Lafayette College fraternity and sorority social activities remain on pause following antisemitic and sexist language at a November wellness event involving several chapters.
An email sent by Director of Institutional Equity Karen Salvemini in early February noted that an educational training program had been scheduled with time slots through the first week of March. All members of a given chapter must complete the training before the pause can be lifted from their organization.
Salvemini declined to comment on the training’s specific content and what it aims to achieve, writing in an email that it would be “inappropriate” to discuss “a specific response to an incident.”
Her email to fraternities and sororities noted that the training, developed by “numerous Lafayette College professionals,” would focus on “leadership, the failure of leadership, and bystander intervention skills.” Some chapters have already had members attend scheduled training sessions.
The pause explicitly applies to social events, which include formals, spinnings and other events that chapters may design and apply for, according to Associate Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life Jake Bates.
“Social recruitment events were the exception to this pause, due to recruitment events being social in nature,” Bates wrote in an email.
Bates also wrote that the student involvement and Title IX offices, as well as the broader Division of Student Life, assisted in the decision-making process.
The pause was spurred by sexist and antisemitic language used in anonymously submitted responses during a “Wellness 101” event hosted by Director of Wellness Initiatives Vanessa Freeman. Over a week later, college President Nicole Hurd sent a campus-wide email condemning the language. In a later email, Salvemini announced the pause to fraternities and sororities, noting there would be “information forthcoming at the beginning of 2026.”
“The only thing I would say is that I hope that the behavior that occurred last semester does not occur again,” Freeman wrote in an email.
Chapter members studying abroad or with other extenuating circumstances can fill out a Google Form included in Salvemini’s email. She added that respondents who provide what she deems as “reasonable” absences would be provided alternative options to complete the training.
Multiple fraternity and sorority leaders did not respond to requests for comment.
Disclaimer: Managing Editor Selma O’Malley ‘26, News Editor Andreas Pelekis ‘26 and Sports Editor Dan Sullivan ‘27 are members of sorority and fraternity organizations. They did not contribute writing or reporting.