The Interfraternity Council unanimously voted to uphold the decision to expel Phi Kappa Theta fraternity from the University of Kansas yesterday.

Phi Kappa Theta, 1111 W. 11th St., appealed to the executive board of the IFC Tuesday, on grounds that its punishment was too severe.

The IFC expelled the chapter after it had an unregistered party at its house on Feb. 19, where police confiscated 16 kegs of beer, $517 in cash and signs that advertised the party.

The IFC filed 24 charges against the fraternity for

recruitment and alcohol policy violations.

“We felt that a more lenient punishment would not have the intended effect to curb the behavior for this chapter,” Scott Shorten, IFC president, said.

The chapter has 30 days to appeal for a second and final time.

The general assembly of the IFC, which consists of a representative and the president of each chapter, would conduct the final hearing.

Shorten said the IFC would be open to a second appeal.

Matt Moreno, Phi Kappa Theta president and Wichita sophomore, would not say whether the fraternity would attempt a second appeal.

A decision will be made after his visit to the national chapter this weekend in Indianapolis.

The continuation of the fraternity’s national charter will be discussed. The national board of trustees will decide if the charter will be repealed.

Mike Pillshaw, risk management chairman for the IFC executive board and Phi Kappa Theta member, was not involved in the decision because his membership in Phi Kappa Theta. Pillshaw said he was disappointed in the decision.

“I was just shocked because we were the first house to ever get expelled from the University,” Pillshaw said.

Pillshaw said his position with the IFC was in jeopardy after a Tuesday meeting in which his position on the council was questioned.

He said the IFC could vote on his risk management position during the next meeting on April 12. He said it would take a two-thirds vote of the IFC to kick him off the commission.

Shorten said Pillshaw’s position remained safe at this point unless he had some sort of involvement with the unregistered party. Shorten could not, however, confirm a decision on Pillshaw’s position next week.

Members of Phi Kappa Theta will not have their house next year and are not allowed to pledge another fraternity. Pillshaw said that many people from the 35-member fraternity would move to Highpointe, 2001 W. Sixth St., apartments next year.

“It was a house decision,” Pillshaw said. “We’d all like to stay closely knit.”

Jeremy Schuyler, Lawrence freshman, said it was this type of brotherhood that convinced him to join the house. And while he doesn’t agree with the IFC’s decision, he is glad fraternity members will remain close.

“It’s kind of a downer that all this stuff has happened all at once,” he said. “Everybody is trying to make amends and make things back to where it was.”

He said the fraternity would try to remain involved with its philanthropy, the Children’s Miracle Network.

The fraternity traditionally hosts a capture the flag event for the organization in April. Moreno said he would like to see the event happen this year despite the fraternity’s struggles.

Responsibility of the infraction shouldn’t be placed solely on Phi Kappa Theta, Schuyler said. The IFC should enforce policies equally as strict with all chapters, he said.

He said, however, that all members of Phi Kappa Theta had an equal roll in the violations.

“We can’t really cast blame on anyone. We’re all responsible,” he said. “It’s just as much Matt’s problem as it is my problem.”