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The more insidious side of the plan seems to be the intent to impose a ‘Greek Tax’ on individual students to supplement the salaries of new and current FSU employees and hire even more bureaucrats. Now meet Dr. Amy Hecht, the newly arrived Vice President or Student Affairs who has crafted this campaign.  Dr. Hecht appears to be a disciple of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel who once said “You must never let a serious crisis go to waste…. What I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you could not do before.” The serious crisis here of course is the tragic and pointless death of student Andrew Coffey who succumbed after after a group of his fraternity brothers gathered and engaged in binge drinking. Coffey registered over a .40 alcohol blood level after his death. Such activity can neither be accepted nor ignored and it has not been. Every member of the FSU community genuinely mourns the tragic death of Andrew Coffey. After Coffee died, FSU President John Thrasher issued and immediate, indefinite, campus-wide suspension of Greek Life. He expressed his wish to see students “change the culture” to prevent hazing and drug abuse and sexual misconduct. Many Greek students felt they had done nothing wrong and were being unfairly targeted.  Many were outraged.  Most Greek organizations operate like businesses with houses and budgets, and the financial damages of an indefinite suspension would be extreme. This has proven true as memberships have reduced, fees gone unpaid, events cancelled, and deposits lost, costing these students significant financial damages, collectively likely into the low millions. The pending loss of an entire membership cycle may be most damning. At the time, however, the Greek students and their alumni leaders chose to place their trust in President Thrasher.  Everyone understood the gravity of a tragic death, and wanted to respect both the President and Coffee’s family during their immediate period of loss.

The University’s ‘First Offer’ is a Death Sentence

Now, nearly three months following the tragedy, the temporary, indefinite suspension remains in place. On January 16, Dr. Amy Hecht presented the University’s “first offer” for restoration of Greek life.  National and local fraternity leaders were appalled.  Many were left stunned, wondering if their trust, patience and respect for the Administration were misplaced. No one who attended the meeting was willing to speak on the record.  However, multiple sources expressed to The Herald that Dr. Hecht’s presentation was a demand for unconditional surrender.