Penn State sorority Chi Omega put on probation for offensive picture

Members of Penn State's Chi Omega sorority are seen in an undated picture for which the sorority's president later apologized. / Personal photo via Tumblr

Updated at 3:29 p.m. ET

The national organization of a Penn State sorority announced Thursday that it placed the chapter on probation after a photo of its members wearing sombreros and holding offensive signs circulated on the Internet.

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One of the signs in the photo of Chi Omega sisters says "will mow lawn for weed + beer" and another reads "I don't cut grass I smoke it." The two women holding signs are wearing fake mustaches.

"I am disappointed in the choices made by our Nu Gamma Chapter members, and we regret any pain caused," Chi Omega National President Letitia Fulkerson said in a statement posted on the organization's website. "We are taking this situation very seriously. Chi Omega does not condone behavior that violates our organization's policy on human dignity."

The national organization had said it was working on "educational directives" for the chapter and does not condone "personal degradation."

The Penn State chapter's probation will take effect Monday, according to the statement. The Penn State Panhellenic Council is investigating.

Penn State president Rodney Erickson and 17 other administrators issued a statement Thursday afternoon expressing their "feelings of deep disappointment and dismay" toward the students, but also suggesting they wouldn't face punishment from the university administration.

"These disturbing behaviors involved expressive rights protected under various federal and state laws - rights which we strongly support, and which we honor by not vainly pursuing unlawful disciplinary action against the students involved," the statement read.

Earlier, chapter president Jessica Riccardi told campus newspaper The Daily Collegian the sisters are sorry for "portraying inappropriate and untrue stereotypes."

Students told CBS Altoona affiliate WTAJ-TV they were appalled by the picture.

"It's just really grossly inappropriate in a lot of ways," graduate student Grant Berry told WTAJ-TV.

"It could just be like a Halloween party dressing up, but then they went as far as the signs," senior Taylour Maietta told WTAJ-TV. "That, I don't know, that might be stepping over the line a little bit."

[tomselliott]

The only scandal here is that the administration is stupid enough to twist every-day merrymaking into a kind of racial hate crime. Not everyone is dumb enough to think that a picture of girls dressed up for a theme party constitutes a cause for suspensions/apologies/candle-light vigils(?).

[jnostromo]

From the people who gave the world sandusky we now get this group of idiots....next time don't post on a site where the world can see....

[BPM420]

"...Probation for Offensive Picture." Offensive to whom, Mexicans? LEAVE THESE YOUNG WOMEN ALONE. The Offensive thing here is the that PSU's and The US Government's unwillingness to listen to the people that voted them into their respective offices of power. (and what is PSU doing even trying to take any moral ground when the University is currently in the sewer of reputation mangement) The fact is that many of the framers of the Constitution and a large portion of this country's settlers grew marajuana. This list is illustrious and long, and the first name on the list of proponents and farmers is Geoprge Washington. This indiginous plant was grown and harvested for a great many reasons, including but not limited to, making rope, medicinal purposes, and yes smoking,etc.In fact a number of leading biomedical R&D companies are currently developing drug candidate molacules that target the human body's naturally occuring canibus receptor. The fact that the human body has a canibus receptor is proof positive that our DNA and RNA have a historical use for canibus and fully expect that our bodies will be injesting the plant in one way or another...it's natural and humans have used it forever. Progressive States are making great progress in the legalisation of this important natually occuring plant. Foreward reaching States such as California, Washington State, Colorado, Massachussetts - and the list is longer and growing - have talen steps to decriminalize and or leagalize it. More states will follow as it is generally recognized that its effects are far less damaging than consuming alcohol. Corporate pressure and lobbying in the past created a long lingering and unjustified stigma around this plant. In fact, Dupont lobbied Congress and lined congrestion pockets with cash so as to suplant hemp rope with newly developed nylon. Nylon was much more expensive while hemp was almost free...enter the "Refer Madness" generation that was brainwashed to condem marajana - at the same time being brainswashed that smoking cigarets is good for you - Ronald Regan was a spokesperson for this attrocity. Thankfully this stigma is quickly fading - just as fast as the baby boomer generation. Soon the Federal Governmant will have no choice but to leagalize it. And if they would just open their eyes to the fiscal and unemploynebt troubles this country is having (the fix is right in front of them) and the disaster that is the drug cartels in Mexico controling the cross boarder pot trade while waging a bloody war - all they have to do is create and industry around pot. The Money, security and Jobs woul be realized almonst instantly...Lisncing fees to grow it, taxes to sell it, taxes to buy it, packaging, distribution, marketing, adverising, public relations, etc. Cottage industries like food stuffs and clothing and who knows what else would cause and explosion of small Co. job creation. And BTW: LEAVE THESE HARMELESS PSU WOMEN ALONE. The people who are protesting probably have kids that are smoking every day... See you all at 420, Peace Out

