PI LAMBDA PHI

We, the alumni of the NC Omega Beta Chapter of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity at UNC-Chapel Hill, are petitioning the University for a defined term for the revocation of our Chapter’s charter.

On March 28^th, 2022, we were informed of the UNC Honor Court’s decision to indefinitely revoke our charter as a result of our undergraduate members’ violations of alcohol and drug abuse, hazing, and interfering with judicial procedures. Two weeks later, on the weekend of April 8^th, our undergraduate members validated the Honor Court’s rationale by hosting an unsanctioned “formal” weekend where members continued their misconduct (alcohol violations and destruction of private property) despite being placed on probation by our Chapter Coaches and Pi Lambda Phi’s International Headquarters.

We alumni of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity condemn the behavior of our Chapter’s undergraduate members and have taken action in support of the Honor Court’s decision. On May 27^th, 2022, our Chapter Coaches Board notified our undergraduate members that (1) we will close our Chapter and (2) they must vacate our fraternity house at 110 W. Cameron Ave. We do not seek exoneration but petition the University for a defined term of our charter’s revocation (ex. 2-3 years) where our alumni and International Headquarters can recolonize Pi Lambda Phi at UNC as the healthy, constructive chapter we all desire.

Pi Lambda Phi began as the first non-sectarian fraternity in the United States after our Founders were denied admission into other fraternities because of their race and religion. Our chapter at UNC, NC Omega Beta, has a well-established history of accepting members from every race, religion, sexual orientation, and creed otherwise – long before any of our peer social fraternities on campus. Across countless generations of Carolina graduates, students who were not accepted by other fraternities were welcomed and given lifetime fraternal friendship by Pi Lambda Phi. We believe that Pi Lambda Phi can be a positive influence on the Carolina Community and seek to recolonize our Chapter as soon as possible so that we can offer that same experience to future generations at UNC.

While being utterly disappointed by the behavior of our undergraduate members, our alumni recognize the need to be more engaged and be better partners with the University and Carolina Community more broadly. Recent events have spurred our alumni to be better organized and prepared to manage our chapter, once recolonized, through the creation of both a Chapter Coaches Board and a Housing Corporation. We know there are many additional steps we can take to recolonize Pi Lambda Phi on the best footing possible and look forward to working with UNC’s Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, Standards Review Board, and Office of Student Affairs to identify and take those steps.

We hope that the University will judge Pi Lambda Phi’s potential by the values and actions of its alumni, rather than the irresponsible actions of our undergraduates, and ask the University to consider allowing us to recolonize as early as the Fall 2024 semester. This timing will allow our alumni to work with our International Headquarters and the University to ensure that NC Omega Beta lives up to the values we pride ourselves on while also fostering a positive chapter culture – internally and across the Carolina campus.