Two students have plead guilty to their role in the death of a sophomore who took part in a sick "obstacle course" as part of a fraternity hazing.
Timothy Piazza passed away from injuries sustained at Beta Theta Pi fraternity house at Penn State University. The youngster was among the 14 pledges summoned to the house that night to participate in the bid acceptance event.
The 19-year-old consumed large quantities of alcohol during an initiation event referred to as an “obstacle course" in February 2017 where the sophomores consumed significant amounts of alcohol.
Piazza, after downing the drinks, was placed on a couch and left unsupervised, according to the New York Post. He stumbled around the house before falling down the basement stairs around 11pm.
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He was found unresponsive the next morning , having remained on the floor until around 11am, when someone found him and called 911. Piazza sustained serious internal injuries and was rushed into surgery.
He had a ruptured spleen and Class IV hemorrhagic shock but died days later as a result of multiple falls he suffered in his drunken state.
“There should be no discussion of this case without recognizing the tragic loss of life and resulting devastation for Mr. Piazza’s family and friends,” Attorney General Henry said. "Mr. Piazza was simply seeking to join a social organization for the benefits of community and shared experiences , as so many university students do.
" Most of those students go on to successful lives and careers — basic expectations following college which Mr. Piazza never had the opportunity to experience.”
Brendan Young, 28, and Daniel Casey, 27, two former Penn State students, each pleaded guilty this week in Centre County Court to 14 counts of hazing and a single count of reckless endangerment — all misdemeanors.
They plead guilty to hazing and reckless endangerment for their actions in a 2017 hazing incident at a fraternity where they served in leadership roles .
Young served as president of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Casey was vice president and pledge master at the time of the February 2017 offenses. The pair participated in and facilitated the hazing event.
The criminal prosecution of these cases has taken a significant amount of time largely due to appeals of pre-trial court rulings. The 14 counts of hazing represent a count of hazing for each member of the Spring 2017 pledge class who were subjected to the obstacle course. The reckless endangerment charge pertains to Piazza.
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The Piazza family was instrumental in the Pennsylvania legislature passing the Timothy Piazza Anti–Hazing Law, which includes a felony-graded offense when serious injury or death results . The pair will be sentenced in October.
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