Kappa Kappa Gamma may make trans candidate first male president of sorority over women
The women’s sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma allegedly “fast-tracked” a man who identifies as a female into a leadership position despite the fact that he doesn't meet the standards required of female members. The sorority is potentially looking to elect him as president, according to a recent lawsuit.
The plaintiffs in the suit, Patsy Levang and Cheryl Tuck-Smith, became lifetime members of Kappa Kappa Gamma over 50 years ago, and the pair have served the sorority through a variety of positions. Levang and Tuck-Smith are also part of the Independent Women’s Network, which advocates against allowing men who identify as female into women’s spaces.
On Thursday, the Kappa Kappa Gamma alumnae filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio against multiple sorority officials after the group allegedly expelled the pair for supporting plaintiffs in another lawsuit filed in April in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming.
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Kappa Kappa Gamma did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
In the suit, six members of the University of Wyoming chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma opposed the induction of a man into the all-female sorority, claiming that it made multiple girls uncomfortable. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in August, contending that the organization’s bylaws don’t define what a woman is and the court would not offer a definition. The case is now before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
After Levang and Tuck-Smith openly supported the plaintiffs in the Wyoming lawsuit, the pair allege that Kappa Kappa Gamma expelled them on Oct. 27, 2023, in retaliation.
May Mailman is the director of the Independent Women’s Law Center and serves as co-counsel for plaintiffs in this case.
“Kappa leadership continues to disrespect its members not only by denying them the single-sex organization they were promised but by lashing out in hopes of silencing the truth. This violates Kappa’s Bylaws and the basic freedoms women deserve,” Mailman stated in a press release on Friday.
The lawsuit also accused Kappa Kappa Gamma of demonstrating an “unfair bias” against female members for the purpose of expanding membership qualifications. According to the complaint, the sorority admitted a male candidate around 2021 through its alumna candidate selection process.
The suit cited the organization’s bylaws as proof that an individual must be a woman to be admitted as an alumna candidate. In addition, a certain number of votes are required before an individual can be admitted as an alumna candidate member.
“Fraternity members had no vote concerning the admission of a man into the fraternity, and only a few members were aware that this action was taken by the Fraternity Council,” the complaint states.
“Once admitted, the Candidate was fast-tracked to a KKG leadership position, despite not having contributed the years of service to KKG that is consistently required of other long-time female members,” the lawsuit continued. “Indeed, within one month of joining KKG, the Candidate was assigned a volunteer position as the Alumnae Advisor for a university chapter.”
Despite failing to meet the requirements for a volunteer position on the bylaws committee, the lawsuit alleged that the fraternity counsel appointed the male candidate to the role. An alumna candidate must be active in “fraternity work” to qualify for a position on the bylaws committee; however, no female member with the same limited fraternity work experience has ever been appointed to this position, according to the complaint.
In 2022, the same male candidate was also nominated to serve as district director, a position open to alumna who held certain leadership positions within the organization. While the man had experience with Sigma Pi, the fraternity he was part of when he identified as male, the candidate and fraternity council reportedly concealed this information during the election process.
“Only a few voting members at the Convention were aware that a man was slated for election,” the suit adds. On information and belief, no other KKG member, or alumna candidate, has been nominated to a District Director position with such limited Fraternity experience as the Candidate.”
According to the complaint, the male candidate has applied to be considered for a leadership position, and a vote is expected to take place in April. The lawsuit speculated that the role could include the position of Kappa Kappa Gamma president.
“Most members remain unaware that the candidate is a man,” the lawsuit notes.
Evidence cited in the complaint included Kappa Kappa Gamma’s initial bylaws, which declare that “[a]ny lady may become a candidate for membership who shall be of good moral character, and of above average talent; and who, at the time of proposal, either is or has been in attendance at some college or seminary.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
