Senate President’s son in suspended fraternity
by Dara Kam | December 24th, 2009Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater’s son, John, is a member of the fraternity that could be permanently barred from Florida Atlantic University because of a hazing incident in the fall.
John Atwater — a 21-year-old senior, homecoming prince and president of the university rugby team — is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, the fraternity known as Sig Ep that has been suspended from campus activities pending the outcome of an investigation into an Oct. 17 hazing incident.
The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office is conducting a review of the hazing ritual in which a 19-year-old frat brother wound up in the emergency room after being bound with duct tape and forced to binge drink, according to FAU police.
Sen. Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, said he was unaware of the incident or of the fraternity’s suspension.
“I know he’s a member of the fraternity but I’m not aware of any incident or that they’ve been suspended,” Atwater said in a telephone call on Christmas Eve. “This is the first I’m hearing about it. If you weren’t telling me this I wouldn’t be up to speed on this at all.”
Nicholas Letteri, a Sigma Phi Epsilon member from the Tampa area, told police he was the victim of a “kidnapping” prank at an off-campus home of a fraternity brother.
Letteri said he was bound and forced to drink a liquor and beer concoction from a cereal bowl while Sig Ep members drew on his back with markers and others used squirt guns to drench his crotch, face and chest.
He was forced to chug beers and repeatedly threw up, he said. Letteri said he was still sick the next day and a friend took him to the Boca Raton Community Hospital emergency room.
Campus police have closed their investigation and forwarded the case to the State Attorney’s Office for review, Police Chief Charles
Lowe said.
Lawmakers have beefed up anti-hazing laws to discourage hazing, which frequently involves fraternity brothers forcing initiates to drink alcohol. Hazing – rituals that involve a risk of bodily harm or death – can be a first-degree misdemeanor or a third-degree felony.
A law passed in 2005, based on a bill filed by House Majority Leader Adam Hasner of Delray Beach, expanded misdemeanor hazing crimes to include high school students and increased to a third degree felony hazing rituals that result in serious injury or death.
The university temporarily suspended the Sig Ep chapter and is conducting its own review. A decision on chapter’s fate is expected in January. Discipline can range from suspension to banishment from campus.
The college does not tolerate hazing and the chapter of the national fraternity, known as Sig Ep, could face severe consequences, said Charles Brown, FAU’s vice president for student affairs.
“I don’t tolerate it. I will close the chapter down,” Brown said, if its members are found to be at fault.
Tags: Florida Atlantic University, hazing, Jeff Atwater, Sigma Phi Epsilon
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December 24th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Interesting how the Atwater name keeps coming up.
December 25th, 2009 at 2:43 am
Interesting how the name keeps coming up??? It keeps coming up because the Post keeps trying to drag them into distant stories. Stupid. They are a great family. Fraternities haze..don’t sensationalize a story or drag this family into it because you’re reaching for a story that’s not there.
December 25th, 2009 at 7:04 am
As Kinky Friedman would say, the “Wussification” of our culture continues.
Letteri’s hazing was mild. Liquid heat being poured on male genitalia – now that’s hazing! Back when I was in school men were men and wussies were liberals.
And of course the worthless Post is ready to pounce on Atwater. Unfortunately Dara Kam has predictable and tiresome political commentary and reporting. She’s trying to create a Page 2 Politics with a liberal Democratic twist, but she’ll never keep pace with Jose. He’s got much better sources.
Kam and her ilk drove this former Blue Dog to quit the Dem party.
December 25th, 2009 at 10:01 am
“This is the first I’m hearing about it. If you weren’t telling me this I wouldn’t be up to speed on this at all.”
So, he is an out of touch father who has no idea what is going on in his son’s world? Carol needs help Jeff. Wake up call.
December 25th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Well dumb your comment is typical of those who allow government to run wild. Apparently you are not fulfilling your role as an informed and questioning citizen. I am not pointing fingers at the Atwater family I am questioning the politician Atwater. Now, and I repeat this, I am not accusing Atwater of anything but maybe, just maybe, the reason Palm Beach County has the honor or being Corrupt county is the officials got away without citizen questions.
In politics as in other callings power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The only check on our representatives is to constantly watch and question their actions. I hope you are right that there is no fire but I do think one is wise if the check out the smell of smoke.
December 25th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
You have got to be kidding me. You morons think that this is news!!! I will celebrate the day that the post is shut down. Who gives a crap about this garbage reporting. You print this but nothing about all of the ILLEGAL activity that Wexler and his cronies did. How about the fact that Wexler’s boys filed for bankruptcy the day after he announced his “resignation”. How about the corrupt Aaronsohn who did all of the same things that McCarty did, and then some.
THE POST IS PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 25th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
This is the most pathetic post by the Post ever.
December 26th, 2009 at 10:24 am
The article states: “John Atwater — a 21-year-old senior, homecoming prince and president of the university rugby team..”
Gee, I guess I missed the Post’s articles about John Atwater’s achievements.
But the Post should be commended for its hard-hitting poltical news – that Atwater’s son is a member of a fraternity that allegedly did something wrong but that he is not alleged to have been involved, and the group might be suspended from FAU. Yessir, we really needed that to assess Jeff Atwater’s performance as Senate President and bring us up-to-date on Tallahassee activity.
I agree with the other Dean. Dara Kam should be pulled from her job and assigned to work for Jose at Page 2. Get a real political reporter and/or columnist.
I’m a Dem who is embarrassed by the Post and other media.
December 26th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Dara Kam is one tough, investigative reporter. And those shades in her professional photo prove that she’s just too cool to be one of us.
It’s these types of Post columns and reporters that make me proud that I have not purchased a Post, other than Sunday editions, for about ten years and therefore I’m contributing, albeit in a small way, to the Post’s demise.
December 26th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I had to click the link just to verify for myself that the Post was just this petty to post this non-information.
This article has no merit of any kind. Even if the fraternity did something wrong, there isn’t ANY connection to Sen. Atwater except for his son being a member.
Sheesh, you are out-of-touch Post.
December 28th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Phyllis, you are out-of-touch with the Post. Nothing is too small or trivial or meaningless for the Post to attempt to discredit a Republican. Doesn’t matter if it involves a family member or the family dog.
Just do what many of us already do – don’t buy the Post. Eventually the Post will go away and a credible source for local news will emerge.
January 28th, 2010 at 11:18 am
I was studying something else about this on another blog. Interesting. Your position on it is diametrically contradicted to what I read originally. I am still contemplating over the opposite points of view, but I’m leaning heavily toward yours. And no matter, that’s what is so great about contemporary democracy and the marketplace of ideas on-line.
February 1st, 2010 at 9:11 pm
You know, if people are stupid enough to allow ‘hazing’ happen to them. Then I have no sympathy for them.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:21 pm
+1 to Koozies