this week indefinitely suspended one of its fraternities for “widespread and pervasive hazing” over several years, the school said in a press release.to have the suspension lifted before fall of 2028, the university said Wednesday. The fraternity previously got in trouble for hazing in 2018.
It’s the second suspension for hazing that Penn State handed out to a fraternity this month. Earlier, the university announced that the Delta Theta chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity“We hold the health and safety of students as our highest priority and take all allegations of hazing seriously,” Andrea Dowhower, interim vice president for student affairs, said in announcing the Delta Theta suspension Oct. 3.
Piazza wasfrom Lebanon, N.J., when he began to pledge the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He died after falling down stairs during a pledge-night party that included a drinking gauntlet as part of a hazing ritual. Piazza languished on a couch for nearly 12 hours before anyone called for help.More than 20 Beta Theta Pi members entered pleas to charges including hazing, conspiracy to commit hazing, and furnishing alcohol to minors.
The case drew national attention as video surveillance from the fraternity house on the night Piazza was fatally injured was played in court, showing Piazza and others moving through and chugging alcohol.Penn State is today home to 40 fraternities and 29 sororities. Last academic year, one fraternity, Delta Sigma Iota, was suspended during the fall 2022 semester for hazing, alcohol and/or drug, and other university policy violations, a university spokesperson said.
A suspension means that the chapter is no longer recognized as a student organization and has no privileges. It may not be involved in any university activities or events.