An Open Letter to the Tiger Inn Graduate Board

The following letter was previously published in The Daily Princetonian on Dec. 5, 2014.

We are alumni of the Princeton University and Tiger Inn classes of 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998, which were among the first cohorts that included women. We are writing to express our dismay and disgust over the behavior of club leaders and members over the past year, including the incident in the spring that resulted in damage to the clubhouse, as well as the more recent and disturbing incidents in which club officers engaged in misogyny, sexual harassment or worse.

Although we were in the first few classes that included women —  and, indeed, women made up only a small percentage of each class  —  this was not our experience of Tiger Inn. Once it was determined that TI was legally required to admit women, it seemed that it was only older alumni who occasionally made disparaging remarks about the newly co-ed status of the club. Club members —  female and male  —  enjoyed the camaraderie, mutual respect and low-key atmosphere for which TI was known.

It is therefore shocking to read about the recent behavior by club members, more than 20 years after the club began admitting women, and eight years after the club confronted allegations of sexual assault and suffered repercussions as a consequence. The majority of current club members were not alive during the period when TI was all-male, so it seems particularly bizarre, offensive and disheartening to read that some members may be wishing for a bygone era. It indicates a club culture that is unwelcoming and dangerous and has no place anywhere, let alone in the privileged confines of Princeton. The 2012 documentary “The Invisible War” about sexual assaults in the military cites a statistic that in military units where sexual harassment was tolerated, rapes tripled. These attitudes and actions by TI members should not be allowed to persist.

While the Graduate Board appears to be taking these matters very seriously, and we appreciate the strong language that was used in the recent email to members, as reported by The Daily Princetonian, we are concerned that the actions taken so far  —  namely, the dismissal of club officers from their posts  —  are insufficient to alter the club’s culture and seem like half-measures at best. Such actions are similar to the responses of officials to incidents of sexual harassment and assault at the nearly 90 colleges and universities under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. The result has been a failure to make meaningful changes until a scandal occurs.

To the Graduate Board, we would ask the following question: Should TI be permitted to remain open for the time being? If it should, under what conditions? We do not believe that this should be taken for granted, and we encourage the Graduate Board to consider all options for addressing the situation, which recent reports indicate it is doing. In light of the incidents this year —  and in light of the fact that one set of officers was forced out, only to be replaced by another set of officers who exhibited even worse judgment —  we believe that the prevailing culture of the club does not appear to live up to the standards of either the club or the University. Rather than hoping to address this through the least amount of punishment, the Graduate Board would do better to start from the other direction and consider whether the club should continue operating at the present time and, if so, what conditions the club and its members should be required to meet. Several individual alumni who have signed this letter intend to follow up directly with the Graduate Board with suggestions.

As is often the case in situations involving groups, we would expect that there are many ethical members who will suffer the repercussions of the actions of others. The club will need to start valuing the example and leadership of such members before it can regain the spirit and integrity that are much beloved by alumni, including us. We are reluctant to associate ourselves with the club at this time, and we hope the Graduate Board makes a strong statement to the club’s past, current and future members about TI’s values.

The Tiger Inn has an opportunity to demonstrate meaningful and potentially far-reaching leadership by addressing these recent issues in a manner that is direct, uncompromising and transparent to its alumni, the Princeton University community and the community beyond. The privilege and advantages that are bestowed upon students attending Princeton University cannot be overstated, and this fact needs to be acknowledged. If members of the Tiger Inn and its Graduate Board take swift and strong action to demonstrate that any kind of bias, harassment, exploitation or assault will not be tolerated, perhaps the current club culture can be reshaped into something worthy of the unique privilege that Princeton University students enjoy. Such actions will not erase the shameful events that have occurred recently at Tiger Inn, but anything less is not worthy of the Tiger Inn or of Princeton University.

Signed,

(in alphabetical order by first name)

Adam Holt ’95 — TI president, 1994–95
Alice (Stackpole) Eagleson ’94
Amy (Errington) Oversmith ’94
Anne Dixon ’96
Annie Howell ’93
Arthur “PJ” Chew ’95
Ashley (Marsh) Pertsemlidis ’93
Blair Linen Demers ’96
Bob Morse ’93
Bradaigh (Flor) Wagner ’97 — TI officer, 1996–97 (first female TI officer)
Brian Crumley ’96, TI Officer, 1995–96
Camilla (Norman) Field ’98
Carrie Ann (Rishko) Cusack ’94
Carrington Cole Madden ’93
Carter Westfall ’96 — TI treasurer, 1995–96
Catarina (Norman) Schwab ’96
Celia (Devlin) McLane ’96
Charisse Kiino ’93
Charlie Gogolak ’94
Charlotte Relyea ’96
Colin Rowan ’94 — TI president, 1993–94
Collins Roth ’92 — TI social chair, 1991–92
Dan Marcus ’95
David Eagleson ’94
David Moss ’96
Davin Cushman ’96
Doug McLane ’96 — TI house manager, 1995–96; TI Grad. Board, 2000–01
Drew Dylewski ’96 — TI vice president, 1995–96
Eben Garnett ’93
Ed Allred ’94
Ed Cervone ’94 — TI vice president, 1993–94
Elisa (DeLaet) Jagerson ’94
Elizabeth Newman ’96
Ella Dillon ’94
Ellen (Scott) Hudson ’93
Francis Diaz ’97 — TI treasurer, 1996–97
Frank LeCates ’94
Gina (del Carmen) Coburn ’93
Gloria S. Riviera ’96
Greg Parsons ’94
Gretchen (Maddox) Trusted ’96
H. Coleman Herrod ’95
Jack Walter ’94
Jackie Moss ’93
Jeff Buck ’96 — TI president, 1995–96
Jeff Kreisler ’95
Jennifer Heisinger Walker ’94
John Carr ’97
John Friedewald ’93
Jon Malkiel ’95
Josh Poag ’95
Josh Wishnack ’96
Julia Ott ’97
Justine (Macintosh) LeCates ’95
Karen (Chernisky) Himmelsbach ’97
Katherine Shafer Coleman ’96
Katie Meredith ’95
Katie Prager ’96
Kendall Moore ’96
Kenja Hassan ’94
Kimberley (Cooper) Kissoyan ’96
Kimberly Slicklein ’96
Laurie (Gustafson) Collins ’96
Lori (Greene) Nollet ’94
Madison Cooper ’94
Mark P. Dallas ’96
Mark Poag ’93
Matthew S. Stern ’96
Maureen (Cusack) Cushman ’96
Melisa (Kashiwahara) Lauer ’93
Melissa Hale Woodman ’93
Michael McLochlin ’96 — TI social chair, 1995–96
Michael Paley ’96
Natanya (Holland) Allan ’95
Nick Kearns ’97
Nina Henning ’96
P. Bart Stephens ’97
Paige Perriello ’94
R. Tulloss Delk ’96
Rebecca (Jones) Urciuoli ’93
Rebecca Bill Chavez ’93
Rob Pawloski ’94
Roger Chen ’95
Russ Grandinetti ’93
Ryan Bonner ’94
Ryan C. Plotner ’96
Sarah (Duxbury) Chin ’96
Sarah Rogers ’94
Scott Rostan ’95
Sean Cusack ’94
Seth Meisel ’95
Sherrill (Jeffers) Isenhower ’94
Stephanie Kip Rostan ’95
Suk Namkoong ’94
Susan (Buck) Strawbridge ’93
Talbott Simonds ’96
Taylor Harrison ’94
Whitney (Rogers) Malkiel ’94
Will Clark ’93
William King Stubbs III ’94 — TI social chair, 1993–94
Winifred (Kelsey) Riser ’95