Fraternity being investigated for trashing campsite
The Chico State chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha is being investigated by the Tehama County Sheriff for littering a campsite and chopping down more than 30 trees, according to a press release.
J.D. Elam, a camper who frequents the spot near Deer Creek, reported the incident. On the weekend of April 21, he reported that the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity was spending the weekend at the site and left a large amount of garbage at the site.
According to Elam, Evan Jossey, the Pi Kappa Alpha president, and other fraternity members introduced themselves and explained that they were getting all their members together to celebrate their initiates.
According to Elam, the fraternity members were very nice, but 80 members and pledges arrived. “Then all the people showed up. They were getting so loud I just took off,” Elam said.
Elam then returned to the area last Thursday.
“(There was) a nuclear bomb of garbage,” Elam said.
Pallets, candle wax, spent shotgun shells and hundreds of bottle caps were littered throughout the area.
“I sent them and the national fraternity a message on Twitter saying ‘hey they need to clean this up or I would call the cops,’” Elam said. Elam did not receive a response and contacted the police.
One tree that had been cut down had the letters MU engraved on it, and another tree had nails pounded into it forming the letter M.
“We’d like to congratulate all 26 of our new members who make up the MU class of the Lambda Psi Chapter here at Chico State!,” Pi Kappa Alpha states in an April 25 Instagram post.
Pi Alpha Kappa declined to comment on the situation.
In campus-wide email on May 1, Public Affairs Coordinator Sean Murphy said “We have received reports alleging that several members of a Chico State fraternity (Pi Kappa Alpha) may have been involved in the vandalism of a popular Tehama county campsite within the last few days. Our staff members are investigating the claims to ascertain the facts and determine who was involved.”
Daniel Wright can be reached at [email protected] or @Danny_W_Chico on Twitter.
Bill Stone // May 18, 2017 at 9:10 am
The leadership of this frat was offered a way out by the feds, admit wrong doing and clean up all charges will be dropped. But their president refused and tried to blame others while claiming to be Innocent.
There were many boxes of empty candles littering the camp, these where used for occult rituals,
xxx- candling. WTF? Glad I never pledged a frat in my day. GROSS!
Jack F // May 7, 2017 at 10:56 am
They can start by punishing the president and those in other leadership positions who are pretty clearly guilty of taking part in this, or at least allowing it to happen. Alternatively, the university could just suspend the frat, like they did in 2013 for other violations.
This article says PKA declined to comment on the incident, but if you go to their Facebook page, you can see that they are actively denying responsibility. Quote: “The Lambda Psi Chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity denies the accusations of vandalism at a national forest.”
Josh tov // May 5, 2017 at 10:33 pm
lol Rona Robert your an idiot. Just being a senior in pi kappa alpha doesn’t make you automatically guilty even if the fraternity did do this you don’t know who was there
Rona Robert // May 3, 2017 at 9:55 pm
Very simple solution. All seniors from Pi Kappa Alpha scheduled to graduate this month do not get their diplomas, do not walk in the ceremony, and their names will not be read and will not be in the program. The university needs to set a moral standard or this will all happen again next year. I hope they can explain their little prank to Mommy and Daddy when they come to town.
lars // May 3, 2017 at 1:35 pm
Nice scoop, excellent work by this student reporter. The photo’s are excellent too. We had an incident like this up where I live – a Frat came down from Oregon and just trashed a campsite – the story made national news. The reporter here has written a story good enough to make national new, I think this reporter has earned the nickname, “Ace”.
Victor Cantu // May 17, 2017 at 11:59 am
Thanks mom.
Just kidding. It’s a great expose’ on irresponsible frat behavior.