2 fraternities at Swarthmore College have disbanded over documents referencing a ‘rape attic’
- Swarthmore College fraternities Phi Psi and Delta Upsilon announced they were disbanding on Tuesday night.
- They disbanded after a leaked, 116-page document revealed references to hazing, a "rape attic," and racist and homophobic jokes.
- Phi Psi released a statement on April 17 saying none of its current brothers were involved in the activities the document detailed.
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Two fraternities at a Pennsylvania college have disbanded after a leaked, 116-page document revealed references to hazing, a "rape attic," and racist and homophobic jokes.
Swarthmore College suspended fraternity activity on Monday after facing protests among students over the leaked documents.
Phi Psi — the fraternity affiliated with the leaked document — told CBS News it was disbanding on Tuesday night, saying: "We cannot in good conscience be members of an organization with such a painful history."
Delta Upsilon, which is named in the document, also shut down overnight, saying it was "in the best interested of the Swarthmore community."
"We hope that our former house will provide a space that is inclusive, safe, and promotes healing," Delta Upsilon said in a statement on Facebook.
The closures come after protesters staged a sit-in at Phi Psi's house on Monday with signs that said "CLOSE THE RAPE ATTIC" and "STILL A RAPE HAVEN."
The documents from Phi Psi were first published by student-run news outlets The Phoenix and Voices. They contained "minutes" from meetings that took place between 2010 and 2016, describing fraternity activities, sexual encounters, and derogatory terms describing women and minorities.
At one point, the documents even refer to a "rape tunnel" and "rape attic" at Delta Upsilon.
Swarthmore's Phi Psi fraternity is not affiliated with the national organization, and had previously been suspended for violating the school's alcohol and drug policy.
The fraternity released a statement on April 17 saying none of its current brothers were involved in the activities the document detailed.
Insider reporter Michelle Mark contributed to this article.
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