Protests continue for second day after sexual assault reports

Content warning: This article contains references to sexual assault and violence. 

Editor’s note: This story was updated with information from LAPD.

Protests continued outside the Sigma Nu fraternity house Friday, two days after the University placed the Sigma Nu fraternity house on interim suspension following multiple drugging and sexual assault reports. 

Former Sigma Nu President Ryan Schiffilea is a “main suspect” in the sexual assault reports, LAPD confirmed to the Daily Trojan Friday. He was questioned by detectives last week, but has not been arrested or charged.

Starting at 12 p.m., students covered the walls of the fraternity with signs reading “Abolish Greek Life,” “You are complacent,” “I believe you” and “President [Carol] Folt, why the fuck are you not doing anything?” 

“Walk into this building remembering the trauma you caused all of them,” one protester wrote on the ground outside Sigma Nu.

Andrea Ortega, a sophomore majoring in law, history and culture, joined the Alpha Chi Omega sorority in August but dropped today. According to Ortega, the sorority told her to not talk about the incident. Following the recommendation from the sorority and other issues , she no longer wishes to contribute, financially or otherwise, to an organization that “protect[s] these men.”

Ortega also said Greek life does not realize the significance of the sexual assault reports.

“I just don’t think that they’re really realizing how important it is,” Ortega said. “They think it’s just gonna die down in like a week or so.” 

Around 1:30 p.m., protesters marched down the Row to the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house — commonly known as PIKE — where a student, Alyssa Delarosa, chanted through a megaphone until fraternity brothers left the house and addressed protesters. 

Carrying a megaphone, Delarosa, a senior majoring in psychology, led the protesters to Pike after hearing stories from multiple women outside Sigma Nu about drugging at other fraternities, specifically at Pike.

Following a discussion between the protesters and Pike, fraternity members joined protesters outside of Sigma Nu, bringing a ladder to hang up signs and talk to the protesters.

When members of Pike first left their houses to talk to the protesters, Delarosa said she was surprised. However, she said “it’s very telling” that the members only left their house once protesters were outside.

“It had to take me basically embarrassing them and calling them out on my little megaphone for them to be willing to do that,” Delarosa said. “We were there all day — we were there from like 3 p.m. to past midnight yesterday. They didn’t come out.”

In interviews with the Daily Trojan, members of Pike said they were not aware of what happened at Sigma Nu before the DPS email and that they will do “everything in [their] power” to stop an assault from happening again. 

In an Instagram post, @abolishgreekusc criticized the University’s response to the allegations that they said “place the burden of preventing rape on the survivor, not the rapist.” The organization also said that, while there will be calls for reform over the next few weeks, abolition is needed.

“We reject those calls for reform and their characterization of the problem; the solution is more simple,” the statement read. “We call for abolition. No more ‘taskforces,’ no more aimless DEI efforts, no more ‘statements regarding X.’ We want you gone. And we want it now.”

A representative for the Abolish Greek life movement said the group aims to address the broader scope of Greek life and the “horrid behavioral tendencies” it allows.

“Even if this house gets kicked off the Row, the issue is the system,” the representative said. “It’s not a question of whether or not you have a certain population of bad apples within the system: It’s the structure itself that creates an environment where horrid things like this can happen.”

Emma Gronstad, a junior majoring in computer and electrical engineering, said that, because fraternities are not punished enough, the problems with assault are “swept under the rug” after the initial reaction. Gronstad also criticized USC’s email about the suspension and assault.

“One thing that really sticks out to me is that the USC email is like ‘Oh, hey, here’s how to not be assaulted.’ I think that was honestly a really insensitive message to send, especially during a time when, you know, the seven girls who reported probably all received that message,” she said. 

In a statement posted on Instagram Friday, the USC chapter of Sigma Nu confirmed that the fraternity suspended a student accused of sexual assault.

Multiple members of the Sigma Nu — including the president and vice president — did not respond for comment.

DPS referred the Daily Trojan to the Los Angeles Police Department, which said no arrests have been made.

Students remained outside the Sigma Nu house at the time of publication. A vigil, as well as a walk from USC Village to Sigma Nu, began at 6 p.m.

Lois Angelo and Sasha Ryu contributed to this report.

If you are in need of support, here are some resources you can contact:

USC Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services: Located at Engemann Student Health Center Suite 356. Individuals can call (213)-740-9355 and request to speak with an advocate or counselor. Services are confidential. 
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN): A free, confidential hotline that is active 24/7. Individuals can call (800)-656-4673.

Correction: A previous version of this article said Alyssa Delarosa is a junior. She is a senior. The Daily Trojan regrets this error.