This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/penn-state-hazing-death-timothy-piazza-fraternity-ritual-parents-speak-out-a7737346.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
'They treated our son as roadkill': Parents address teenager's death after fraternity drinking ritual 'They treated our son as roadkill': Parents address teenager's death after fraternity drinking ritual
(35 minutes later)
Eighteen members of an American university fraternity have been charged in the death of 19-year-old Timothy Piazza, following an alleged hazing ritual. The parents of US college student who died after fraternity hazing event have accused fellow members of treating him "as roadkill and a rag doll". 
Mr Piazza, a second-year engineering student at Pennsylvania State University, died on 4 February after falling down 15 feet of concrete stairs at a Beta Theta Pi (Beta) fraternity initiation party. Coroners say the fall was the direct result of Mr Piazza’s intoxication, after completing an intensive hazing ritual. After joining the Beta Theta Pi (Beta) fraternity at Pennsylvania State University in February, Timothy Piazza, 19, took part in a hazing ritual called “the gauntlet”.
Mr Piazza’s fraternity brothers allegedly failed to call 911 until 15 hours after the fall. At that point, doctors say the student-athlete had bled 80 per cent of his total blood supply into his abdomen. He died that morning in the surgical intensive care unit. The obstacle course requires contestants to drink approximately five alcoholic drinks in two minutes.
"It was horrific,'' Jim Piazza told NBC, of his son’s death. "This wasn't boys being boys … They basically treated our son as roadkill and a rag doll." After completing his run, security footage captured Mr Piazza staggering around the fraternity's after party. At one point, he can be seen staggering toward the basement stairs. Out of sight of the cameras, he allegedly fell approximately 15 feet – head first – to the bottom of the flight.
The Centre County District Attorney has announced more than 850 charges against Beta brothers in Mr Piazza’s death. The charges stem mainly from a hazing ritual called “the gauntlet”; an obstacle course in which new initiates are allegedly required to drink approximately five alcoholic drinks in the span of two minutes. After finding him face-down at the bottom of the steps”, his fraternity brothers carried him upstairs to a couch, where they attempted to rouse him.
Text messages from older fraternity members about the new initiates allegedly broadcast their desire to “f*** with them” and “get them f***ed up”. Despite his non-responsiveness and a large bruise growing across his abdomen, the brothers allegedly refused to call the emergency services. One young man who suggested calling 911 appeared to have been thrown against a wall by his brothers.
  "Everybody was surrounding him, basically laughing and pointing,” one brother, Kordel Davis, told ABC News, adding: “They thought calling for help was just unnecessary."
The night of Mr Piazza’s alleged “gauntlet”, security footage shows him staggering around the fraternity's after party, attracting the attention of several brothers. At one point, Mr Piazza can be seen staggering toward the basement stairs. Out of sight of the cameras, he falls approximately 15 feet – head first – to the bottom of the flight. Left largely unattended, Piazza proceeded to fall several more times throughout the night – once striking his head on an iron railing. One brother can be seen on surveillance footage stepping over Piazza’s unconscious body on his way to get water.
Party-goers, startled by the crash, are said to have discovered Mr Piazza’s body “face-down at the bottom of the steps”. Fraternity brothers carried him upstairs to a couch, where they attempted to rouse him. Members of the fraternity did not call 911 until after 10 the next morning - around 15 hours after his first fall - when they found Piazza unresponsive, rigid, and cold to the touch.
Despite Mr Piazza’s non-responsiveness, and a large bruise growing across his abdomen, the brothers allegedly refused to call 911. One young man who suggested calling 911 is alleged to have been thrown against a wall by his brothers. When surgeons began operating, they found his spleen shattered and brain swollen. Doctors said 80 per cent of the student athlete's total blood supply had bled  into his abdomen. 
"Everybody was surrounding him, basically laughing and pointing,” the brother, Kordel Davis, told ABC News. “They thought calling for help was just unnecessary." He died in the surgical intensive care unit on 4 February. Coroners later testified he had consumed a “life-threatening” amount of alcohol.
