Sexual misconduct, COVID-19 violations & more: PSU, State College tell students to avoid former frat
Both Penn State and the State College borough combined to send an unprecedented email to students Friday night, warning them of a local rental property that has been marred by accusations of COVID-19 violations, alcohol issues, sexual misconduct and more.
According to the email, which was sent by Borough Manager Tom Fountaine and Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Sims, activities at a former frat house at 329 E. Prospect Ave. in State College have led to a “deep and growing concern” for “the safety of individuals and the broader community.”
The rental property — which previously operated as the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, before it was suspended in 2017 and had its charter revoked — still has male tenants that operate as if it’s a fraternity, the email said. Police have been called to the residence at least 10 times since the start of the semester.
The university has already suspended two students living there, and the borough is considering additional legal action, per the email.
“Neither of us has ever issued a warning of this nature, which should indicate the seriousness of the behaviors allegedly occurring at this property,” the email said. “We share this information out of conviction that the best protection for public safety includes individual efforts to self-guard against such threats.”
According to the email, since April 2017, residents of the rental property have been accused of or found responsible for various violations such as hazing and sexual misconduct. Recently, they’ve held a number of large gatherings that are barred under a borough ordinance that was implemented in August.
During an alleged Halloween party, per the email, an underage female student was found intoxicated and unconscious on a nearby sidewalk — and party organizers are accused of placing her there. (The student eventually recovered from alcohol poisoning at Mount Nittany Medical Center.) A sexual assault was also alleged to have occurred there last weekend.
The borough said it has taken “enforcement action on numerous occasions” against the residence, to no avail.
“In short, residents at 329 East Prospect have demonstrated a pattern of behavior that is troubling and has not stopped despite the continuing efforts of local police and university authorities,” the email read. ”For that reason, we strongly discourage any students from affiliating with the unrecognized group living in this facility, and we urge you not to attend activities here.”
Anyone with more information about the property is asked to call the State College Police Department at 234-7150 or the Penn State Office of Student Conduct at 863-0342.
This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 9:05 PM.
