Incidents at Pi Kap, ZBT spur inquiries

While high or drunk, a ZBT brother jumped from a second-floor window. In separate incidents last weekend, a student jumped out of a second-story window of the Zeta Beta Tau house and two Pi Kappa Phi brothers were cited for disorderly conduct, University officials said. The incidents appear to be the latest in a string of problems this fall stemming from students abusing alcohol or drugs, an issue University administrators have identified as a top priority. The ZBT brother -- a College sophomore who was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with minor injuries -- was either drunk, high or both when he jumped out of the window Thursday night, officials said. The Pi Kap brothers were both drunk when they were arrested Sunday morning, also according to officials. The ZBT incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. last Thursday and is still under investigation, but the student involved has been referred to the University's counseling services, Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel said. Several ZBT brothers refused to comment on the incident after being contacted by telephone. A crowd of onlookers, paramedics and police officers gathered outside the fraternity house in Superblock Thursday night after the student leapt from the building's second floor. University officials initially thought the jump may have been an attempted suicide, but eventually concluded that the student was not trying to kill himself. "Something that may have appeared to be a suicide attempt is automatically sent to counseling," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski explained. "We're really more concerned with his mental health at this point to make sure he's OK." InterFraternity Council President Matt Baker echoed Reikofski's concern for the student's well-being. "There are a lot of personal issues involved that I hope are dealt with appropriately," said Baker, a College and Engineering senior. "My only comment is that I hope the individual is OK, and that everything works out and he is able to get whatever help he needs or whatever." The Office of Student Conduct is also conducting an investigation into whether the student violated any of the University's rules, Cassel said. At the same time, OFSA is trying to determine whether the fraternity itself should be disciplined. "If the chapter had a role at at all, and if he's underage and the chapter provided alcohol or other controlled substances to him, then it's obviously going to be an issue for the chapter," Reikofski said. "If the chapter had no role in it, it's not an issue for the chapter." The student, who University officials refused to identify, is under 21 --Emeaning ZBT violated University policy and state law if it provided him with alcohol. In the second incident, University Police cited two Pi Kap brothers for disorderly conduct after a party at the fraternity's house at 4040 Walnut Street. The OSC is also investigating that incident, officials said. Police booked College senior Douglas Berkman after he and other fraternity brothers "gave the police a hard time" when they tried to break up a party at the fraternity house, Reikofski said. Less than a half hour later, Wharton senior Jeremy Palley was cited for disorderly conduct outside the police station. Reikofski explained that Palley was cited when "brothers -- who had clearly been drinking and weren't thinking too clearly -- went over to the police station to rally [after police broke up the party at the house and brought Berkman to the station to complete paperwork]." Berkman and Palley declined to comment and directed all questions to Pi Kap President Adam Goldstein, a College junior who was unavailable for comment last night. Police officials and Baker differed over exactly what happened before the citations were issued, though Baker wasn't at the party. "The police officers used considerable restraint under the circumstances," Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush said. "The police used their heads and, I think, gave considerable slack to the students whose behavior is exactly the problem that we've been talking about. "Abusive behavior towards the police is not going to be tolerated," she added. Although Baker said that "we're looking to work through the partnership [with the police] to find a solution," he emphasized that "I don't think the police in this incident were angels either." Baker explained that fraternity brothers who don't live in the house were trying to re-enter after the party ended, and were "well within their rights" to do so when they were stopped by police. But he added that "I don't know exactly what happened once the incident escalated." Baker and Reikofski also seemed to disagree over possible repercussions for the fraternity. OFSA will investigate whether the brothers broke University policies by serving alcohol after they were supposed to stop for the night, serving alcohol in violation of the "bring your own beer" policy, charging at the door or refusing to work with police, Reikofski said. If the fraternity is found to have violated University rules, Reikofski said the most probable punishment would be "a set probation time and a number of educational sanctions." But Baker said he doubted that the fraternity would be punished. "As far as Pi Kappa Phi being put on any probation? that's very unlikely, if not ridiculous," he said.