The last two remaining defendants charged following the 2017 hazing death of Penn State student and fraternity pledge Timothy Piazza entered guilty pleas Tuesday in Centre County Court.
Former Beta Theta Pi Alpha Upsilon Chapter president Brendan Young and former vice president and pledgemaster Daniel Casey each pleaded guilty to 14 misdemeanor counts of hazing and one misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
More than 20 other defendants charged following Piazza’s death long ago resolved their cases, with most pleading guilty to misdemeanor hazing or alcohol-related charges and serving sentences of home confinement or probation. Six were accepted into Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition programs for first-time offenders.
The cases against Young and Casey, however, have been held up in appeals over evidence. A trial had been scheduled for September in Centre County.
“There should be no discussion of this case without recognizing the tragic loss of life and resulting devastation for Mr. Piazza’s family and friends,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “Mr. Piazza was simply seeking to join a social organization for the benefits of community and shared experiences, as so many university students do. Most of those students go on to successful lives and careers — basic expectations following college which Mr. Piazza never had the opportunity to experience.”
Piazza, a 19-year-old Penn State sophomore, was among 14 pledges at a bid acceptance night on Feb. 2, 2017 at the fraternity. Piazza was given 18 alcoholic drinks in 82 minutes, including consuming beer, liquor and wine during what was known as “The Gauntlet,” one of several hazing activities.
With what prosecutors said was a blood alcohol content of .36, Piazza suffered several falls during the night, including one head first down the basement stairs. Security video evidence shown at preliminary hearings showed fraternity members interacting with the visibly inebriated Piazza and later carrying him upstairs after he fell to the basement.
No one called for help until nearly 12 hours after that fall, when Piazza was discovered unconscious, stiff and cold. Before then, video evidence showed Piazza endured a series of falls throughout the early morning hours and making his way to the basement, where he was seen crawling under a bar.
Piazza died on Feb. 4, 2017 as a result of brain injuries, head trauma and internal bleeding.
His death resulted in the largest hazing prosecution in U.S. history, with thousands of charges initially filed against nearly 30 defendants. Some were accused of attempting to hide evidence. The most serious charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault were dismissed or withdrawn.
The sentencing of Young and Casey will bring to an end criminal proceedings in the case, but both men are among the defendants in a civil lawsuit brought by Piazza’s parents, Jim and Evelyn, in 2019. That case is still pending in federal court.
Penn State and Beta Theta Pi reached out-of-court settlements with the Piazzas.
The Alpha Upsilon chapter of Beta Theta Pi was permanently banned by Penn State and shuttered the fraternity’s national organization about two months after Piazza’s death
Pennsylvania Superior Court in October 2023 upheld a Centre County judge’s ruling that a 1928 deed provision gives the university the right to acquire the former Beta Theta Pi house at 220 N. Burrowes St. because it is no longer being used as a fraternity. The two sides have yet to agree on a sale price.
Piazza’s death also led to a major new Pennsylvania anti-hazing law which, among other things, makes hazing resulting in bodily injury or death a felony.
