The Powerful Forces That Fight for American Fraternities
Ian Gove’s fraternity was in trouble, and he wasn’t about to see it go down without a fight. On a fall evening after classes, he slipped on a suit and tie and steeled himself to defend Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), one of the largest college fraternities in America. The charges were serious: hazing and reckless drinking that had landed an underaged SAE recruit in the hospital.
The 21-year-old college senior may have seemed outgunned as he argued his case at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His adversary, a university dean, oversaw the school's honor code and wanted the fraternity shut down.
But Gove had a secret weapon: Thom Goolsby, a trial lawyer and Republican North Carolina state senator who was also a devoted fraternity alumnus. At the November 2012 student-conduct board hearing, Goolsby whispered in Gove’s ear as if they were co-counsel: “This is a kangaroo court.”
Reflecting his patron's disdain, Gove, who was the SAE chapter president, offered a spirited defense. He fumed because he couldn't cross-examine some witnesses,
