After going through the organization’s appeal process in an attempt to have her membership reinstated, a former member filed a lawsuit alleging fraud and breach of contract.  The lawsuit alleged that the organization failed to follow their own internal rules and procedures in terminating the plaintiff’s membership. Throughout the appeal process and the lawsuit, the organization stood by their decision to terminate the plaintiff’s membership. The organization did agree to pay $5,000 to the plaintiff for a settlement, but did not agree to reinstate the plaintiff’s membership.  The defense costs in the matter totaled $66,207.

Two former members accused of hazing alleged that they were not given the required due process in their inappropriate dismissal from the organization.  An actual lawsuit was not filed in the matter. A claim was submitted and the insurance carrier assigned defense counsel who worked with the claimants’ attorney to prove to him that the members were given due process and the termination of membership was appropriate. The claimant’s attorney eventually dropped the claim. However, the insurance company paid over $5,000 in defense costs.  

At a fraternity chapter house that was hosting a party, Jane Doe, chapter member, went out a second-floor door to a fire escape platform and fell through the hole, which provided a ladder access to the ground.

There had been a previous fall from this fire escape at the chapter house in question, and the chapter leadership posted a hand-made warning sign at the exit to the fire escape as a warning.

Jane Doe suffered serious injuries and sued the Fraternity and House Corporation. The national Fraternity was dismissed from the lawsuit; however, the House Corporation was found 56 percent at fault with nearly $120,000 in damages.

This guide from Travelers, the insurance company for MJ Sorority clients, provides information on incorporating best practices and a prevention plan to help reduce the risks of slips, trips and falls at your business and on your premises.

Every year, up to 20 percent of the population in the United States contracts the flu virus. The effects of flu vary
from mild symptoms to severe illness and complications, including death. Disease experts have calculated that
once every 30 to 40 years, pandemic influenza affects people globally, resulting in a significantly greater number
of illness and deaths than the annual flu.

Flu viruses spread in respiratory droplets through person-to-person or other close contact. Most adults can infect
others beginning one day before symptoms develop and from up to five to seven days after becoming sick. This
means that you can pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.
Human influenza viruses generally can survive on surfaces for two to eight hours.

Maintaining good health habits is important to keep you healthy and to minimize the spread of the influenza
virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health organizations suggest exercising
regularly, getting enough rest and eating healthful balanced meals, in addition to a number of precautions to help
protect yourself and others from transmitting the flu. These precautions may include, but are not limited to:

For additional information visit the CDC website. The information provided in this document by Travelers is intended for use as a guideline and is not intended as, nor does it constitute, legal or professional advice. Travelers does not warrant that adherence to, or compliance with, any recommendations, best practices, checklists, or guidelines will result in a particular outcome. In no event will Travelers, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, be liable in tort or in contract to anyone who has access to or uses this information for any purpose. Travelers does not warrant that the information in this document constitutes a complete and finite list of each and every item or procedure related to the topics or issues referenced herein. Furthermore, federal, state, provincial, municipal or local laws, regulations, standards or codes, as is applicable, may change from time to time and the user should always refer to the most current requirements. This material does not amend, or otherwise affect, the provisions or coverages of any insurance policy or bond issued by Travelers, nor is it a representation that coverage does or does not exist for any particular claim or loss under any such policy or bond. Coverage depends on the facts and circumstances involved in the claim or loss, all applicable policy or bond provisions, and any applicable law.

CDC recommends a three-step approach to fighting influenza (flu). The first and most important step is to get a flu vaccination each year. But if you get the flu, there are prescription antiviral drugs that can treat your illness. Early treatment is especially important for the elderly, the very young, people with certain chronic health conditions, and pregnant women. Finally, everyday preventive actions may slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory (nose, throat, and lungs) illnesses, like flu.

Flu viruses are thought to spread mainly from person to person through droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze, or talk. Flu viruses also may spread when people touch something with flu virus on it and then touch their mouth, eyes, or nose. Many other viruses spread these ways too.People infected with flu may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. That means you may be able to spread the flu to someone else before you know you are sick as well as while you are sick. Young children, those who are severely ill, and those who have severely weakened immune systems may be able to infect others for longer than 5-7 days.

For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/flu or call 1-800-CDC-INFO

This guide from Travelers, the insurance company for MJ Sorority clients, provides step by step instructions on how to develop a fire safety plan for your building.

