Kappa Sigma, 1045 Emery Road.

UPDATED STORY: KU issues cease-and-desist orders, 14-day public health bans to two fraternities seen partying ahead of fall semester

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As of Sunday evening, KU’s top administrators had not responded to a Friday letter from faculty and student leaders urgently asking for a two-week delay to the start of in-person classes, the Journal-World has learned.

Meanwhile, images of parties and other large gatherings of KU students unmasked and not adhering to social distancing guidelines are making the rounds on social media, and raising questions about whether KU is following through on a statement made last Wednesday of a “zero-tolerance policy” for students who violate public health policies — behavior which KU said could lead to suspensions.

“We have received a steady stream of reports from faculty members of egregious violations of public health guidelines by community members both on and off campus,” Faculty Senate President Lua Yuille told the Journal-World on Sunday. 


Yuille also said that the Friday letter sent to Chancellor Douglas Girod and Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer had not generated a response from the administration. Leaders of KU’s four university governance organizations — University Senate, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Student Senate — sent the letter asking for the two week delay just days before KU is scheduled to resume in-person classes on Monday, and said the data showed it was not safe to reopen for physical instruction right away.


With students back in Lawrence in full force, multiple pictures and videos of parties have circulated on social media over the past week, leading to questions about whether Kansas’ flagship university is following through on its past statements to discipline offenders of COVID-19 policies — and whether it has any mechanisms in place to stop off-campus parties.


At least two such events have caused community members to question the university about what rules and enforcement plans are in place. 


A video on Saturday showed a verbal confrontation between one Lawrence motorist and members of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. The motorist began filming a party scene outside the fraternity house after he alleged a member threw alcohol on him through the open window of his car.

The motorist said he simply was trying to turn around in the fraternity’s driveway, while a statement from the fraternity alleges he had been taking video of the scene from a neighboring sorority parking lot for more than five minutes, and claimed the motorist threatened to run over members when asked why he was there.


Regardless, the video shows multiple people outside the house without masks and standing close together. KU officials on Sunday did not respond to questions about how scenes from the party, which were widely shared on social media, conform with KU’s pandemic-related policies about off-campus events or whether it was safe to open the university on Monday.


It wasn’t immediately clear on Sunday what those policies allowed and prohibited. For instance, if parties only involve people who already are living together in a house, are they prohibited? A statement from the fraternity said that all of the house members were acting in compliance with Douglas County health guidelines for people who live together, and no in-house residents have tested positive for COVID-19. 

KU’s Wednesday message to students indicates that they should “refrain from hosting social gatherings and events,” but does not specify if that would apply to a fraternity or sorority where everyone in attendance lived together.


Presumed incoming Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez — she won the Democratic primary earlier this month and faces no Republican opponent in the general election — used her social media accounts to highlight another large party on KU’s campus.


Valdez, who is a KU law professor, posted two pictures to Facebook after leaving her KU office on Saturday. The pictures showed dozens of unmasked people at a fraternity house, and Valdez estimated the total crowd size at near 100 people. 


KU officials also did not respond to a request for comment about Valdez’s post or whether the groups depicted were facing any discipline, nor did they respond to questions from the Journal-World earlier in the week about various gatherings held after Wednesday’s message to students was released. 


As part of its preparations for a return to in-person classes on Monday, KU has been conducting mandatory COVID-19 testing of students and other members of the campus community. Last Thursday, KU announced that of roughly 7,800 people tested for COVID-19, 89 individuals received positive test results — 87 of which were students.

Of those 87 results, 61 belonged to members of fraternities or sororities. The results led KU Chancellor Girod to hold a Wednesday evening video conference with fraternity and sorority leaders where KU leaders provided Greek organizations recommendations on how to proceed. Those recommendations included “extremely limited” social gatherings at houses and other off-campus facilities typically occupied by students. 


KU will next release COVID-19 testing data on Tuesday.