House of Opulence reports hate speech incident from DePauw fraternity

On September 9, the House of Opulence posted a statement on its Instagram profile. “Know that you are not alone and there are resources available to help you and get you justice,” the post said.

The message, titled “Hate has no place on our campus,” informed the DePauw community about a recent increase in hate speech on campus. The post condemned this behavior, encouraged students to speak out, and provided a list of resources to do so.

An anonymous source from the House of Opulence reported The DePauw in hopes of sharing their experience with a recent incident of bias on campus. With the intention of keeping the source anonymous, they will be referred to as Riley in this article.

“So my friends and I went to a particular fraternity and were immediately met with dirty looks and awkward proximity. We walked through (the fraternity house) and he (a fraternity member) made some transphobic comments about me,” Riley said.

After being chased throughout the house, Riley and her friends were unable to find their way to the door. During this incident, Riley mentioned that people were yelling at her throughout the house.

“(The fraternity members said,) 'You don't belong here. You're nothing. Get out.' They followed us all the way out and tried to physically intimidate me and my friend who were there,” Riley said.

After leaving the house, Riley met up with his friends at another party. During their conversation, Riley learned about similar homophobic comments and racist slurs that had occurred at that house that same evening.

“I was really just stunned and mostly angry. I was scared that I was going to get hurt because these guys are big and they're going to attack us. There weren't as many of us as there were fraternity members,” Riley said.

Riley emphasized the difference between the House's right to free speech and the risk of physical intimidation. They mentioned that the events of that night did not upset them personally, but rather shocked them that something like that was happening on campus right now.

“My friends and I don’t feel safe,” Riley said.

Riley contacted DePauw Police, Frae Binder, Director of Fraternities and Sororities (FSL), Jeannette Johnson-Licon, Assistant Dean for Student Success, and Joseph Harris, Assistant Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI). A subsequent report was submitted to the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT), and the investigation is ongoing.

The BIRT process begins with a report, where incidents deemed criminal are investigated by the DePauw Police Department. The BIRT team will then refer the student to a resource that offers support. The team will then inform the DePauw community about the incident and follow up on it and recommend initiatives to prevent future incidents on campus.

“I just felt like it was a call to action for me and I can make sure this doesn't happen to other people,” Riley said.

After discussing the incident, the House of Opulence released a statement on social media on September 9. Former Housefather and founder of the House of Opulence, Aaron Trinidad (Class of '24), helped the organization put together the statement.

“The House of Opulence was founded on the foundation that everyone deserves to be celebrated and accepted at DePauw, regardless of their identity,” Trinidad said. “By honoring a rich Black and Brown queer history, we ultimately wanted to show all students at DePauw that it is important to create spaces where people can be their most authentic selves and find joy in doing so.”

Since the organization's founding, Trinidad has been proud that the legacy lives on through the current home directors. Trinidad was disappointed and unhappy to hear about the incident, but found it admirable that members of the House of Opulence and the DePauw community are taking a stand.

“There is power in numbers, and I hope that in the future, people, especially queer people, don't ask for permission to be themselves. I want the campus to see the beauty and strength of a community that supports each other, rather than one that rests complacently in its destruction,” Trinidad said.

Binder expressed her sadness when asked about the incident, saying she wants the Greek community to be one where everyone is welcome and accepted for who they are.

“The investigation is ongoing. If anyone has observed anything related to this incident or other bias-related incidents, I ask that they please either contact me as the director of FSL or contact the BIRT team directly,” Binder said. “Although I am not part of the BIRT team and work in Greek life, I work with the BIRT team, which is co-led by Dr. Jackson and Dr. Day.”

While this incident is being addressed by the BIRT team, among others, Binder has also spoken directly with the leaders of the Greek Council, who are working together to actively combat homophobia in the Greek and DePauw communities.

“I can’t thank the student who reported the incident enough, because only when incidents are reported can we work together to combat bias,” Binder said.

Riley said they are pleased with DePauw's response so far. After meeting directly with Binder and identifying the people involved in the incident, they were reassured by how seriously and dismayed Binder is taking the incident.

“Everyone has the right to feel safe. I would like people to have these conversations privately and respect the debate rather than openly spreading hate,” Riley said.

Riley encourages people to speak up and speak out, stressing that just talking to each other will not lead to justice. Riley also encourages staff and teachers to be mindful of how people are treated in the classroom and to be good allies to them.

“DePauw will take it seriously. There are people here who will listen and take it seriously,” Riley said.

Students can contact DePauw Police directly at 765-658-5555 or fill out the form linked below to report bias on campus.

Photo of the Bias Incident Report Team (BIRT) process. (Photo courtesy of DePauw University)