UK fire marshal recommends closing of SAE house
March 8, 2010 by Wesley Robinson · 14 Comments
Following an incident over the weekend where a student was wrapped in toilet paper and set on fire, UK Fire Marshal Greg Williamson has recommended the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house be closed for two semesters. 
UK Police Chief Joe Monroe said police found a student wrapped in toilet paper like a mummy after responding to an alarm early Saturday morning. Sean Dunn, an international studies sophomore, took out a match and lit the toilet paper on fire, Monroe said.
According to the police report. the victim was in flames up to his shoulders. When he realized he was burning, he performed the stop, drop and roll technique, which set the carpet on fire. The report says that when Dunn saw the carpet on fire, he began to stomp out the flames. After the fire was extinguished Dunn attempted to clean up the fire damage with toilet paper.
“We don’t believe it was (hazing), nothing has led us to believe it was hazing,” Monroe said.
Monroe said the victim had no injuries and needed no medical treatment, but he had singed pants.
Monroe said Dunn sustained first-degree burns on his hands and was charged with first-degree arson, first-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence.
“Obviously they used poor judgment which was clouded by the use of alcohol. We did find numerous alcohol violations in the building,” Monroe said. “We will probably wrap (the investigation) up in the next few days, and we will turn it over to the Dean of Students for their investigation.”
When officers were making sure everyone was out of their rooms, they came across a locked door and retrieved a key to enter, Monroe said. When police entered the room, a fight occurred, which led to police charging international studies junior Joe McKinley with assaulting an officer.
Police charged McKinley with third-degree assault.
The Dean of Students Office has shut down the fraternity following an order from its national headquarters to suspend all of SAE’s fraternity-related events, and the fire marshal has recommended the fraternity house be closed until January 2011.
Williamson said numerous violations occurred inside the house, including doorways severed and covered with sheets, beds enclosed and too many candles.
“There are violations in all houses … if you find one or two violations it’s not that big a deal,” he said. “ … but if you find 40 or 50 of them you have a problem.”
The house passed an inspection in the past week Williamson said, but the violations were not visible during that inspection.
“It was not the incident that got the house (closed),” Williamson said. “It was the incident plus the condition of the house.”
SAE has revoked Dunn’s membership, and the fraternity’s headquarters is investigating the incident, according to the SAE Web site.
Dunn’s arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday at 1 p.m., and McKinley’s is scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m. UK Police and the fire marshal will share reports with the Dean of Students to determine whether or not the fraternity will return to campus.
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lookin like a fool with your pants on the ground
Re: Sigma Alpha Epsilon fire
As an SAE (68) at the University of Kentucky, I was shocked to read the news of the fire last weekend at the fraternity’s house. I am happy that nobody was seriously injured but from what I have read, many people could have possibly died. What a tragedy that would have been. I hope the University and the IFC looks in to this situation and renders punishment to those responsible. Many men have gone before you and helped provide you such a nice house to live in. We were all young once but I cannot remember doing such a stupid act that would endanger the lives of your “brothers”. To the men of SAE: grow up and use the common sense that God gave you otherwise, your older brothers will take charge. The next mistake could cost someone their life.
This is just another example of the poisoinous atmosphere of greek life on this Campus. We have seen some organize to do amazing things (Dance Blue for example) We have also seen some awful things>
Many encourage a culture of exclusion and irresponsibility. We are so inward and obessed with our own little organizations, we as a student body, have done a poor job of being active in the community.
Other campuses are open exchanges of ideas, dialogue and demonstrations. The overwhelming emphasis on the social clubs has sapped our community of the flood of potential that could be released. I’ve never seen a college campus so disconnected with the world.
Organizations make choices. Last night was a culmination of series of poor decisions by slipped into the circle of this organization. Hopefully the Greeks learn from this and turn their energies toward their incredible potential.
Some guy wrapped some other guy in toilet paper, and set it on fire, and put it out.
If this happened in XYZ dorm, would they shut the dorm down?
If some soccer player did this to another soccer player, would they shut down the team?
Why is SAE being victimized?
