Fraternity Allowed to Keep Permit--for Now

A Cal State Fullerton fraternity, known for its rowdy parties and getting in trouble with the law, has been given a chance to clean up its act within six months or face losing its permit to operate a house on Teri Place.

After a four-hour public hearing Tuesday night, the City Council voted 3 to 2 to allow Tau Kappa Epsilon to keep its permit for now. The council will review the fraternity’s progress in six months.

Meanwhile, Teke, as the fraternity is known, must hire two off-duty Fullerton police officers to act as security guards whenever the frat house hosts a party with 200 people or fewer. More officers would have to be employed for bigger parties.

Fraternity members said they won’t be holding any parties for a while because they can’t afford the security guards.

Police had urged the council to revoke Teke’s permit, citing a number of incidents over the last two years. Police are investigating allegations of a rape at the frat house, a threat on an officer’s life, a shooting and several out-of-control parties where people under 21 were “extremely” intoxicated, Sgt. Dan Hughes told the council.

Since 1995, Teke also has been blamed for noise and trash problems on Teri Place, home to half a dozen fraternities.

“Our past behavior has not been acceptable,” Teke President Edgar Khalatian said. “The past is the past. . . . We want to improve relations with our city and our school.”

Drastic measures have been taken, a spokesman from Teke’s national affiliate said. Several members have been ousted, and others are on probation.

In addition, a community advisory group made up of neighbors, students, city and university representatives and community members has been formed.

Ryan Alcantara, the university’s assistant director for Greek life and student development, said the group is tackling the problems, including parking congestion from parties, and trying to find solutions.

Options being discussed include providing parking on campus, which is about a block from the unofficial frat row, and holding the parties in rented halls, Alcantara said.

The fraternity’s efforts to be good neighbors convinced council members Julie Sa, Chris Norby and F. Richard Jones to vote for allowing the fraternity to keep its permit.

“We’ve got you on a short leash for a little while longer to see if we will keep you on or put you out of your misery,” Norby told the Tekes.

Mayor Don Bankhead and Councilwoman Jan M. Flory, who cast the two votes against Teke’s permit, said they doubt the claims by some fraternity members that they had never seen drunk, underage partyers at their house.

“I think you guys need to be thumped,” Flory told the Tekes. “I think that you need to take this very seriously.”