Penn State frat Pi Kappa Alpha suspended after Saturday gathering involving about 70 students
A second Penn State fraternity has been summarily suspended after hosting a Saturday party with about 70 students in attendance, while chapter executives who refused entry to university officials have also been summarily suspended, the university announced Sunday.
Pi Kappa Alpha, 417 E. Prospect Ave., was expected to have all members undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing Sunday, and the university encouraged nonmembers in attendance to also be tested. According to Damon Sims, Penn State vice president for Student Affairs, no disciplinary action will be initiated against those who submit to supplementary testing.
“We’re all in this together, so when one of us, or a group, behaves in ways that threaten all of us, we must act, and we must act quickly,” Sims said in a written statement. “Social gatherings are among the very best ways to spread the virus, and refusing to comply with the public health mandates, even when directed to do so by university officials, will not be tolerated.”
The frat’s summary suspension comes less than a week after the Pennsylvania Lambda chapter of Phi Kappa Psi was placed on interim suspension after a maskless social Tuesday. On Wednesday, a large gathering also took place outside the freshman dorms in East Halls that drew the ire of university President Eric Barron, who labeled such behavior “unacceptable.”
Sims said, like the Pi Kappa Alpha members, those who took part in Wednesday’s gathering would not have discipline initiated if they submit to supplementary testing. According to Penn State’s COVID-19 dashboard, there are two positive cases — out of 83 tests with results and 198 awaiting results — at University Park, as of the most recent figures Thursday.
The latest suspension came after at least three dozen individuals who were not residents of the fraternity gathered at the East Prospect Avenue house, violating the university’s policy of “no socials of any kind” as well as a recent borough ordinance that forbids more than 10 people to gather at a residence. According to the university, Penn State’s monitors approached the house but were refused entry by the chapter.
Conduct investigations will take place next, before discipline is ultimately decided upon. In the meantime, the frat’s summary suspension means it will not be able to participate in, attend or organize any functions, activities or events — including participating in universitywide events as an organization. The fraternity will lose all privileges as a recognized student organization pending the outcome of a formal investigation.
“Among the last things I want to do is suspend students or student organizations,” Sims said. “But the very last thing I want to do is allow a small subset of our university population to send all of us home because it chose to ignore the requirements each of us must abide, and we will do all we reasonably can to avoid that outcome.”
Penn State classes started Monday.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 10:58 AM.
