ptsd

Back in March, it was reported that police were investigating the Penn State chapter of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity for “private Facebook pages where members posted photographs of nude, unconscious women, drug sales and hazing.” It wasn’t a good look. At the time, one of the main arguments for it being harmless fun was that, like, only 144 bros had access to it so no one even knew they had those pictures and stuff, bro. But… that’s a weak argument.

And it looks even weaker now, since the so-called “whistleblower” on this whole thing, former pledge James Vivenzio, has sued Penn State and Kappa Delta Rho. For their part, PSU fully denies any of these claims, but here they are, like the one where the frat allegedly stole pledges’ prescriptions and sold them, used their meal plans, and did the whole sexual assault thing:

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There’s the one where they allegedly literally targeted and drugged freshmen so they could sexually assault them:

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And as nice as it is to see the term “‘bro’ culture” in an official legal document – which is the case here – the rest of the lawsuit sn’t so great. For example, about that now well-known secret Facebook page:

KDR members also maintained a members-only Facebook page that featured numerous photos – as well as running commentary from fraternity members – of pledges and other students passed out from over-consumption of alcohol and sprawled on sofas, on the floor or in a wide open “Port-a-potty”; female students unconscious and naked and, in one case, passed out after losing control of her bowel; female students apparently in the act of being sexually assaulted while heavily intoxicated; and various hazing activities such as branding the buttocks of two pledges with a hot clothes hangar.

According to the lawsuit, Vivenzio met with a Penn State official and told him everything. Here’s how he says that went:

In April 2014, one year before Plaintiff Vivenzio disclosed KDR’s secret Facebook page to local police, he met with a senior investigator from the Penn State Office of Student Conduct at his home in Virginia and shared print outs of group text messages and provided information about the Facebook site that was clear evidence of the unlawful and dangerous hazing activities at KDR and acts of sexual harassment and abuse at the fraternity. Plaintiff also told the Penn State investigator that he had evidence relating to sexual assault at KDR and could provide access to both the group text messages and the Facebook site. This was the same Facebook site that Plaintiff later shared with local police prompting its criminal investigation.

During the meeting with Plaintiff Vivenzio and his parents at their home in Virginia, Plaintiff Vivenzio pledged his continued cooperation with the Penn State official to ensure that these activities were stopped and implored the Penn State official to gain access to the Facebook page so he could see for himself the atrocities taking place on a daily basis at KDR.

After the meeting, the Penn State official vowed to promptly and thoroughly investigate these activities at KDR. However, despite these assurances, the University did absolutely nothing

At least according to the lawsuit, the “bro culture” went all the way to the top. You can check out the full complaint here. It’s mostly technical facts with claims of horrible assaults and sexual abuses sprinkled in. WE ARE!

Vivenzio Complaint

via PhillyMag