UF's chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority is awaiting disciplinary action after the manager of a Tampa restaurant complained her establishment was damaged when the sorority held a social there.
Members of the group, who were at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City on Oct. 11, started fights, vomited in various parts of the restaurant and stole liquor from the bar, the manager wrote in an e-mail to UF President Bernie Machen.
The e-mail - from Caroline O'Connor, manager of sales and catering for the restaurant - stated a toilet and baby-changing table in the men's restroom were damaged, and the handle of an entrance door was ripped off.
"The group turned our 102-year-old, fine-dining restaurant into a frat house," O'Connor wrote.
Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, said 250 people attended the semi-formal date function.
The e-mail stated about 80 percent of the sorority women and their dates arrived at the Columbia Restaurant intoxicated.
The sorority has not been disciplined, but Orlando said most of the trouble was caused by sorority members' dates.
The restaurant asked Zeta Tau Alpha, known as Zeta, to leave earlier than scheduled because the group's behavior was so out of hand, O'Connor wrote.
"I feel the entire group should be disciplined in some manner," O'Connor wrote. "We are extremely disappointed in the behavior of your students."
Orlando said after Machen received the e-mail, he referred the issue to UF's Office of Sorority and Fraternity Affairs.
The office apologized to the restaurant and has corresponded with Zeta's national office about punishing the chapter, Orlando said.
Stacey Voigt, supervisor of the UF Zeta chapter, said she could not comment on what punishments there could be. Voigt said she didn't know how much the damages would cost the restaurant.
The chapter is currently interviewing every member of the chapter as part of an investigation that could take several weeks, she said.
Orlando said the sorority's national office also apologized to the restaurant, offered to pay for the damage costs and told the UF chapter it is prohibited from any activities involving alcohol until further notice.
"It's awfully unfortunate that the university was sort of semi-officially represented in a way like this," Orlando said.
