The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity national organization has temporarily suspended four unidentified members of their Iowa State chapter for alleged sexual misconduct.

The sanctions were approved by the ISU chapter on Sunday.

SAE national spokesman Benjamin Lewis said the suspensions are the result of “very strong allegations,” adding that the suspended members have been asked to leave the premises of the fraternity’s residence at 140 Lynn Ave.

But Lewis said the members may return if investigations show “no wrongdoing on each individual’s part.”

Dean of Students Kathleen MacKay said the SAE house has also been put on temporary suspension, but she said the fraternity’s charter has not been pulled, as was the rumor.

“While the investigation is going on, they can’t participate in anything,” she said. “No intramurals, no Greek Week, no parties. They can still have their business meetings, but that’s all they can do.”

MacKay said her office began hearing rumors of drug-related sexual misconduct near the end of last semester, and when the whispers intensified this semester, she decided to act.

Last week, the Dean of Students Office did just that, with an ad in the Daily that warned students of the presence of Rohypnol, the “date rape drug,” on ISU’s campus.

“There’s a point where you hear enough rumors, and I needed to protect our community,” she said. “We had been hearing rumors about things going on in the SAE house, and we decided that we needed to see what we could find out.”

She said the ad “prompted more conversation,” which convinced her to notify the SAE national organization on Feb. 4.

The individual suspensions were handed down Sunday after Lewis and fraternity alumni headed a three-day investigation into the whirlwind of allegations and rumors circulating around ISU.

“It came as a shock to us, so that’s why we took a very proactive approach and went in to do our investigation right away,” Lewis said of the follow-up to MacKay’s call.

He emphasized the preliminary nature of the process.

“These individuals are not accused of anything,” he said. “If no evidence is shown in any of the allegations, these individuals will be invited back into the chapter.”

Lewis stressed that the allegations are limited to the four students.

“In no way was it a chapter activity, and we don’t intend for the chapter to suffer the consequences of a few individual actions,” he said. “We’re trying to keep the organization itself out of this. These allegations, if true, are isolated incidents and don’t involve the chapter as a whole.”

MacKay said her team is looking for “solid evidence” at this point.

“We have been reviewing the information we’ve received to figure out what is fact and what is rumor,” she said, adding that the Dean of Students Office will be working with the Department of Public Safety and the SAE national organization.

Lewis said his organization is also cooperating with the Ames Police Department.

An Ames Police officer said his force is conducting only a preliminary investigation and has not launched any criminal investigation.

“Right now, we are working with DPS to see if there is anything to the rumors. If we find that there is, then we will proceed with a criminal investigation,” said Sgt. Randy Kessel.

Kessel said the police department has heard plenty of rumors about this situation, many of which are based on the possible use of Rohypnol, sometimes called “roofies.”

DPS officials John Tinker and Loras Jaeger both said they had not heard any information verifying those rumors.

If the students are found guilty, MacKay said, university punishments could range from a reprimand to an expulsion.

“But you cannot make decisions prematurely,” she said, adding that she “wants to make sure the university has the proper evidence.”