Fraternity disciplined over party that led to UK football players’ burglary charges
A University of Kentucky fraternity was throwing a party at a house where six UK football players allegedly committed burglary, a UK spokesperson confirmed Friday.
The fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi, was given one year of disciplinary probation from UK’s Office of Student Conduct for “various violations” tied to the party, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said.
Alpha Sigma Phi’s violations included failure to comply, hazing, misuses of alcohol and failure to follow UK’s COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, according to UK’s website. The code of student conduct defines failure to comply as deliberate noncompliance with directions of UK officials or law enforcement officers, including “failure to properly identify oneself to these persons when requested to do so.”
The probation expires on April 21, 2022. While on disciplinary probation, the fraternity is ‘not in good standing’ with the university and subsequent violations could lead to more severe punishments.
The house that Alpha Sigma Phi used to host the party is off campus and UK doesn’t own it, Blanton said. The residence, near UK’s campus, sits among other houses that have beer pong tables and abandoned alcohol containers in front yards.
The party was thrown on March 6; three individuals entered the house uninvited and were asked to leave, Lexington police Sgt. Donnell Gordon said in a news release Thursday. The three individuals threatened to return and later did with more people, according to police. The group allegedly forced its way into the house.
A “physical altercation” occurred during the incident, and some people suffered injuries, according to court records. But a criminal complaint filed into court didn’t specify what those injuries were. Lexington police said they couldn’t comment further on the injuries or how many people were involved in the altercation.
The six players — Reuben “RJ” Adams, Robert JuTahn McClain, Andru Phillips, Earnest Sanders IV, Devito Tisdale and Joel Williams — were charged with first-degree burglary, according to police and court records. Tisdale was also charged with wanton endangerment because he was accused of pointing a handgun “at one of the victims.”
A first-degree burglary charge entails being armed with explosives or a deadly weapon, or causing physical injury to anyone who isn’t a participant in the burglary, or using or threatening to use a “dangerous instrument” against anyone who isn’t a participant in the burglary, according to state law.
Head football coach Mark Stoops had already indicated that UK’s Office of Student Conduct reviewed his players’ involvement in the incident.
“We have been aware of this matter since March, as we withheld the players from team activities while a student conduct review was held,” Stoops said in a statement Thursday. “Based on the outcome of the review, the players returned to activity in June. We are evaluating the current situation as we receive more information.”
All six players appeared in Fayette District Court Friday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.
Fayette District Judge Joseph Bouvier ordered the six players to avoid any contact with victims except through counsel and also told them to stay away from the house where the altercation occurred.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 3:13 PM.