TEMPE, Ariz., Jan. 24 (UPI) —
Arizona State University has expelled the Tau Kappa Epsilon chapter after the fraternity held a Martin Luther King holiday party with a racist theme.
The chapter was suspended Monday after an "unregistered, off campus event" Jan. 19, ASU officials said in a statement released Thursday.
In revoking the chapter, officials said the fraternity’s party had "encouraged a racially insensitive theme and created an environment conducive to underage consumption of alcohol."
The chapter was placed on probation in 2012.
ASU was continuing to investigate actions of individual students, the statement said, and additional action could be taken against them.
"ASU has one of the most diverse student bodies of any major university in the country, and it is unfortunate that a few individuals held an offensive party at a time when ASU, the state and the nation were celebrating Dr. King’s achievements and legacy," the statement added.
The fraternity’s international headquarters apologized for the "offensive actions" of a "few" of the members of the ASU chapter.
In a statement, it said TKE "does not condone or support any actions by its members that would be defined as racist, discriminatory, and/or offensive."
A member of TKE’s professional staff was on the ASU campus investigating the incident, the statement said.
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