DALLAS — A secretly recorded video of Southern Methodist University sorority students partially undressed has led to the termination of 18 seniors from the sorority and a lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday under the name "Jane Doe" accuses national sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma of invasion of privacy and negligence.
According to the suit, the sorority gathered on Jan. 13, 2016, at the Kappa house to celebrate bid night. Part of an annual tradition, Jane Doe and other sorority sisters "danced in varying states of undress while singing for the freshmen, who had just received bids to join the sorority."
Prior to the event, the sisters went upstairs to undress to their undergarments and "reviewed printed lyrics to the song they would sing (Casanova Cowboy)." Each of the sisters' phones and cameras were taken away to prohibit recording of the ceremony.
The affidavit states a Kappa chapter advisor in her 60s and 10 chapter council members were present at the time of the ceremony, which lasted five to six minutes.
"Embarrassed by this ritual, one of the seniors tried to participate wearing a vest to cover up her chest," the suit reads. "As that senior was about to enter the Chapter room, girls on Chapter Council (Kappa Chapter officers) and a couple of seniors pulled off the vest the senior was wearing."
The suit alleges the Kappa House mom secretly recorded video of the "required ... ceremony" on a security camera.
"The ceremony had never been taped in the past," the suit states. "[Jane Doe] and other sorority sisters
did not know that the ritual was being taped."
Jane Doe says for six days after the event, members were told not to discuss what happened at the ceremony to anyone.
"However, when word of the events leaked out, Kappa National realized it could not quietly sweep the events and situation under the rug," the suit says.
The lawsuit says as part of a "classic blame game strategy," the national sorority and two others specifically named -- Collett Rangitsch and Sandy Ammons -- then threatened to release the video and told members it "could lead to criminal prosecution."
Rangitsch, the sorority's national director of standards, was sent to investigate the incident. However, the suit alleges she interrogated members and threatened to show the video to SMU administrators. She then advised members to call their parents and hire lawyers "because they had violated Texas laws and could be prosecuted for sex crimes and end up as registered sex offenders."
"This is a sad, long term pattern," the suits alleges. "Kappa knows of and even endorses many of
Kappa's rituals and traditions that many people consider to be hazing."
The suit says 18 seniors were terminated from the sorority, while 10 others were placed on probation.
"Thus, [Jane Doe] and other sorority members have been victimized twice," the suit states.
The national sorority also allegedly duplicated the video and refused to disclose who all viewed the recording.
The lawsuit asks that the sorority be stopped from sharing or copying the recording.
