Frat found not culpable for student fall

The Psi Upsilon fraternity violated the University alcohol policy, but these violations did not cause the critical injury of a College junior at one of the fraternity's parties over a month ago, according to an Office of Student Conduct investigation summary obtained yesterday.

At a Sept. 18 party at the fraternity -- also known as the Castle -- Pi Kappa Alpha brother Matthew Paris fell two stories to the basement floor after reportedly consuming 21 shots of alcohol. He spent more than a month at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and is now at the Moss Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia, where he will likely remain for two to five more weeks.

In violation of University policy, guests on upper floors of the party, where Paris spent part of his evening, had "uncontrolled access" to beer, according to OSC findings.

The OSC concluded that, though the Castle made "significant efforts" to comply with the Penn alcohol policy, the chapter "bears collective responsibility for the service of alcohol at a registered party that was outside the designated and controlled area ... [and] for the unregulated service of alcohol to underage individuals."

Many who attended the party said they saw consumption of hard alcohol on the party's upper floors, but the University investigation only produced "some evidence of hard alcohol" and said "the extent of its use was not confirmed."

Psi Upsilon members reached last night were not aware that the OSC report had been released.

When told of the report's findings, Wharton junior and Castle brother Dan Doyon said he did not fully agree with OSC conclusions, but refused to elaborate.

All other brothers reached refused to comment at all on the violations.

As a result of the OSC findings, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs will now negotiate a probation agreement with the Castle, its alumni advisers and the Psi Upsilon national office.

The probation agreement could include social restrictions as well as community service requirements, according to InterFraternity Council President Conor O'Callaghan.

"I'm pretty sure the probationary agreement won't be crippling to Psi Upsilon," said O'Callaghan, a Wharton and Engineering senior. He noted that probationary agreements are "usually very positive. The punitive stuff tends to be secondary."

The Castle recently concluded a two-year probationary period for violating the University alcohol policy in 2001.

That violation occurred at a February party when Psi Upsilon served "large amounts of hard alcohol" to underage students, according to University investigations conducted at the time. An underage guest spent a night at HUP for alcohol poisoning following that party.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.