Penn State Frat Parties With Alcohol Suspended After Student's Death
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Penn State has indefinitely halted fraternity and sorority parties where alcohol is available because of a student's recent death and what the school calls growing allegations of hazing, sexual assault and other misconduct.
The university said Wednesday its vice president for student affairs and the Penn State Interfraternity Council acted jointly to stop all alcohol-related social activities ``until further notice.''
The decision follows the death Saturday of Timothy Piazza, 19, of Lebanon, New Jersey.
Police said Piazza fell down some steps around 11 p.m. Thursday while at a party at the Beta Theta Pi frat house on campus.
State College police Lt. Keith Robb said an ambulance responded to the fraternity house around 10:49 a.m. Friday when Piazza was found unconscious at the bottom of the basement steps.
"They were told he had been at a party there the night before and had fallen down some basement steps around 11 p.m. the following night. That would have been Feb. 2," said Robb.
Two days after the fall, police said Piazza died from his injuries.
Piazza attended Hunterdon Central Regional High School, and was an AP student who played football, ran track and was a peer mentor.
He was a sophomore who was studying engineering at Penn State and pledging the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, which released a statement saying in part: "Our chapter is mourning the loss of Tim Piazza, a student who recently accepted an invitation to join our fraternity. It is believed that Tim's death stemmed from an accidental injury sustained from a fall in the chapter house."
The fraternity has been suspended, and police are investigating.
Penn State says an administrator told fraternity leaders the moratorium will remain until they agree to change their policies and practices.
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