Left largely unattended, Mr Piazza proceeded to fall several more times throughout the night – once striking his head on an iron railing. One brother can allegedly be seen on surveillance footage stepping over Mr Piazza’s unconscious body on his way to get water. "It was horrific,'' Jim Piazza said of his son’s death. "This wasn't boys being boys … They basically treated our son as roadkill and a rag doll."
According to prosecutors, members of the fraternity did not call 911 until after 10 the next morning – when they found Mr Piazza unresponsive, rigid, and cold to the touch. When surgeons at Hershey Medical Centre began operating, they found his spleen shattered, brain swollen, and four litres of blood pooling in his abdomen. Coroners later testified he had consumed a “life-threatening” amount of alcohol. "Nobody should consume that much alcohol,'' his mother, Evelyn, said. "That's torture."
"Nobody should consume that much alcohol,'' said his mother, Evelyn. "That's torture." Eighteen members of the fraternity are now facing charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to tampering with evidence in the death of 19-year-old .
Penn State has since banned Beta Theta Pi from campus, announced a “strongly enforced prohibition” on underage drinking, and cancelled rush for Fall 2017. But court documents suggest hazing and underage drinking at Penn State won’t be easy to combat. The Centre County District Attorney said more than 850 charges had been filed. 
Beta publicly represents themselves as a “dry” fraternity, but reports claim the Penn State chapter furnished alcohol for at least three of their rush week events. Receipts from that time period allegedly reveal Beta members spent at least $1,179 on alcohol in an eight-day span. Parties attendees attest the alcohol was readily available to minors. Text messages from older fraternity members about the new initiates broadcast their desire to “fuck with them” and “get them fucked up”, they said. 
And despite publicly condemning hazing, Beta members from multiple years allegedly told law enforcement their brothers repeatedly hazed them during initiation – including forcing them to run “the gauntlet”. At least one other member was hospitalised as a result of the initiation process in recent years. Penn State has since banned Beta Theta Pi from campus, announced a “strongly enforced prohibition” on underage drinking, and cancelled rush week for Autumn 2017. Officially known as recruitment week, rush week is the period of time when fraternities and sororities recruit students to their respective Greek letter organisations. 
But court documents suggest hazing and underage drinking at Penn State won’t be easy to combat.
Beta publicly represents themselves as a “dry” fraternity, but reports show the Penn State chapter provided alcohol for at least three of their rush week events. Receipts from that time period reveal Beta members spent at least $1,179 (£917) on alcohol in an eight-day span. Party attendees attest the alcohol was readily available to minors.
Despite publicly condemning hazing, Beta members from multiple years told law enforcement their brothers repeatedly hazed them during initiation – including forcing them to run “the gauntlet”. At least one other member was hospitalised as a result of the initiation process in recent years.
Nationwide, more than half of all college students involved in clubs, teams, or other organisations have been hazed. At least one student has died in a hazing-related accident every year since 1970, according to journalist and hazing expert Hank Nuwer. The vast majority of these deaths involve alcohol.Nationwide, more than half of all college students involved in clubs, teams, or other organisations have been hazed. At least one student has died in a hazing-related accident every year since 1970, according to journalist and hazing expert Hank Nuwer. The vast majority of these deaths involve alcohol.
In a statement following Mr Piazza’s death, Penn State called binge drinking on college campuses a “national problem that has been worsening”. In a statement following Piazza’s death, Penn State called binge drinking on college campuses a “national problem that has been worsening”.
"Penn State initiated aggressive enforcement, education and monitoring measures to address these issues well before the tragic death of Timothy Piazza, and announced additional measures following,” the school said. “...Our actions will continue, and represent our ongoing commitment to drive change in tackling binge drinking at universities. "Penn State initiated aggressive enforcement, education and monitoring measures to address these issues well before the tragic death of Timothy Piazza, and announced additional measures following,” the school said. “Our actions will continue, and represent our ongoing commitment to drive change in tackling binge drinking at universities."