DC Judge Dismisses Alpha Kappa Alpha Lawsuit

Calling the claims “hyperbolic allegations,” D.C. Superior Court Judge Natalia M. Combs Greene dismissed a lawsuit against Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

The sorority, which was founded at Howard University and which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008 at a huge conference in Washington, is relieved by the decision, said a spokeswoman at its Chicago headquarters. In sensational claims that made headlines across the globe, the AKA plaintiffs alleged that the sorority’s president, Barbara A. McKinzie, was improperly awarded a $375,000 stipend — the first-ever compensation for an AKA president — and that she used the organization’s credit card to purchase lingerie and other clothes for herself and friends.

This lawsuit has proven to be one of the most divisive, excruciatingly public disputes ever to occur within the sacred and private ranks of a black fraternity or sorority. While the claims have been judged as baseless, the incident raises the question of how disenchanted members of organization can be to not only bring a lawsuit, but to cultivate a culture within the organization of members against the current leadership?

Certainly, the fractured nature of one of America’s great sisterhoods is something to mourn.

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