This guide from Travelers, the insurance company for MJ Sorority clients, provides information for property owners on liability regarding sidewalks.

The close-knit nature of sorority life can foster strong bonds among members, but it also creates an environment where contagious illnesses, like the flu and Covid-19, can easily spread, especially during the winter months. To maintain a healthy and thriving community, it’s crucial for sorority chapter houses to implement preventive measures.

The risk for infection can be reduced through a combination of actions. No single action provides complete protection, but a combined approach can help decrease the likelihood of transmission. To aid in pandemic contingency planning, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has suggested the following steps that every employer can take to reduce the risk of exposure to pandemic influenza in their workplace, which also applies to our chapter facilities:

Preventing virus outbreaks in a sorority chapter house requires a collaborative effort and a commitment to creating a healthy living environment. By implementing these proactive measures, sorority members can enjoy a vibrant and supportive community while minimizing the risk of contagious illnesses. Remember, the key is early education, open communication, and a collective dedication to the well-being of all members and employees.

More detailed planning information is available from OSHA in Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic (OSHA 3327-02N). Information is also available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) at PandemicFlu.Gov. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a planning guide for small businesses.

The Indiana State Police have released a series of tips to help residents avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.  Carbon monoxide (CO₂) is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that does not cause irritation to the eyes or throat.  Often victims don’t realize they are inhaling toxic gas until they become ill.  More than 500 people die annually from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure:

Safety measures to prevent exposure:

Excerpted from IndyStar.com

This article discusses results of a study conducted to understand college students’ views and knowledge of burn and fire safety.

The ways, whens and hows of installing an automatic sprinkler system in your chapter house

An automatic sprinkler system is the single most effective way to protect the women who live in your chapter house — and the house itself. This guide walks house corporation volunteers through the whole project, from choosing the right system to keeping it working for years to come.

As a chapter house owner, you have a duty to provide a safe place to live. Fires in sorority houses are rare, and that’s exactly why it’s easy to confuse good luck with good practice. When a fire does happen, it moves fast, and the consequences — for members, families and the chapter — can last forever.

College students are a uniquely high-risk group. Many are living on their own for the first time, have never experienced a fire, and still think “stop, drop and roll” is the plan. Add in late nights, unfamiliar buildings and the social side of campus life, and good protection matters even more.

Fire safety in student housing rests on four elements, easy to remember as PODS — fitting, since the goal is a protected place to live.

Fire safety isn’t just about where members live. It’s something they take with them, wherever they go.

Sprinklers work automatically, right above the fire, the moment it starts — long before a fire department can arrive. According to NFPA’s latest U.S. Experience with Sprinklers report (2017–2021 data), the civilian death rate in home fires was 89% lower when sprinklers were present.

A sprinkler system uses the same water supply that already feeds your sinks and showers. Each sprinkler head is a closed nozzle held shut by a small glass bulb or metal link. When hot gases from a fire reach the ceiling and heat that element to roughly 165°F, it breaks, and that one head sprays water on the fire.

Only the heads near the fire go off. Each sprinkler reacts on its own, so a fire in one room doesn’t set off every head in the house. In most fires, one sprinkler is enough to control it. The water quickly cools the hot gases, which keeps nearby heads closed and prevents flashover — the point when a whole room ignites.

Sprinklers use far less water than a fire hose. A single sprinkler flows roughly 18–40 gallons per minute. A fire hose flows roughly 175–400. Less water means less damage.

Today’s sprinklers are hard to spot. Flush, recessed, concealed and sidewall styles are available, and modern residential heads can cover up to 20 x 20 feet — fewer heads, less impact on the look of your house.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) publishes three sprinkler design standards. For most chapter houses, NFPA 13R is the right fit — and the most economical.

Ask that your system be designed to the least costly standard that applies, which will usually be NFPA 13R. If you’re told it can’t be used, ask why — and call your MJ Sorority team. Some municipalities aren’t current on residential codes and may push for a more expensive NFPA 13 system unnecessarily. For more on how 13R differs from NFPA 13 and how it affects your insurance credit, see What is NFPA 13R?

If you have areas at risk of freezing, such as an attic, extra insulation around the pipes is usually a better solution than a dry system. Antifreeze systems are not recommended.

Requirements come from several directions, and they’re growing. NFPA sets the national standards, but states, cities and universities increasingly add their own sprinkler mandates for Greek housing, including off-campus houses. Many national organizations now require them, too.

