Timothy Piazza, a sophomore at Penn State University, joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity in early February 2017, eager to be part of a national, social organization. Days later, the men he considered his brothers would watch him die for 12 hours before calling for assistance. 

The Penn State chapter of Beta Theta Pi began their pledging process with an activity known as “The Gauntlet.” For 82 minutes, Piazza and his pledge brothers were force fed a lethal amount of alcohol, which caused him to fall down a flight of stairs at the fraternity house and sustain a lacerated spleen and multiple traumatic brain injuries. Instead of calling for help, other fraternity members slapped him, threw beer on him, and pelted objects at him until his stiff, grey-colored body forced them to call 9-1-1. Timothy was rushed to Hershey Medical Center where he was pronounced dead the following day.

Each year there is at least one hazing-related death in the U.S. among the esteemed social fraternities. And, like years past, nothing is done to prevent another one from happening. Although universities are slow to pass regulations preventing instances like these, understanding all aspects of fraternal hazing can teach students how to be the driving force behind preventing tragic events within the Greek system.

Individual Fraternity Members Bear Responsibility

Fraternity members cannot hide behind the cloak their national organizations provide – no matter how well-funded or connected they may be. In the 1980s, hazing injuries and deaths spiked and with it, parents spoke out. Because of the backlash, insurance companies started dropping coverage for fraternities, and fraternal organizations realized they needed to make a change. Thus, the modern fraternity structure was created – one that is self-insured and paid for by their very own members for when things go wrong.

The fraternity executives decided that if they couldn’t control members’ behavior – they would have to protect the organization in the case that one chapter faces legal issues. They did this by establishing “risk-management policies,” and what these really were, were extremely strict rules that purposely compromise day-to-day fraternity life. Restricted activities include beer pong, drinking from a keg, underage drinking, and so on – which are all normal college activities. This allows the fraternity as an organization to place blame on an individual fraternity member or chapter, should they get caught breaking the rules - and allows them to deny members of any benefits like attorney’s fees or legal assistance.

It’s important to note that of the 33 fraternity hazing deaths that have occurred throughout the country in the past decade, all of them resulted in wrongful death lawsuits or another form of legal action against one or more fraternity members – with Timothy Piazza’s being the most notorious. This goes to show that individual members can and will be held liable for their actions.

Secrecy Protects Hazing

Hazing is an inherent part of American fraternity culture – as portrayed in modern media. Fraternities give members a sense of camaraderie and social belonging – which is the main reason over 750,000 undergraduate students join them throughout the United States and Canada. Pledges, usually younger members with a strong desire to belong to the group, are willing to do whatever their superiors tell them. Fraternity members are educated about “tradition” and “brotherhood,” making hazing during the pledging process sound appealing. 

Pledges often feel that they “took an oath of silence,” according to Hank Nuwer, an author and professor who has spent years researching fraternal hazing. When hazing is non-fatal, pledges are either too embarrassed or scared to speak out – which makes the cycle continue. In the instance that the hazing becomes fatal or near fatal, such as Timothy Piazza’s case, fraternity members often do whatever it takes to cover up hazing – even watch their brother die for 12 hours.

Fraternity Alumni Have Deep Pockets 

A large fear that college presidents have with banning fraternities are the large contributions alumni members make to these universities. Greek organizations own over $3 billion in real estate on more than 800 campuses throughout the United States, and their leaders raise more than $20 million annually, says John Hechinger in his book “True Gentlemen: The Broken Pledge of America’s Fraternities.” In addition, Greek organizations account for approximately 75% of donations to college campuses. Because of this, university presidents find themselves up against organizations that are “well-financed, politically connected, and capable of frustrating the most dogged investigators,” according to Hechinger.

For example, in 2013 the former president of Trinity College, James F. Jones, declared his early retirement when he came under fire from alumni when he banned pledging, cracked down on alcohol consumption, and pushed for co-ed pledge classes at the Trinity College campus. Greek life alumni withheld thousands in donations to the university and threatened legal action following his crackdown.

University Presidents Still See The Good

There’s a reason 76% of all Congressmen and Senators belonged to a fraternity – you really can learn leadership skills through the Greek system. Greek organizations also donate over 10 million volunteer service hours each year, making it the largest volunteer network in the nation. So, why aren’t university presidents more inclined to shut down fraternities? This is the answer. 

Although awful things can happen within the Greek system, college presidents see the good in the system as well. Philanthropy and leadership are the two common pillars among fraternities, and statistics show it really does work. Over 85% of students holding leadership positions on over 730 campuses nationwide are members of the Greek community. Forty-three of the nation’s 50 largest corporations are headed by fraternity men; and a U.S. Government study shows that the Greek system has a 70% graduation rate, compared a 50% rate among non-Greek students.  

If You See Something, Say Something

The most important thing to learn from Timothy Piazza’s death at Beta Theta Pi, is that if you see something, say something. There were several times throughout the night of February 2 that Piazza’s own “brothers” should have called for help, but didn’t. Doctors who treated Piazza at Hershey Medical Center told his parents that had 9-1-1 been called earlier in the night when he was first found, he would still be alive today.

Fraternity members, national organizations, and university officials need to work together to change the culture within the Greek system. The few smart members who urged someone to call an ambulance for Piazza should not have been afraid of backlash from their own fraternity for potentially saving a life.