Earlier this month, student and TikTok user JJ Jordan opened up about her experience with PanHellenic Greek life as a member of Kappa Delta. In the now viral video, Jordan says she “experienced some of the most extreme displays of elitism, censorship, and slut shaming” she had ever seen.
@loljj_ i was never asked if i was hurt. i was never told “the girl shouldn’t have left you there”. i was shamed and left alone.
In March 2018, Jordan says she was called into “standards” – a review board that monitors the behavior of sorority members. She says she was reported to the board of “peers and ‘sisters’” by two other girls in her chapter. One of the letters allegedly claimed that Jordan had been seen passed out naked in the middle of a fraternity house. She states that the claims are not true, but that she was never asked her side of the story.
“I was never asked if I was hurt or victimized. Instead, they tried to put me on national probation, saying it was important that they keep their relationship with that fraternity”.
Jordan left Kappa Delta soon after; the sorority’s national headquarters recently spoke to BuzzFeed News and said that they had reached out to Jordan and conducted “an internal review of the incident.” The Director of Communications for Kappa Delta, Heidi Roy, said that they “will be providing additional education on [their] processes for the current chapter leaders and advisors”.
Across social media, many sorority women have used Jordan’s video as a springboard to talk about their experiences too. Katie Ballinger made a reaction TikTok stating that Jordan’s story was “just too familiar”, while Brianna Buller made a similar one stating that she was “encouraged by sisters to drink, take off clothing items, and to never say no to a party”, claiming that when she tried to speak out about it, her president stopped her and never asked if she was okay.
@ballingerkatie ##duet with @loljj_
@briannabuller13 Like for a story time on the rumors ##duet with @loljj_ ##fyp ##foryoupage ##sororitylife ##sorority
Jacki O’Brien tweeted her reaction: “Oh cool, it’s a national chapter thing, not just my chapter.”
Oh cool, it’s a national chapter thing, not just my chapter. https://t.co/sqWd3W4kpr
— Jacki O'Brien (@jackiobrien) July 14, 2020
Speaking to BuzzFeed news, Jordan says that she is speaking from a “huge place of privilege”, having grown up in a “financially stable white family with both parents”.
“Sororities and fraternities are a huge system of oppression. It perpetuates elitism and classism and systemic racism. I think that it became time to start dismantling that system as well,” she said.
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