USC investigating alleged fraternity members’ harassment of WACH FOX reporter

The University of South Carolina is investigating members of a now-suspended fraternity after a local television reporter was harassed, officials said Wednesday.

Shortly after WACH FOX reporter Brittany Breeding set up her equipment in front of the Lambda Chi Alpha house in USC’s Greek Village to report on the fraternity’s suspension, several people shouted at her, calling her sexist names and telling her to “go home,” she told The State.

She posted a video online of the incident.

“Journalists have to deal with harassment a lot,” Breeding said on Twitter. “Today I covered a story about a fraternity being suspended. The entire time I was out there members yelled all sorts of things at me. This clip was the least offensive out of everything they screamed.”

A USC staff member who witnessed people heckling Breeding reported the incident, and the school has opened a harassment investigation into members of the fraternity, USC spokesman Jeff Stensland said.

Asked for comment, Lambda Chi Alpha’s national organization echoed a prior USC statement that said it expects ethical behavior from all students and takes seriously all harassment claims, fraternity spokesman Tad Lichtenauer said.

Lambda Chi Alpha was suspended from USC’s campus until 2023 following hazing allegations. The fraternity had already been on probation for a prior allegation of hazing, according to a previous article from The State.

On Tuesday, USC’s Interfraternity Council, which oversees fraternities on USC’s campus, issued a statement condemning those who harassed Breeding.

“This behavior is unacceptable and we as a council send our sincerest apologies to Ms. Breeding for the unfair treatment she received,” the statement said. “These men do not reflect the values of the Interfraternity Council.”

Breeding is one of many TV reporters, particularly female reporters, who have been harassed while on air. According to a survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists, 70 percent of the 115 female and non gender-conforming reporters they spoke with said they experienced safety issues or threats — harassment being the most common type.

In September, a man was charged with harassment after trying to kiss a Kentucky TV reporter during a live shot, according to The Washington Post. During the 2018 World Cup, multiple female reporters were harassed, including one incident where a man kissed and groped the breast of a TV reporter from a German media outlet, according to video posted online.

This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 4:32 PM.