Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life

S01E03 Hazed to Death

On a chilly February morning in 2017, a 911 operator received a distressing call from the Beta Theta Pi house on Penn State’s frat row: “We have a friend who’s unconscious. He hasn’t moved. We need an ambulance.” Earlier that night, freshman pledge Tim Piazza had been coerced into drinking a dangerous amount of alcohol during a hazing event known as "The Gauntlet." Afterward, he suffered a severe fall down the basement stairs. When a concerned fraternity member urged his brothers to seek help, they dismissed him, choosing to prioritize their loyalty to the fraternity over the urgent need for medical assistance for the injured pledge.