>>> TIMOTHY PIAZZA, A PENN STATE
UNIVERSITY STUDENT, DIED IN FEBRUARY, AFTER FALLING DOWN A
SLIGHT OF STAIRS.
NEW CHARGES WERE FILED AGAINST
17 MEMBERS OF THE FRATERNITY
THAT HOSTED THE PARTY AFTER
PROSECUTORS RECOVERED
INTENTIONALLY DELETED VIDEO THAT
SHOWS TIMOTHY WAS GIVEN 18 DRINKS BY FRAT BROTHERS IN LESS
THAN 90 MINUTES.
PROMPTING HIS BLOOD ALCOHOL
CONTENT TO REACH FIVE-TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT.EACH FIVE-TIMES THE
LEGAL LIMIT. TIMOTHYS DEATH IS ONE OF FOUR
DEATHS LINKED TO FRAT PARTIES IN
THIS MONTH.
THIS MONTH.
A STUDENT DIED AFTER ATTENDING A PARTY OFF-CAMPUS.TER ATTENDING A
PARTY OFF-CAMPUS. AND YESTERDAY, OHIO STATE
UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCED SUSPENSION
OF ACTIVITIES IN ALMOST ALL OF
ITS FRATERNITIES BECAUSE OF
ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS INTO
DRINKING AND HAZING.
JIM AND EVELYN PIAZZA, SAYS HAZING HAS TO STOP.ZA, SAYS
HAZING HAS TO STOP. THEY ARE HERE, ALONG WITH THEIR
ATTORNEY, TO TELL US MORE.
YOU LOST TIMOTHY NINE MONTHS
AGO.
AGO.
I KNOW ITS NOT EASY FOR YOU TO
BE HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE USE THIS WEEK.ASK YOU ABOUT THE USE
THIS WEEK. THE FBI RECOVERED INTENTIONALLY
DELETED VIDEOTAPE, OF A CRITICAL
PORTION OF THAT EVENING, WHEN HE
WAS GIVEN 18 DRINKS IN 90
MINUTES.
MINUTES.
WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT
THE FRATERNITY MEMBERS?
>> IT TELLS YOU ABOUT THE MINDSET OF THIS GROUP OFE
MINDSET OF THIS GROUP OF FRATERNITY MEMBERS.
FRATERNITY MEMBERS. FOR EIGHT DAYS WE LISTENED TO
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS ABOUT CLIENT
NOT BEING THERE.
MY CLIENT DIDNT DO THIS.
THE VIDEOTAPES IN THE BASEMENT
SHOWS EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED.
SHOWS THEY WERE THERE.
AND THEY KNEW IT.
THEY KNEW WHAT WENT ON.
BUT THEY WERE HIDING IT FROM THE
COURT, THINKING THE TAPES
WERENT GOING TO BE RECOVERED.
>> WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE
THAT SAY, KIDS GO TO COLLEGE AND
THEY MAKE STUPID DECISIONS ALL
THE TIME.
THE TIME. AND THE ASSIGNMENT OF BLAME,
THEIR DEFENDERS SAY, IS
INAPPROPRIATE.
INAPPROPRIATE.
>> THEY DONT UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF HAZING.STAND THE
CONCEPT OF HAZING. THERES A PSYCHOLOGY TO IT.
IF THEY CONSENT, ITS NOT
CONSENT.
CONSENT. THEY ARE BEING FORCED TO DO IT,
OTHERWISE THEYRE NOT GETTING
IN.
IN.
>> ONE OF THE MOST DISTURBING THINGS ABOUT TIMOTHYS CASE IS,
THE WAY HE WAS TREATED AFTER HE
WAS HURT, WHEN HE WAS CLEARLY
DOWN AND IN NEED OF HELP.
I KNOW, JIM, YOU SAY, HE WAS
TREATED LIKE ROAD KILL.
AND THE TAPES THAT WEVE SEEN,
THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH US
THUS FAR, SHOW THAT.
IS THAT WHERE YOU BELIEVE
CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE
APPROPRIATE?
APPROPRIATE?
>> THE CRIMINAL CHARGES STEM FROM ALL OF THE THINGS THAT LED
UP TO THAT.
ITS THE HAZE INGING THE FURNISH
OF THE ALCOHOL, THE ABUSE THAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
CHANGE THE WORD HAZING TO ABUSE
AND PEOPLE TAKE A DIFFERENT LOOK AT IT.OPLE TAKE A DIFFERENT LOOK
AT IT. THE FACT THEY TREATED HIM LIKE
ROAD KILL.
ROAD KILL. THE FACT THEY TREATED HIM SO
POORLY AND DIDNT HELP HIM.
>> HAVE YOU HAD CONTACT WITH THE
OTHER PARENTS?
OTHER PARENTS? >> A COUPLE OF PARENTS SENT US
LETTERS, SAYING, WERE SORRY FOR
YOUR LOSS.
YOUR LOSS.
MY SON WASNT THERE.
AND IN A COUPLE OF CASES, THEIR
SON WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
ITS NICE TO GET THE LETTERS.
BUT IS THERE SINCERE REMORSE?
I DONT THINK SO.
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT OTHER
PARENTS TO KNOW?
>> TALK TO YOUR KIDS.
HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. DONT DO ANYTHING YOU DONT FEEL
COMFORTABLE WITH.
COMFORTABLE WITH.
IF YOURE GOING TO PLEDGE OR
JOIN ANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS,
HAVE A BUDDY SYSTEM.
DO IT WITH A GROUP.
DO IT WITH A FRIEND, MAKE A
PACT.
IF SOMETHING DOESNT FEEL LIKE OR ITS GOING BAD, JUST LEAVE.
>> WHAT ARE THE ODDS THESE GUYS
ARE GOING TO BE KIKTCONVICTED ON
MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES?
MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES? >> I THINK THE ODDS ARE PRETTY
GOOD.
GOOD.
TO PROVE RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT OR INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, THE
LEGAL STANDARD IS RECKLESSNESS.
THIS IS NOT A CRIME OF INTENT.
THIS IS A CRIME OF RECKLESSNESS.
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY
THAT WILL HAPPEN.
FOR SURE, WERE GOING TO SEE
CONVICTIONS SS OR PLEAS.
YOU DONT THINK THE NEW D.A.
WILL DROP THE CHARGES?
>> I WOULD BE SURPRISED.
AND THEY WILL HEAR FROM THE
PIAZZAS IF THAT HAPPENS.
>> THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST
HOLIDAY WITHOUT HIM.
THINKING ABOUT YOU AND SO MUCH
LOVE AND SUPPORT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING OUTSPOKEN.
WANT TO TELL OUR VIEWERS THAT
NBC NEWS REACHED OUT TO PENN
STATE OFFICIALS FOR COMMENTS.
THE SCHOOL SAID THAT THE
UNIVERSITY WILL NOT FORGET THEIR
LOSS, AS WE CONTINUE OUR ERTFFOR
TO HOLD INDIVIDUALS ACCOUNTABLE.
PENN STATE MAINTAINS, THAT THE
UNIVERSITY TOOK THE STRONGEST
ACTION POSSIBLE.
ACTION POSSIBLE. THE BREADTH OF THE UNIVERSITY