New construction almost always requires sprinklers. Adding a system to an existing house — called a retrofit — is often required later, and it costs more than building it in from the start.

Stay informed about what your community is considering, and get involved early. You know your property and how it’s used, so you’re in the best position to help shape a reasonable ordinance.

A note on “substantial change”: some municipalities treat a sprinkler retrofit as a major renovation that triggers every building code adopted since the house was built. If that happens, contact your MJ Sorority team before agreeing to scope.

Every house is different, so there’s no reliable rule-of-thumb price. Your best estimate will come from site visits and competing bids. Here’s what drives the number.

Water supply is the biggest unknown. For sprinklers to work, the pipe from the public water main has to deliver enough pressure. If yours is too small, it will need to be replaced with a larger line — and you’ll pay for excavation, tapping, landscaping, materials and labor. Contractors often say price varies little inside the four walls; it’s the connection outside that’s hard to predict.

Local fees add up. Expect some combination of impact, connection, permit, plan review, inspection and stand-by water fees. Many jurisdictions also require a backflow preventer to protect the public water supply. Sprinklers reduce a city’s firefighting costs, so it’s worth asking local officials to reduce or waive these fees.

The most successful installs are the ones where the house corporation put in the time up front. Here’s the path from first call to final walk-through.

Hazard analysis, site survey, design and hydraulic calculations, product selection, installation, alarm monitoring, testing and commissioning, and ongoing inspection and maintenance. If your city requires an engineer to review the plans, write that into the request for proposal so it’s the contractor’s responsibility.

Ask every contractor for a certificate of insurance showing at least:

Confirm the contractor is licensed for this work in your state, too.

Once your system is complete, your contractor will give you a certificate of completion. Send a copy to your MJ Sorority team, and we’ll request the sprinkler credit from your insurance company.

To qualify, the house must be 100% sprinklered and meet the applicable NFPA standard — usually NFPA 13R.

Attics are the biggest gap we see in sprinklered chapter houses. Of six property fires with more than $100,000 in claim costs, four started in an attic that had no sprinklers and no fire detection. A fire can burn unnoticed up there until it breaks through to the floor below — and by the time the fire department arrives, far more water is needed to put it out.

If your attic is reachable by stairs or a ladder and used for storage, it must be sprinklered under NFPA 13R. One client skipped a ladder-accessed storage attic to save money; a ceiling fan shorted out, the fire took the roof, and the loss became nearly total. Be honest with your contractor about how every space is used.

If your attic isn’t sprinklered, add a heat sensor. Tied into your existing fire alarm system, an attic heat sensor alerts the fire department much sooner, which means less damage and a safer house. A few reminders from our heat sensor recommendations:

Even as a tenant, you share responsibility for your members’ safety. Review your lease so you know what the landlord is responsible for, and call your MJ Sorority account executive with questions about your liability or insurance obligations.

If the house isn’t sprinklered, write to the landlord and ask about plans to install a system. If there are plans, follow up periodically. If there aren’t, make the case for sprinklers and document your request. In the meantime, keep strong house rules in place — no candles, incense, halogen lamps or other ignition sources. Your efforts matter, both for safety and as part of your organization’s good-faith risk management.

“If one goes off, they all go off.” Not true. Each head reacts to heat on its own. Usually just one operates.

“Sprinklers go off by accident.” Rarely. When they do discharge without a fire, the cause is almost always physical damage, freezing or misuse, not a defect.

“The water damage is worse than the fire.” A sprinkler uses a fraction of the water a fire hose does, and it acts before the fire spreads.

“Smoke alarms are enough.” Alarms warn people; they don’t stop a fire. Battery alarms in student housing are also easy to disable or forget.

“Sprinklers will ruin the look of our house.” Modern heads can be flush or concealed behind a small plain cover. When did you last notice one in a hotel?

“Our house is brick, so it’s fireproof.” What burns is mostly contents — furniture, bedding, clothing. Smoke and toxic gases are the real killers, and they can fill a house long before the structure catches.

“Pipes will freeze in cold climates.” If the house stays heated, sprinkler pipes are no more likely to freeze than your regular plumbing.

“It’s just too expensive.” NFPA 13R, plastic pipe and modern concealment options have brought costs down, and a sprinklered house earns an insurance credit. A protected house is also a selling point for members and their families.