Interfraternity Council (IFC) President Abe Gitterman gave direct orders last week to about 2,500 Penn State fraternity members to refrain from talking to the press about all issues from internal policy to philanthropy.
With an e-mail sent out on the ANGEL course management system Feb. 26, he instructed the members of the 47 fraternity chapters the IFC oversees to "NOT under any circumstances" talk to the press about "anything." He added, "there is no exception to this policy."
"If we see any quotes in the Collegian," Gitterman wrote, "you will be getting a call."
By mid last week, Gitterman had sent out two messages directing fraternity members to protect the credibility and images of "fraternity communities around the country."
"If one fraternity member says something, it affects us all," Gitterman wrote. "They don't look at our letters, they see 'Frat.' They look at us as 'news,' 'drama,' and continue to bash our names, mess up our stories, and make false stories out of an 'independent-confusion.' "
Multiple members of The Daily Collegian's staff, including reporters and the editor in chief, have asked Gitterman to comment on the new IFC public relations policy in person and through phone calls and e-mails. Gitterman has repeatedly refused to comment and has left calls and e-mails unanswered.
Roy Baker, the director of greek life and advancement, said IFC's new policy is "damage control" for a system that is prone to negative press.
He cited last semester's media coverage of a YouTube.com video that shows members of Penn State's Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, 417 E. Prospect Ave., throwing beer cans and yelling obscenities at two Ohio State fans.
The new policy states that the IFC executive board should be consulted regarding any information that will be published in any publication. The policy is available on the IFC Web site, greeks.psu.edu/ifc.
"I don't think the policy says not to talk to the media," Baker said. "I think the policy says let us do so in an organized and deliberate fashion instead of people talking about something they may not know something about."
A statement issued by the IFC Thursday says the organization will interact with the press when it "has a contribution to make" and comments are "positive, proactive, and represent the organization and its members in a supportive way."
Melissa Melewsky, media law attorney at the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, said Gitterman's rule raises constitutional issues and "would never survive judicial scrutiny."
"Just because you are the president of a fraternal organization doesn't give you the power to control what people can and can't talk about," she said. "If someone suffered an adverse consequence for talking to the press, the student would win."
Bob Richards, communications professor and co-director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment at Penn State, said IFC's connection with Penn State, a university that receives government funding, could be enough to present Gitterman's "spectacularly bad idea" as a violation of freedom of speech.
When Jason Fedeli (junior-sociology), a member of the national Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, who is not affiliated with the Penn State chapter, saw the e-mail, he said he was worried about its impact on free speech.
"It's part of a public institution. A number of families' tax dollars go to the university. My money goes to this university," Fedeli said. "If the IFC is part of this university, it should be held to same standard."
Fedeli said philanthropies, such as the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, could suffer because of widespread censorship.
"Philanthropy should be a good thing," Fedeli said. "If you're not willing to talk to the media about what you're doing, I'm wondering what good are you doing?"
Dustin Norman, IFC president at the University of Minnesota, said his organization does not have a policy similar to Gitterman's but would if a situation required it.
Still, he said he believes the president of the IFC is a public figure and what the organization does is public information.
"We represent so many people on so many campuses," Norman said. "I do feel that it becomes public business because we are a student organization on campus, and what we do can affect the community ... Many things we do are public."
In past communications with the Collegian, Gitterman has said he does not consider himself to be a public figure.
Baker -- who oversees three other greek councils and IFC, which falls under the umbrella of Penn State's Office of Student Affairs -- said he doesn't believe the media is "out to get" greek life and that Gitterman should be regarded as a public figure and spokesman for the IFC.
Gitterman, who ran against three other nominees, was elected IFC president on Nov. 27. On the IFC Web site, above Gitterman's picture, his position is described as the "principal representative of the Interfraternity Council in all student, university and local affairs."
At last night's IFC Presidents' Council meeting, held at Gitterman's fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, 508 Locust Lane, Gitterman threatened to call police when he noticed two Collegian reporters and two Collegian photographers in attendance.
After a reporter stated her legal right to be at the meeting, Gitterman put his cell phone away and offered her a meeting agenda, which included a discussion of the new public relations policy.
Gitterman did, however, call the Penn State Police last Thursday to the second floor of the HUB-Robeson Center when a Collegian reporter was waiting to talk with Baker about the policy.
Gitterman told police the reporter was waiting outside his office, which is across the hall from Baker's, and was "harassing" him and listening to his private conversations.
University police responded to the call, asked the reporter about the allegations and left without further action. Baker would not comment on the Gitterman's call to authorities.
Ann Marie DiPietro, president of the Panhellenic Council at Penn State, said various sorority chapters have public relations policies instilled by their national chapters.
"It's good for sororities to know their hard work is appreciated and know the campus is aware of what they are doing," DiPietro (junior-nursing) added.
Penn State National Pan-Hellenic Council Vice President of Communications Terrell Graham agreed that much of what fraternities do affects the community and should be public, but he knows where Gitterman is coming from.
"Yeah, I think it's public information, certain things that they do ... Abe is going to kill me," he said. "I'm not sure what should be public and what should be private."
