AP: Yale Suspends 'Bushes' Fraternity' for Sexist Chants

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A prestigious Yale fraternity that counts both Bush presidents among its alumni is being banned from recruiting and activities on campus for five years after pledges were ordered to chant obscenities against women.

Yale says it has also disciplined several Delta Kappa Epsilon members and asked the fraternity's national office to suspend the chapter for five years.

Yale bans fraternity for chants against women: wtnh.com

The fraternity came under fire in October after pledges marched through campus and chanted phrases about sex acts including necrophilia. Chapter leaders later apologized, and the national fraternity office ordered them only to stop all pledge activities.

Yale says the discipline was necessary to ensure "an educational environment free from harassment and intimidation."

The fraternity's national leader did not immediately return a message left Tuesday.

The move comes as federal civil rights officials investigate complaints by Yale students that the Ivy League university has a sexually hostile environment and failed to adequately respond to sexual harassment concerns. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights confirmed last month that it has begun an investigation at Yale.

Yale has said it will cooperate with the investigation and takes such allegations "extremely seriously." University officials said they have begun programs in recent years to respond effectively to sexual misconduct.

The students cite incidents in which fraternity members held up a sign saying, "We love Yale sluts" outside a women's center and chanted "no means yes" on campus last fall. They also say incoming female freshmen were ranked on attractiveness.

Yale said after a full hearing its executive committee found that the Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter and several fraternity members had threatened and intimidated others, in violation of its regulations.

Yale declined to provide details about the punishment of fraternity members, citing confidentiality restrictions imposed by federal privacy law and by Yale's policies.

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Associated Press writer Stephanie Reitz in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report.