Officials at Pennsylvania State University recently announced that two of the university’s fraternities lost recognition following “several violations of university rules.”
This recent revocation comes on the heels of the March closure of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. The university closed the campus chapter after a freshman pledge died from his injuries after a night of underage drinking at the fraternity house with the members and other pledges.
On Oct. 28, Penn State administrators announced that Pi Lambda Phi will not have recognition again until year’s end of 2019. Their charter was revoked for a trio of incidents where they had alcohol available for underage guests to consume.
The Delta Upsilon fraternity is unrecognized until the end of next semester. Their violations of university rules include organizing events like “Fifth and a Friend” that encouraged students who were not of legal age to drink alcohol.
Without formal recognition, fraternities are barred from participating in Greek life activities like the dance marathon or homecoming.
Administrators claim that the two fraternities “violated university expectations” when they made alcohol available at social events where there were underage students.
In the university’s press release, the Student Affairs’ vice president stated, “The misbehavior of these chapters demonstrates very little regard for the trouble alcohol can bring. I am disappointed by this outcome, but effective accountability must be achieved.”
According to the executive director of Delta Upsilon International, sanctions should be imposed on chapters promoting activities that endanger students’ safety or health and he was “extremely disappointed” by the fraternity members’ actions.
When underage teens and young adults illegally consume alcohol, they are at risk of injury or even death. Even if no permanent harm comes to them from drinking, they can have their promising college careers derailed by an arrest. Parents can assist their kids by retaining a criminal defense attorney.
Source: CBS News, “2 Penn State fraternities lose recognition after rule violations,” Oct. 30, 2017
