Statement by the Penn State Panhellenic Council

The Panhellenic Council became the latest Penn State organization to make a statement regarding recent allegations that members of Kappa Delta Rho posted nude photos of unsuspecting women on private Facebook pages. In the release, the council said it was “saddened and disgusted” with the developments, and pledged to promote sisterhood unity by holding group forums like the one it held earlier this week.

“What happened to those women and the repercussions for our community cannot, and should not, be dismissed in any way,” the statement reads. “We may not be able to change what happened, but it is our duty to decide how to proceed – as women, as members of sororities, and as part of a university community that should not tolerate this type of behavior.”

Here is the statement in full:

The Panhellenic Council is saddened and disgusted with the recent developments of the Kappa Delta Rho incident. As Panhellenic women, and as collegiate women, we must stand together and remember the importance of sisterhood and support at a time like this. What happened to those women and the repercussions for our community cannot, and should not, be dismissed in any way. We may not be able to change what happened, but it is our duty to decide how to proceed – as women, as members of sororities, and as part of a university community that should not tolerate this type of behavior.

As a result of the allegations against Kappa Delta Rho, the Panhellenic community gathered earlier this week to hold an open forum for students to express their thoughts and feelings as well as learn about resources for support on campus. We will continue to have these types of conversations and plan to work with various campus and community leaders to educate our members and empower them to address behavior that does not reflect the values of our organizations in the future.

We have the utmost confidence that the University, State College Police, the KDR national organization, and the Interfraternity Council will complete a thorough investigation and hold those involved accountable. Our priority is and always will be ensuring the safety and welfare of our members, and we trust that the actions of these entities will help us in doing so.

The Interfratnerity Council also released a statement earlier this week.