[jnostromo]

You have to love how naive people are today..that is the beauty of today's technology..in the past foolish behavior could be hidden..today it becomes instant internet fodder for the world to see...this picture will turn up in an interview with hr at some point when they seek employment...LOL

[jnostromo]

chuck766 you make me laugh ..it is obvious you have never worked in an HR environment....every thing you do or say on any internet site , networking site etc..is part of the hiring process...what may be a harmless photo to some can be interpreted as offensive...dress these girls in nazi uniforms, white sheets, geisha costumes, sit them in wheel chairs etc..

[jnostromo]

chuck766 you make me laugh ..it is obvious you have never worked in an HR environment....every thing you do or say on any internet site , networking site etc..is part of the hiring process...what may be a harmless photo to some can be interpreted as offensive...dress these girls in nazi uniforms, white sheets, geisha costumes, sit them in wheel chairs etc..

[AOCGUY]

I'm missing the part about human dignity. How does the photo denigrate anyone except possibly the young ladies who voluntarily participated in having their picture taken?

[xanadrew]

Wait... Penn State is trying to be all indignant about "human dignity" abd "personal degradation??"

HAAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHALOLOLOLLOLOLoloHAHA....
*breathe*...
.....HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHAHAHahahahaHHAHahaHAHahAHahAHAHHAHRjfhvuojngfsd

[bread58]

1. Penn State just looks better and better. Who's their marketing director? What's next, Animal Torture Week? A baby roast?

2. Looks like a pathetic attempt by the Republican Party to finally reach out to the Latino community...

3. It's free speech, folks. Stupid, perhaps. Thoughtless. Maybe emotionally hurtful, but they have a right to do it. You have a right to say it's stupid, thoughtless and hurtful. Ain't America grand?

[Bojax39]

bread58 says: "Looks like a pathetic attempt by the Republican Party to finally reach out to the Latino community..."

No, more like a blatant attempt to give the Democrats yet another thing to fret and whine about... as if that's needed....

Some people just don't like illegal invaders, and they don't need some misguided liberal telling them how to express that. Deal with it.

[megannnnn]

Botox you don"t own this country ok. Show a receip saying that you bought it"" That's right you don't have it".So shut your butt hole and stop claiming land that you never bought you probably damm broke. And go shave chucky's ass.

[modalita]

Litmus test is real easy. They should change their Mexican clothes for black traditional clothes- have them hold up signs about fried chicken and food stamps. Comes across as racist?

Thought so.

[modalita]

Wow, Chuck. Sounds like you take pride in being racist.

[MustardOnCheese]

Another one:

Change their clothes to dirty jeans, white t-shirt and red and black checkered flannel. Have one of their teeth blackened while eating some BBQ ribs.
Come across as racist?

Pointing out commonality among a certain group of people is not racist.

Racism from Merriam-Webster:
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Your comment of "...change their Mexican clothes for black traditional clothes" sounds racist to me. Does black person go in to a clothing store and just ask "can I get some of those black traditional clothes, please?"

[jimatmadison]

Shouldn't have let the hillbilly school into the Big Ten.

This is tame compared to rioting in support of a child-rapist abettor, but there seems to be a pattern.

[chrisAF305]

Hillbilly eh? and where exactly are you from JIMATMADISON? prob just jealous that he couldn't get into Penn State or have any of it's lovely women.

[kbbpll]

Girls just wanna have fun. Luckily all the silly things I did in college were long before the internet.

[nancy_naive]

and digital cameras...

[Man_ofreason]

Let's see. Sorority girls have party, put on sombrarros and mustaches and two of the bunch hold signs favoring pot. This makes news?!

[Bojax39]

Perhaps some find women wearing mustaches offensive?

[megannnnn]

I bet botox love"s harry women, jajajajaja