California Sorority Ousts Recruitment Adviser Amid Discrimination Allegations

The Alpha Phi sorority chapter at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has removed an outside recruitment adviser following accusations that prospective members, particularly women of color, were excluded from the pledging process. The allegations surfaced on the anonymous platform Yik Yak, where hundreds of posts garnered significant attention, according to a report by News-Press.

Alpha Phi International, the national organization, had sent three external representatives to assist with the chapter's recruitment, which began with a pool of approximately 1,200 potential new members. Chapter President Alana Nielsen stated that these representatives were responsible for selecting which prospects would advance to the next round.

Nielsen and other members of the sorority's executive board reported being sidelined by the external recruiters during the selection process. When the list of remaining prospects was revealed, Nielsen observed a noticeable absence of diversity. "There was clearly a large and noticeably diverse group of women who were missing," Nielsen told News-Press. "All of our members felt that those women did not reflect the women we had actually reported on and wanted to see return."

Members of the sorority confronted the outside representatives. Sky Achola, a Black member of the chapter, said she and other Black members were removed from most recruitment events. Achola described a tense confrontation with the recruiters, noting that even white members of the chapter expressed solidarity with those who felt marginalized.

Following the protests from existing members, the sorority learned that one of the three external representatives was solely responsible for the exclusionary decisions. This individual was subsequently reported to Alpha Phi International and was immediately removed from the UC Santa Barbara house.

Nielsen indicated that the sorority decided to continue the recruitment process with existing members taking greater control over the remaining selections. "Continuing recruitment wasn’t about moving past what happened or pretending it didn’t happen," Nielsen said. "It was about saying, we’re not gonna let this experience define who we are or how we operate moving forward."

Alpha Phi International has since sent representatives from its health, wellness, and accountability department to the chapter. Achola expressed hope for a thorough investigation into the matter. The Daily Mail has reached out to Alpha Phi International, UC Santa Barbara, and the local chapter for comment.