[1] Beta Theta Pi was among several Greek fraternities and sororities, and was a source of pride at Pennsylvania State University. First Centre County Investigating Grand Jury report concerning the case. [1][11] Nevertheless, courtroom sketches of key highlights were shown in media reports. The pledge tooka video of Piazza on the floor and posted it onSnapchat. [4][1] Casey also allegedly tasked Kenyon to delete a GroupMe thread to avoid possible screenshots and other evidence from publicly leaking. Discovery Company. Piazza's father told the TODAY Show last month that while he could not bear to watch the video as a parent, he could summon the strength needed to view it with school officials since they could make decisions that would make a difference. [3] He was described as "the kind of person everyone strives to be like". A doctor calculated that Piazza's blood-alcohol content at the time he fell down the stairs was between .28 and .36 percent. Tim Piazza, a 19-year-old Penn State sophomore and pledge at Beta Theta Pi, died on Feb. 4, 2017 after he fell down the stairs during a pledge ceremony at the house on the night of Feb. 2. Sixteen of them appeared before a judge on Monday with their lawyers, filling the courtroom for a hearing lasting nearly 11 hours. "This is not somebody who's got a gaping head wound that's gushing blood. [2][4][5][1], Thus, on 2nd February 2017, Piazza would undergo the same binge-drinking hazing ritual, nicknamed "The Gauntlet". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We rely on the holidays to reconnect with the people who are most important to us and now we cant in ways that feel right. The video shows Piazza staggering through the house the night of February 2 before disappearing near basement stairs where police say he fell 15 steps and lost consciousness. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. According to Jim, the consequence of hazing in many states is comparable to a traffic ticket. We are in the people business. [18][19][20] Therefore, it was considered remarkable when Michael Bonatucci, Luke Visser, and Joshua Kurczewski, were all given jail time upon agreeing a plea deal which saw them found guilty of hazing in exchange for dropping more serious counts. They constantly monitor themselves and each other to never take things too seriously. They are conditioned to see everything as funny, and as long as they do, no intervention is required. As he continued to groan, Piazza got to his knees and placed his head in his hands as if, in the pledge's words, he had "a really bad headache.". This is somebody who's blood alcohol was three times the legal limit and apparently had some internal injuries," said Ems Jr.'s attorney, William J. Brennan. He fell 15 feet down a flight of steps, hair-first, going to need help. [2][4][5][1] However, this did not deter members from conducting illegal binge drinking hazing rituals onto the fraternity's new and underage pledges during recruitment, often ending in serious consequences. NBCs Gabe Gutierrez reports for TODAY. Subscribe to TODAY: http://on.today.com/SubscribeToTODAY Watch the latest from TODAY: http://bit.ly/LatestTODAYAbout: TODAY brings you the latest headlines and expert tips on money, health and parenting. 2023 Cable News Network. [2][4][5][1], By 6:49 am, Piazza was still unable to leave, and rested in visible pain on the couch. ABC News' Stephanie Gomulka contributed to this report. Some took videos so they could post his decline on Snapchat. Students are only able to rush after earning 14 credit hours at Penn State or 27 transfer credits, meaning most first-semester freshmen are barred from rushing. Most had taken or seen other people take pictures and videos of their peers passed out from drugs and alcohol. If you look around the country, universities across the board are taking a tougher stance against hazing. [4][5][1] As demanded, Piazza arrived with 13 other pledges at 21:07 to conduct the ritual. Four fraternity brothers carried his limp body back upstairs, where some poured liquid on him, and another slapped him three times in the face, the grand jury said. We have a lot more to go.. ", Kline said Piazza's family "did not have the strength or capacity to want to see the video.". The bill, which was met with unanimous bipartisan support, was signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf in October 2018. (Photo: Abby Drey, AP), Mother of Brock Welch remembers son as kind and compassionate, Arkansas sheriffs push back on new ATF gun policy, Your Arkansas weather forecast from THV11. IE 11 is not supported. Gabe Gutierrez is an NBC News correspondent based in New York. The police were not called until 10:30am the next morning. You have permission to edit this article. The charges against another fraternity brother, Joseph Sala, include involuntary manslaughter. He heardPiazza groaning, and eventually he saw Piazza roll off the couch and land on the floor. As he continued to groan, Piazza got to his knees and placed his head in his hands as if, in the pledge's words, he had "a really bad headache. [13][12] Thus, a further 12 students were charged on 14th November 2017 for their roles in Piazza's death and the subsequent cover-up. Having anxiety meltdowns and temper tantrums in front of your kids during covid-19? [2][4][5][1] It was clear from the students that Piazza was more than just unconscious. The death of Timothy Piazza, an engineering student and Beta Theta Pi fraternity pledge, put Penn State on the frontline of an ongoing national battle: how to control fraternities and sororities. At another point, one fraternity brother tackled another, landing on top of Piazza.One time, when Piazza rolled off a couch, three fraternity brothers picked him up and "slammed him" back on the couch, according to the grand jury report.Fraternity members put a backpack containing textbooks on him so he would not suffocate on his own vomit, the jury wrote. Error! Additionally, the Educational Notification and Disclosure of Actions risking Loss of Life by Hazing Act (END ALL Hazing Act) would require institutions to report hazing allegations to campus and local law enforcement and create a website to identify student organizations that have hazed in the past five years. It is known that surveillance cameras had captured Piazza's final hours, and showed that fellow fraternity brothers had contributed towards his death. Courtesy of Patrick Carns The same brother appears to hit Piazza in the abdomen area, the detective testified, which his defense attorney contested in court. Forty-two minutes after finding Piazza in the basement and first realizing he was cold and stiff, a fraternity member called 911 and other fraternity members cleaned up "evidence of beer and alcohol," the detective said. "[The chapter adviser] obviously was involved in having knowledge of the social agenda, what was going on at various times, Ambrose said. "[4][1][2] Young would allegedly instruct Casey to conduct evidence tampering, by instructing pledges to clear up the basement and remove any signs of alcohol. [2][4][5][1] They performed a series of tests to determine the engineering student's status. Medical reports concluded, Piazza suffered from multiple traumatic brain injuries, including a fractured skull and a lacerated spleen, which resulted in 80% of his blood supply in his abdominal cavity. