Position Paper: Allowing Minors to Stay Overnight in Chapter Housing
MJ Sorority offers the following position not as a directive, but as guidance to support informed decision-making. Ultimately, each sorority must evaluate the risks and make its own determination about what policies align with its values, resources, and risk tolerance.
Background
Some organizations have inquired about the feasibility of allowing minors—individuals under the age of 18—to stay overnight in chapter housing. While the desire may stem from efforts to accommodate family members or prospective members, this change introduces a number of complex insurance, legal, and operational considerations that should be carefully evaluated.
Insurance Limitations and Liability Exposure
The current General Liability (GL) insurance policy carried through the MJ Sorority program includes a $1,000,000 per occurrence limit. However, this coverage includes very limited protection for claims related to abuse or molestation and does not extend into your Excess Liability (umbrella) policy. Critically, the current underwriting model does not contemplate the exposure introduced by allowing minor guests to stay overnight. Introducing this risk could jeopardize your ability to retain insurance at current rates or could result in the denial of coverage for future claims.
The greatest concern from the insurer’s perspective involves the potential for abuse or molestation—whether involving a resident member, another guest, or even another minor. These are high-severity, low-frequency claims that are difficult to predict and expensive to litigate. They are also subject to “long-tail” exposure, meaning a minor who is harmed while on the premises retains the right to file a second claim upon reaching the age of majority if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of the original resolution.
Illustrative Example
In one case from a property insured by MJ Sorority, a four-year-old child suffered severe facial burns after falling against a hot water heater. While the child received cosmetic treatment and the claim was resolved at the time, an additional claim was filed at age 18 for further medical procedures. These types of claims are difficult for insurers to close out and significantly complicate the underwriting of this type of exposure.
Operational and Practical Considerations
Beyond insurance limitations, chapters must also consider the operational realities of accommodating minors in a communal, college-age living environment:
- Supervision: Minors would require constant supervision while on the premises, a responsibility that may be difficult for student chapter members to meet given their academic and organizational commitments.
- Facility Design: Chapter houses are not designed for use by minors and typically lack appropriate accommodations for their safety, privacy, and supervision.
- Elevated Guest Risk: In chapters where guest policies have been loosened or eliminated, the number of non-members—many of whom may not be known to all residents—can increase. This can further complicate efforts to monitor the environment when minors are present.
Recommendation
In our role as your risk management and insurance partner, MJ Sorority recommends against allowing minors to stay overnight in chapter housing due to the significant liability concerns, supervision challenges, and insurance limitations involved. However, we recognize that each sorority must make its own decisions based on the needs of its members and its willingness to accept associated risks.
If a chapter or national organization is considering this policy change, we strongly encourage early consultation with your MJ Sorority Client Executive to evaluate whether the risk is insurable and to understand the limitations of your existing coverage.
Conclusion
This position is intended to support your decision-making process by highlighting the key considerations involved in allowing minor guests to stay overnight in chapter housing. We understand that every sorority’s context and culture are different, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, the risks are real and must be thoughtfully addressed through deliberate policy development, stakeholder communication, and alignment with your organization’s broader risk management practices.