Bill Frezza was fired from his role as a contributor for Forbes after writing a controversial article about drunk females being a "threat to fraternities."
Frezza, who contributed opinion columns to Forbes regularly, was removed immediately from his position, and the story was deleted. In his offensive article, "Drunk Female Guests Are the Gravest Threat to Fraternities," Frezza blames female college students for showing up at parities "carrying enough pre-game booze in their bellies to render them unconscious before the night is through."
Currently the president of the alumni house corporation for MIT's Chi Phi chapter, Frezza writes that fraternities are in danger not because of the boys' behavior, but because of the female guests who often show up drunk.
"In our age of sexual equality, why drunk female students are almost never characterized as irresponsible jerks is a question I leave to the feminists," he writes in a cached version that is still available online.
Even after being fired, Frezza stands by his statements, saying that people need to "read the whole thing and not just the gawker 'blame the victim' spin on it."
Frezza argues that fraternity alumni boards and chapter officers enforce policies to prevent accidents and injuries during parties on both wet and dry campuses. While boozed up bros attend the parties as well, it is socially acceptable for males to be kicked out, while female guests are typically let in.
And while the drinking age is 21, underage college students commonly pre-game before the party, which can lead to alcohol poisoning and other dangerous health consequences.
Frezza also blames women who drink at college parties for false rape accusations that may surface "months after the fact triggered by regrets over a drunken hook-up, or anger over a false relationship."
The article runs with an offensive stock image of a woman lying on the floor, eyes closed, looking like she is drunkenly gulping down a bottle of alcohol. He apologized for using the photo for its "poor taste."
The issue of female college students getting drunk and falsely accusing men of rape has been a trending topic among writers in the media. Emily Yoffe, a contributor for Slate, writes about college women's responsibilities, whereas Wall Street Journal columnist James Taranto controversially argues that rape victims are just as responsible for the crime.
George Will stirred up more controversy when he wrote a column suggesting lying rape victims enjoy a level of status they get on campus after reporting an incident. All three of these writers have kept their jobs.
Blame aside, sexual assault and binge drinking on college campuses are serious issues. Eight fraternities announced this week they will join forces to create programs to educate brothers on both issues.
