Students Michelle Espinosa said the members of the sorority were upset because of an article the newspaper ran detailing troubles with the sorority’s house, which was found to have mold. She said sorority members stole the newspapers, which were published during new member recruitment, because they said they wanted to quash notions that their house was mold infested.
In an email, Editor in Chief Mike Riggs said the member who apologized claimed to have acted on her own, which he said was “contrary to what Zeta’s president initially said to the dean of students.”
Zeta Tau Alpha’s national Vice President of Alumnae II Laura Mauro said the actions “were of the individual,” not the chapter.
“She regrets what she did, she apologized, and has taken responsibility for the case,” Mauro said. “The chapter does plan to take appropriate internal action.”
Although the theft “wasn’t a big issue,” Espinosa said the incident was a learning experience for her students.
“I think they have learned that there are systems in place to respond to a complaint in student affairs,” Espinosa said.
In this case, Espinosa said, a letter to the editor would have sufficed.