UVA fraternity members speak out for the first time on their weeks in hiding

Article here. Excerpt:

'Brothers of the University of Virginia fraternity at the center of a now discredited Rolling Stone article about gang rape have spoken out for the first time to detail how they were forced into hiding after the story incited mass protests on campus.

The article about the issue of sexual assault at UVA starts with the horrifying account of one student who claims to have been gang-raped by seven men in an apparent initiation ritual at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity two years ago.

But after several holes in the victim's story were brought to light, and a police investigation found no evidence the crime ever happened, the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity was taken off suspension this week and are set to start their new remember recruitment - known as Rush - tonight.

Phi Psi president Stephen Scipione, a 21-year-old junior from Richmond, Virginia, spoke with the Washington Post and described the night in November when he and his brothers huddled around and read the damning article.
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Just hours after the story came out, the Phi Psi house was gratified with statements like 'UVA Center for Rape Studies' and 'Suspend Us!' and the brothers say bricks were thrown through the windows.

Fearing their safety, most of them fled the house, booking hotel rooms.
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The brothers checked old emails, bank accounts and other fraternity records and discovered that they did not hold a party at the house the weekend of September 28, 2012 - and that no one in their fraternity matched the description of the primary attacker, a junior who worked at the university pool.

They also staunchly denied the suggestion that the incident was an initiation ritual for new members, as details of the attack suggested.

'We vehemently deny that it would be plausible as a ritualistic tradition to join our fraternity,' Scipione said.
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Since the article was published, Phi Psi members have undergone sexual assault seminars and were the first fraternity to sign a new university policy about parties at Greek life parties. The new rules were developed to protect revelers from being slipped date rape drugs in their drinks.

All fraternities must sign the pact by January 16, and two are holding out so far - saying they are being blamed for the campus' bad press.'