Three suspended Southern Illinois University Carbondale students are suing the university and five of its employees for racial discrimination stemming from an alleged 2004 sorority hazing incident.

Monet Williams, Tequeira Johnson and Nakia Collins - members of the historically black Zeta Phi Beta sorority - claim the university disciplined them differently because they were black. The university, however, contends that no racial discrimination took place and referred to incidents where both black and white students in SIUC's Greek system were suspended.
 
The civil case was filed in 2005 and is before the U.S. Federal Court for the Southern District of Illinois in Benton. Richard Fedder, the Carbondale attorney representing the three women, said the trial date was postponed Thursday until the week of Sept. 17.

The claim stems from an alleged hazing that took place from Oct. 3 to Oct. 7, 2004. About a month later, SIUC student Chantal Conley filed a report with the university police department, claiming she was hazed and hit by a wooden paddle during Zeta's initiation process.   more >>