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Drinking and disturbing

TARYN THOMPSON/Staff writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 7 months AGO
by TARYN THOMPSON/Staff writer
| May 6, 2014 9:00 PM

COEUR d'ALENE - Four bus-loads of drunken college co-eds disrupted a teen's memorial service at Coeur d'Alene's City Park on Saturday, with several urinating in full view of the mourners before boarding a cruise boat.

Witnesses said the students wore matching sweatshirts and identified themselves as members of Washington State University sororities and fraternities.

Several students threw up in the bushes at Independence Point as they disembarked from the bus, said the teen's uncle, a Coeur d'Alene resident who did not want his name used.

"I prefer not to have a carload of drunk frat boys drive up and pee on my house," he said.

He was in a stall in the men's restroom at City Park when several people emanating the smell of alcohol entered the bathroom and a woman began pounding on the stall door telling him to hurry because she had to use the bathroom.

When he went to open the stall door, he said the woman - drunk and unable to stand on her own - was leaning against it and the door hit her in the head.

As he returned to the family gathering, he said dozens of "Greeks" were milling about the park, swearing loudly and drinking alcoholic beverages.

When some of the men began urinating on the wall of the Museum of North Idaho and several females crouched in a line to urinate as well, he took a picture. Though from a distance, the picture clearly shows several people squatting and another walking away from the wet wall.

It all happened just feet from the Coeur d'Alene Police Department's City Park substation, which has yet to open for the season.

Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Christie Wood said she doubts the incident would have happened had the substation been open. She said police would have issued citations.

The Coeur d'Alene man's complaint to the Washington State University's President's office has sparked an investigation into the incident.

Dean of Students Melynda Huskey said the college is working to identify the students and confirm they were WSU Greek.

"We have reason to think they may have been," she said. The college will investigate to see which individuals and organizations may have been involved.

Sororities and fraternities, though off-campus, are a student organization and have relationship agreements with WSU, Huskey said.

"They have certain rights and responsibilities," she said. "If necessary, we can end that relationship."

The man who reported the incident said his own children and several others witnessed the melee.

"It was a great example for them to see what not to do," he said. "It was an embarrassment for the Greek system and the university."

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