Penn St. revokes charter of frat where Readington teen died

The fraternity at Penn State University that Hunterdon County teen Timothy Piazza was attempting to join when he died had its charter revoked by the administration and have been stripped of any and all privileges or acknowledgements that come with the school's fraternity recognition.

Piazza, a 19-year-old from Readington, died on Feb. 4 after he fell down the stairs of the Beta Theta Pi frat house days earlier. The engineering major was pledging the frat. He graduated from Hunterdon Central Regional High School in 2015.

“We cannot suitably convey the heartbreak we feel for the family and friends who are grieving the loss of Tim Piazza,” said Damon Sims, vice president for student affairs at Penn State, in a news release. “The information available to us about the actions that led to Tim’s death is deeply disturbing, and no sanction or restriction the University can levy is equal to the gravity of his death or the circumstances which we believe led to it.”

The decision to revoke the recognition of the fraternity was made with Beta Theta Pi's national headquarters, according to the release. The revocation will remain in effect for at least five years and may be made permanent after the completion of the criminal and university investigations that are underway.

Read more: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/hunterdon-county/2017/02/17/penn-st-revokes-charter-frat-where-readington-teen-died/98057928/