USC fraternity leaders face impeachment after overturning chapter suspensions

The University of South Carolina fraternity leaders responsible for temporarily suspending 13 fraternity chapters for alleged alcohol violations this month are facing impeachment.

Four chapter presidents have requested the ouster of Fraternity Council President Tim Bryson and Jonathan Withrow, the council’s vice president of conduct, said Harris Courson, the council vice president of programming.

The Fraternity Council is scheduled to meet on the impeachment request at 5:30 p.m. Monday. A two-thirds vote of the 27 fraternity chapters is requited to impeach the pair.

"This is them being vindictive towards us, telling us, basically, 'We don't agree with what you did, so we're going to make you pay,' " Withrow told The Daily Gamecock.

The chapter presidents who filed the request did not reveal why they wanted Bryson and Withrow removed, Courson said.

It’s unknown if the fraternity presidents filing the complaints were from chapters suspended two weeks ago. The chapter presidents wished to remain anonymous, Courson said.

USC fraternity leaders suspended 13 of the 19 chapters from new-member recruiting after allegations of alcohol at rush events. The accusations were based on reports from other students, university officials said. Rush events are supposed to be alcohol-free.

But after council leaders met with fraternity representatives, the suspensions for six chapters were lifted in time to invite new members on the regularly scheduled day a week ago. The other seven were allowed to offer bids on Friday.

Some chapters face hearings before the Greek Conduct Board, a USC spokesman said last week.

USC president Harries Pastides said last week that in the wake of the incidents that the school ought to examine ways to handle rush differently. The school also suspended seven chapters in 2011 for various infractions during rush.

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 3:10 PM.