Wichita State University: Title IX Investigation into Fraternity House Banner Offering ‘Free House Tours’

On September 8, 2017, members of Wichita State University (WSU) fraternity Phi Delta Theta hung a banner reading “New Members Free House Tours!” outside their window during sorority recruitment on WSU’s campus. The banner was up for only five minutes before it was removed. Nevertheless, that same day, assistant vice president for student advocacy, intervention and accountability Mandy Hambleton announced that the banner may have violated multiple WSU policies, including the university’s Title IX policy, and was under investigation after student complaints. On September 12, FIRE wrote to WSU president John Bardo demanding that the university drop its frivolous investigation and reaffirm its commitments to student rights and the First Amendment.