BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — An Indiana University sorority has apologized for throwing a party that made fun of the homeless as it responds to criticism that the event was insensitive.
Kappa Delta president Aubrey McMahon issued the apology in a letter posted on the chapter’s website Friday.
“Our choice was a poor one. We know that it was not acceptable and does not align with our values,” she wrote.
The party featured sorority members with fake dirt smudged on their faces and wearing cutoff denim shorts and tank tops. Some carried signs with slogans including “Why Lie: It’s For Boooze. Homeless need $ and prayers,” the website Jezebel reported.
McMahon said the sorority plans to work with its national organization and local advisers to develop a plan for sensitivity training and community service.
National Kappa Delta leaders said in a statement that they did not condone the event and was investigating.
IU spokesman Mark Land told The Herald-Times in Bloomington that university officials are aware of the event and that Dean of Students Pete Goldsmith had contacted members of the sorority chapter.
“It’s not like they’re guilty of anything illegal. Right now, they’re guilty of being in bad taste,” Land said.
Christy Shepard, executive director of the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention in Indianapolis, told The Indianapolis Star Tuesday that the situation illustrates the misconceptions about why people are homeless.
She said she hopes the flap over the party serves as a learning opportunity.
“We don’t live in silos. Our behaviors and our actions and our works have consequences, sometimes unintended ones,” she said. “Let this be a lesson that even minor infractions can really put people off.”
