Beta Theta Pi chapter looking to reshape house use

“Never waste a crisis.”

That Winston Churchill quote topped an undated two-page letter to the brothers of what was the Beta Theta Pi fraternity’s Alpha Upsilon chapter.

The crisis in question is not spelled out by Bill Cassidy, a 1981 Penn State grad who is the board president of the alumni leadership of the chapter.

There is no acknowledgment of the death of Timothy Piazza, 19, in February after a fall at a Beta pledge party where surveillance footage shows he went 12 hours without medical assistance. There is no mention of the fact that the chapter and 18 members have been criminally charged after a grand jury review of the circumstances surrounding Piazza’s death, with Cassidy saying he would “assume the reader has kept pace” with developments.

There is one reference to the situation that has evolved in the five months since Piazza died of a brain injury and internal bleeding.

“In the board’s opinion, Beta is dead at Penn State,” Cassidy wrote.

The university permanently banned Beta in March in the midst of the ongoing multilayered investigations.

The letter was attached as an exhibit in a filing for the ongoing battle between Alpha Upsilon and Donald Abbey, the wealthy alum who provided millions for the chapter house over the course of several years.

Abbey wants the $8.5 million back. Alpha Upsilon contends the money was a gift. The contract Abbey cites says that repayment must happen if the chapter ceases to function as Beta Theta Pi fraternity. The letter was quoted and attached as an admission of the defunct status.

But in addition, the letter outlines plans for the fraternity to evolve into something new.

“After examining several options, the option that most resonates with your board is to redefine the use of the house in-line with a model that mirrors the ‘Eating Clubs’ at Princeton and Harvard ...,” Cassidy wrote. “The purpose of this new social organization will certainly have ‘cultivation of the intellect’ as a governing element, but active support of the recovery community at Penn State will be a significant principle as well.”

The plan would also include keeping the Burrowes Road chapter house available for the Alpha Upsilon alumni “as essentially a for-profit, semi-private club.”

Making that happen would take at least $500,000, according to the letter.

“We are early in the fundraising process; to date we have raised about $75,000,” Cassidy wrote. “Let me be clear, if we do not get the financial support required, here is what is likely to happen: We sign the property over to Brother Abbey to do with as he sees fit; the Alumni Corporation files bankruptcy and is dissolved.”

The letter also expressed skepticism over Penn State’s plans to reform the fraternity and sorority system.

“It is an obsolete model. The university may try and salvage some semblance of Greek life, but it is likely a fool’s errand,” Cassidy wrote.

The new proposal would be even more independent of the university. That independence is something Penn State President Eric Barron has said makes it difficult to place limits and controls on fraternity and sorority behavior when, to date, the only penalty was revocation of recognition.

“We are focused on implementation plans for our recognized Greek-letter organizations,” Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said.

In June, the university announced steps to change how the fraternities and sororities are governed, including removing discipline from the control of student organizations like the Interfraternity Council and putting it under the control of a panel of university administrators.

Powers did not remark specifically on the information in the letter.

“We would not comment on ongoing litigation among these two parties,” she said.

Cassidy called the proposal the chapter’s “end-game.”

“We believe this crisis, as unimaginable as it is, is an opportunity for us to lead change for the good. Change we can be proud of,” he wrote.

Cassidy and the chapter’s attorney were contacted for comment, but have not yet responded.

This story was originally published July 3, 2017 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Beta Theta Pi chapter looking to reshape house use."