The University of Southern California (USC) will allow its fraternities to begin hosting social events again in February if they follow new safety guidelines including hiring security guards to block hallways leading to bedrooms, according to an Interfraternity Council (IFC) document.
The new rules were implemented in light of sexual violence and misconduct allegations, according to the IFC planning document.
USC suspended its Sigma Nu chapter in the fall of 2021 following allegations of drugging and sexual assault, and the school later banned all fraternity house social gatherings, according to the Los Angeles Times. Several other fraternities are also on suspension.
In addition to hiring security for social events to make sure all participants stay in common spaces, all IFC chapter members must complete “prevention education workshops,” along with pre-event planning and post-event reviews to make sure social gatherings comply with laws, local ordinances and university rules.
“So this is what they had in the 1950’s: a protective system acknowledging that female students needed to be carefully chaperoned to protect them from the sexual appetites of men,” LA Times writer Caitlin Flanagan commented on Twitter. “Worked pretty well.”
The rules also bar fraternities from serving alcohol at recruitment events. Compliant fraternities will be allowed to host two social events in February and may return to a full social schedule in March.
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