[ASTalumna06]

Grand jury slams Penn State for ignoring reports on dangerous hazing

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/us/pen...ort/index.html

A scathing grand jury report released Friday described alcohol-fueled fraternity hazing at Penn State University and said the rituals were a pervasive and dangerous practice that the university has been apathetic to and failed to prevent for years.

The grand jury wrote the report following its investigation into the hazing death of a sophomore Beta Theta Pi pledge earlier this year, saying "it would be failing its duty ... if it did not report to the public both what it learned and the certain dangers it foresees if students, university administrators, and the General Assembly resist adopting profound changes on college campuses and communities in Pennsylvania."

The report also described the case of James Vivenzio, who pledged to join Kappa Delta Rho in 2012. According to the report he left the school in 2013, due to "issues stemming from his hazing." The report said he made multiple attempts to notify the university and police about the fraternity's hazing, alcohol abuse and misconduct involving the circulation of photos of unconscious, nude women from fraternity parties.

He said the three-month hazing period included mandatory drinking games until pledges threw up, and those who refused to participate were forced to leave immediately, the report said.

It said pledges were forced to drink a warm concoction that included ingredients such as cat food, urine, semen and alcohol, among others.

In a bid to put a stop to the hazing, Vivenzio met in April 2014 with the head of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life visited him in Virginia to see the evidence of hazing and abuse, the report said. Vivenzio testified that the official said there was not much he could do to stop it, according to the report.

Vivenzio also shared his hazing accounts with several departments at Penn State in 2014, including the board of trustees, according to the report.

The grand jury report stated that emails corroborate the fact that university administrators adopted a "policy of detachment" and chose not to involve themselves with fraternity affairs.