And how about that fire inspector who saw zero violations two days earlier? If there were 50 violations found now, that inspector should be terminated.
I am very displeased with the integrity of the Kernel. It seems they have been one-sided in reporting this story and whether that is because of pressure from the deans or a biased columnist, im not sure but I think the whole story should be covered. I had to look to national and local news sources to find out the complete story which is sad because we have are supposed to have a campus “news”paper. I realize the kernel is a student run paper but please have a little integrity and release the whole story regardless of outside influences. Im sure that this comment will be deleted along with any other that has negative remarks towards SAE. I am bewildered at why The University Of Kentucky continues to protect this fraternity after all of the problems they have caused. The drugs, treatment of women and extreme hazing may be easily brushed under the rug but lets hope for the Universities sake that the deans look beyond the money and shut this fraternity down for good. We all know that if something like this happens and UK’s deans decide to EVER let this fraternity back on campus it will look horrible on our Univeristy nationwide.
Well have you seen the movie Animal House? This is just exactly what I thought would happen. Dean Wormer should have shut you down a long time ago! I saw the news too, the guys were smiling in the pics. Not sure where these pics were took but they were grinning from ear to ear. Next time, they should just have an old fashion toga party. Toga, Toga.
Maybe they shut it down because there was repeat fire code violations. Not to mention the multiple arrest that have been made at the SAE house.
bluebeetle, I’m really upset at your comments. You have lumped many of the Greek organizations together on this incident and are assuming on a few others no doubt. You have to realize that if it weren’t for Greek life at UK, nothing would hardly ever be accomplished in the way of philanthropy. All of your favorite organizations are run by Greeks. SG, UKCCO, FUSION, DanceBlue, all run by Greeks. So while you criticize us for the actions of three people, do remember that you are blaming the people that help our campus the most.
Amen Bobby: I also had to find out the information from the local news. And how dare the Kernel erase all the negative comments against SAE in the other articles comment section.
Kyle,
Yes, I mentioned that Greek organizations contribute on campus. But I have also seen the extreme downside as well. I was an Ohio State student and we had many many student run philanthropic organizations outside of the Greek system. As a I stated before, I am not condemning all of you based on this incident alone.
I am simply of the opinion, that on a whole, Greek life has detracted from the positive experience of campus more than it has contributed. We all see cop cars and scores of dangerously intoxicated youths streaming out of Greek houses on Thursday nights.
Also, you say that the Greeks help our campus the most….It’s a difficult statement to quantify. At other Universities- board of Trustees meetings are high in attendance. Where were the Greeks when they almost raised tuition? Are they ever there? I go to the meetings regularly and have yet to see much of any students there. (Greek or non-Greek.)
We have stale atmosphere here on campus. I happen to think the extreme emphasis on meaningless social hierarchies robs this campus of the impetus to do even more. Greeks have a part, but they are over emphasized here. Again, it’s difficult to quantify either of our opinions…so I suppose we could agree to disagree.
Drunken shanannigans is all this is. Kudos to the person who brought up the possibility of this taking place in a dorm. The problem of course lies in the nature of the organized structure of GLOs. Because of the letters, it is easy to scapegoat one segment of the population that is no different than the rest of campus, save for their organized nature. It’s boys being boys, let it go.
HEY ALUM, SAE’s are always playing the victims! I myself was Greek and I have heard excuses after excuses from you guys. It’s about time you got such down. Alums work hard to give them such a great house and you treat it like that? It’s horrible. Stop making excuses and start acting like the gentleman you claim to be and take responsibilities. Don’t blame the inspector. I’m sure you all applied to all the codes when he was there and once the inspector was out the door, your violations took ahold of the house once again.
HEY ALUM, SAE’s are always playing the victims! I myself was Greek and I have heard excuses after excuses from you guys. It’s about time you got such down. Alums work hard to give them such a great house and you treat it like that? It’s horrible. Stop making excuses and start acting like the gentleman you claim to be and take responsibilities. Don’t blame the inspector. I’m sure you all applied to all the codes when he was there and once the inspector was out the door, your violations took a hold of the house once again.