Two Reisterstown, Md. men have been arrested and charged with 14 offenses, including first- and second-degree rape, against a 16-year-old girl inside the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity house on Nov. 2, according to the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
The suspects — Chaz Haggins, 20, and Ethan Turner, 19 — could face life in prison if convicted. According to University officials, neither suspect has any affiliation to Hopkins or SAE. The suspects are currently being held in Baltimore City Detention Center without bail.
The statements of charges against Haggins and Turner say the victim reported that she was sexually assaulted by three males inside a bathroom. The victim was then transported to Mercy Hospital. Her blood alcohol content (BAC) was reported to be 0.11.
In a JHBroadcast email sent to the community this morning, University President Ronald J. Daniels announced that Hopkins has begun its own investigation into the incident to determine if there were any violations of the Student Code of Conduct or Title IX.
“The alleged multiple rape of a minor at a fraternity party hosted by our students is deeply disturbing and continues to command our attention,” Daniels wrote. “This is particularly so given prior reported incidents of violence, complicated by alcohol abuse, at other parties at Johns Hopkins.”
Following the report of the assault, the University placed SAE on interim suspension for underage drinking and other possible violations of University policy.
In his email, Daniels wrote that the University will address issues of sexual assault and alcohol abuse both within and outside of Greek organizations.
“We know these risks are not limited to fraternity parties and can be manifest in a number of different venues, and we are not restricting our work to the Greek community alone,” Daniels wrote. “We also know that meaningful and durable change requires the full and active engagement of our students in devising solutions to these challenges. Simply put, it will take a concerted and sincere effort from all of us to keep our community safe.”
On Nov. 3, the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) voted to prohibit open parties at fraternity houses for the rest of the semester and mandate the presence of additional sober party monitors. After the University imposed a week-long moratorium on all fraternity social events in chapter houses, fraternities have been permitted to resume hosting invite-only events.
Jake Stern, the president of SAE, could not be reached for comment prior to the press deadline.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include excerpts from President Daniels’s email sent Dec. 4.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.