Penn State Knew About 'Life-Threatening' Hazing: Whistleblower

Penn State officials knew about sexual assault and hazing at a fraternity months before it took action and shut it down, a whistleblowing student said Monday.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Virginia resident James Vivenzio has sued the university because he endured what he felt was life-threatening hazing as a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity.

In his lawsuit, Vivenzio reportedly went to police for fear that someone would die from the hazing, which included being force-fed buckets of liquor mixed with urine and vomit, the Inquirer said.

In May, Penn State announced it had shut down Kappa Delta Rho for a “persistent series of deeply troubling behavior,” including the creation of two secret Facebook pages allegedly showing photos of nude women.

A university investigation revealed members of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity engaged in hazing activities and sexual harassment, according to a statement from Penn State issued when the fraternity was shut down for three years.

The investigation into the fraternity was launched in March, after allegations surfaced that its members created private Facebook pages to share photos of naked woman, including females who are passed out, sleeping and even vomiting.

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