Penn State president's statement on grand jury findings related to student death | Penn State University 5/5/17, 2(55 PM

Penn State president's

statement on grand jury
findings related to student
death
May 5, 2017

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Penn State President Eric Barron issued a

statement addressing the grand jury ndings in the investigation of the
Feb. 4 death of student Timothy Piazza and former members of the Beta
Theta Pi fraternity on the University Park campus. The ndings (or
presentment) were released today (May 5) by Centre County District
Attorney Stacy Parks Miller.

President Barrons statement:

Today, Centre Countys district attorney released ndings of a grand jury

investigation into the Feb. 4 death of student Timothy Piazza and former
members of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, which has been banned from ever
returning to Penn State. The details alleged in these ndings are heart-
wrenching and incomprehensible. The University community continues to
mourn his tragic death, but no pain we feel can begin to compare to the
devastating heartbreak that Timothys family and friends are experiencing.

The alleged details in the grand jury presentment, which suggest the
inhumane treatment of a student forced through hazing to consume
dangerous amounts of alcohol and endure hours of suering, are
sickening and dicult to understand. It is numbing how an atmosphere
that endangers the well-being and safety of another person could occur
within an organization that prided itself on commitment to each other and
to its community.

Alcohol misuse, hazing and sexual misconduct pose signicant problems

across the nation and particularly on college campuses. We have also seen
a rise in the intensity of excessive drinking and hazing at Penn State
and elsewhere, despite more than a decade of focus and the introduction
of educational and other programs, as well as policies that clearly spell out
consequences. Penn State has one of the most aggressive student
misconduct policies in the country, and its o-campus policy pertaining to
misconduct remains the most vigorous in the Big Ten. It should go without

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Penn State president's statement on grand jury findings related to student death | Penn State University 5/5/17, 2(55 PM

saying that hazing and dangerous drinking are not permitted by the
University, and the University takes appropriate action to educate its
students about these issues and to hold them accountable whenever it
learns of such wrongdoing.

All indicators suggested Beta Theta Phi was a model fraternity the house,
privately-owned and situated like all other fraternity houses on private
property, was beautiful, the subject of a multi-million dollar renovation;
both the Beta alumni and the national organization provided strict rules of
behavior; and, the brothers had a no alcohol policy which stated that
anyone caught drinking would be expelled. It is clear, however, this was no
model fraternity.

For this reason, we have announced the imposition of a number of

aggressive measures and made clear recognition by the university is at
stake for those Greek-letter organizations that do not abide by the rules.
Indeed, since this tragic incident occurred, the University suspended
Sigma Alpha Mu for its agrant violations of our measures. While some
have criticized our measures as excessive, they are not. It is essential that
all constituents, including these private Greek-letter organizations, alumni,
parents, national organizations and all other partners involved are
committed in order to ensure immediate, vital and sustainable changes.

One of the underlying tenets of belonging to a community is the shared

responsibility to the safety and well-being of its members. It is our
collective obligation to act as mutually caring and responsible citizens, and
to foster those values. Empathy and compassion are vital to who we are
as Penn Staters, citizens and members of society.

Eric J. Barron

President, Penn State

Last Updated May 05, 2017

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