As the eviction deadline for the Delta Omicron chapter of Delta Delta Delta at IU approached Sunday evening, there wasn’t much movement in the house. The 5 p.m. deadline came and went, and the house stayed occupied.
The national organization revoked the chapter’s charter March 4, and the chapter received an eviction notice March 27 from the national chapter requesting members move out of the house by 5 p.m. Sunday. The exact details of the email were only sent to members of the chapter.
The Tri Delt national chapter said the IU chapter’s charter was revoked for “activities that do not represent our high standards or align with Tri Delta’s Purpose – activities that also violated the chapter’s previous probation terms.”
When Sunday came, there were no moving vans or parents in sight. There was no yelling, beeping trucks or crying sorority members. Instead, the parking lot was full of cars but not people.
The eviction was postponed after Tri Delt parents hired an Indianapolis attorney and law firm to represent the chapter in court March 29. The Tri Delt chapter sued its national organization and housing corporations.
The chapter went to court in hopes of receiving a restraining order on its nationals, which would overturn the IU chapter’s eviction. The case was overseen by Judge Frances G. Hill in Bloomington who ruled in favor of the chapter Thursday.
Hill ruled that the Tri Delt national organization had to stand down and refrain from any and all efforts to evict the chapter members from the property at 818 E. 3rd St. for a period of no less than 14 days.
After this period the parties have to return to court for further arguments regarding eviction. The IU chapter’s lawyer, Peter French, could not be reached for comment.
Tri Delt members wish to remain in the house until the end of the semester. Its members’ parents have said their ultimate goal is to reinstate the chapter at IU. They created two petitions that have combined support of about 7,000 people, who, like the parents, have been pressuring nationals in support of the chapter.
“My heart goes out to those girls who are trying to succeed in school while they are faced with the prospect of finding a new place to live,” Michelle Roberts, a supporter of the petition, said. “Shame on you for taking such abrupt action.”
Roberts, like many supporters of the petition, thinks the minimum nationals could do is allow the women to live in the house for the remainder of the semester.
The chapter declined to comment on the case or the ongoing dispute with its national organization.
