University of Florida Fraternity Members Insult, Spit on Wounded Veterans

A hero’s welcome. That’s what veterans attending the semi annual Warrior Beach Retreat may have expected.

But that they did not receive. Instead, the veterans who had hoped to spend a well-deserved, peaceful weekend at Panama City Beach, FL, were met by some extremely disrespectful college students, namely members of the University of Florida’s Zeta Beta Tau fraternity who were in town for their spring formal.

Linda Cope, the event’s organizer, said that “People were urinating off the balconies, throwing up in the elevators, making suggestive and sexual comments about veterans with their service dogs and derogatory and suggestive comments about their wives.” Veterans also reported that students threw beer on them and stole American flags.

“They actually spit on me and my service dog as well, and that’s just so disrespectful, and it hurts,” said Nicholas Connole, a wounded veteran, “I come and I feel honored and I feel safe and that I belong, but now I feel like I’m defending myself.”

The University of Florida and Zeta Beta Tau’s international office have issued apologies and are reportedly still investigating the issue. Laurence Bolotin, the fraternity’s executive director, stated that three members of Zeta Beta Tau have been expelled from the fraternity. The international office also suspended The University of Florida and Emory chapters until the investigations are complete.

The University of Florida has since suspended the chapter for “obscene behavior, public intoxication, theft, causing physical or other harm, and damage to property.” However, Emory University denies that its students took part in the occurrence, stating that “no evidence has been found to implicate Emory students in these reported incidents.”

Cope reported even more atrocious behavior: “We had an American flag flying outside and there was urination coming down from the balconies going onto the flag,” she said. “One of the drunk kids pulled a veteran American flag out of the ground and [we] made the boy put it back. This all happened Friday afternoon, through the night, into the late morning.”

Cope told WJHG the veterans did not respond in anger, but that they “acted like the leaders they are of our country.”

Cope also said that Kent Fuchs, University of Florida president and former Cornell provost, sent an apology, as did the president of The University of Florida’s Zeta Beta Tau.

“I want to make clear that I am deeply sorry for the affront that our students may have caused,” Fuchs wrote. “I want to assure you that it is not representative of our students or our university, and we will make every effort to learn more, take appropriate action and prevent similar incidents from occurring again.”