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. ", An analysis of a fraternity brother's cellphone found that during that time he searched the phrases "falling asleep after head injury," "cold extremities in drunk person" and "binge drinking, alcohol, bruising or discoloration, cold feet and cold hands.". Authorities claim that despite Piazzas injuries, it took 12 hours before a member of the fraternity called 911. ", Penn State President Eric Barron said, "There are other measures being discussed and will be instituted over time -- all with a focus on prevention, monitoring and enforcement. As a result of the incident, Penn State President Eric Barron permanently banned the fraternity from the university. It is our ambition for Penn State to lead our country into a new era of greek life. Student Ryan Foster sits on Piazzas legs in what he described to police as an attempt to keep him from moving, Scicchitano said. A detective said in court that at that point Piazza had "totally lost color.". [4][1] In May 2017, 18 Beta Theta Pi members were charged with a variety of crimes, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, providing alcohol to someone underage, hazing, and for tampering of evidence. Timothy Piazza Watch the 5 p.m. news live right now on Local 4+ Expect More from Local 4 News at 5. [2][4][5][1] Fraternity brothers carried him back to the couch. But these teens also said they took pictures and videos like this to show people that they were cool enough to be at the party; the picture increased or reinforced their social status. The Piazza family is planning on filing a lawsuit against the fraternity members and the university. He fell onto a stone floor at 5 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, a fraternity member wentdownstairs for a drink of water. [2][4][5][1] Piazza was already in a concerning state by this point, staggering in a hunched over position. Thus far, the university has released two reports. The grand jury report released Friday also details Piazza's medical condition and a doctor's conclusion that he had consumed "a life-threatening amount of alcohol.". "A lot of people were involved," District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller told NBC News. Eighteen students have been charged with a variety of offenses, from involuntary manslaughter to alcohol-related offenses more than 1,000 counts in all. It is known that surveillance cameras had captured Piazza's final hours, and showed that fellow fraternity brothers had contributed towards his death. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Prosecutors showed the video for the first time Monday in a preliminary hearing to determine if there's enough evidence to go to trial. This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 18:41. At least not today. Why wouldnt they want to help a person who was hurt? [8][9][4][5] It was later found that Piazza may have had a blood alcohol content level of .36. Another adjusts a blanket on him. [23][22] In the State of Pennsylvania, a new law, titled The Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law was approved and introduced in August 2021. His lawyer, Rocco Cipparone Jr., said Bonatucci never handed any alcohol to Piazza that night and was not involved in the discussions of whether to call for help. The security video showing the final hours of a Penn State University students life was at the center of a court hearing on Monday. Why did those same young men wait until mid morning of the next day to get help; when it was too late? As the minutes tick by, without calling for help, prosecutors said "it appears they are cleaning him.". The video appears to show fraternity members pouring beer on him; Piazza appeared unconscious at one point but was later seen moving. On the night of Feb. 2, Piazza engaged in drinking as a part of a pledge ritual and his blood alcohol content reached 0.28 and 0.36 percent. They pointed out that the defense does not have access to the video yet and only portions of it were shown in court Monday. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. [4][5][1][2], Surgeons would determine that Piazza suffered from a ruptured spleen which spilled around 80% of his blood into his abdomen, a class IV haemorrhagic shock and a swollen brain. District Attorney Parks Miller told NBC News that the charges came down to personal responsibility. Why do they want to wait until its too late? Lawyers for the victim's family described the video as "gruesome." Sixteen Penn State fraternity brothers were in court Monday, all facing charges connected with the death of a pledge. [4][5][1][2] Despite attempts to save his life, including by removing half his skull to manage swelling, Piazza passed away on 4th February 2017 from unrecoverable brain damage, aged 19. [3][1], While a coroner report initially deemed Piazza's death accidental, a police investigation would swiftly commence. Family attorney Kline said Jim and Evelyn Piazza were "grieving" and wanted to remember their son as they knew him, and not how he looked in his final moments. Note: Some of the following grand jurytestimony is graphic in nature. Kidding among themselves. About 40 minutes later, a 911 call is finally made, Scicchitano testified. [2][4][5][1] It should be noted that he along with 11 others were under the minimum drinking age of 21. It was a predictable outcome due to a toxic combination of social dynamics that normalizes dehumanization and sees someones vulnerability and pain as entertainment. One member wanted to take Piazza to the hospital but was pushed aside by another, Scicchitano testified. He fell 15 feet down a flight of stairs, hair first. 235K views 5 years ago There are new developments in connection with the case of the fraternity hazing ritual at Penn State that allegedly caused the tragic death of 19-year-old student Tim. Showing someone elses vulnerability and potential embarrassment has become normalized behavior for amusement and increasing ones social status. Related: Penn State Frat Members Have First Hearing in Pledge's Death. [2][4] This formed part of the criteria to become a member at this fraternity, thus also allowing future drinking-related hazing to commence without suspicion from external parties. All the while, fraternity brothers did little to help him. 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