Penn State Fraternities Suspended For Breaking COVID Rules

Penn State University suspended a second fraternity in one week for breaking the university’s coronavirus protocols, according to a press release.

Penn State’s Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity and its student leaders were put on interim suspension after university monitors reported around 70 students attending a social event hosted by the group, according to a Sunday press release. Phi Kappa Alpha’s suspension comes three days after Penn State state suspended another fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, for hosting an event with around 15 people who reportedly did not wear masks or observe social distancing guidelines, according to a Thursday press release.

The university said the two events violated the school’s coronavirus prevention policies.

All members of Pi Kappa Alpha were required to receive testing following the incident, according to one statement. Students from either fraternity’s gathering won’t face consequences if they do further supplemental testing, Vice President of Student Affairs Damon Sims said.

“We’re all in this together, so when one of us, or a group, behaves in ways that threaten all of us, we must act, and we must act quickly,” Sims said in the Sunday statement.

“Social gatherings are among the very best ways to spread the virus, and refusing to comply with the public health mandates, even when directed to do so by University officials, will not be tolerated,” he added.

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In total, there have been two positive coronavirus cases at the university since Aug. 7, according to Penn State’s COVID-19 Dashboard.

“The University implemented the safety measures announced in Aug. 2017, including compliance checks with monitors, and continues to evaluate and monitor the impact, with a focus on safety,” Penn State University told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Colleges across the United States have been taking extra measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

The University of Alabama Police Department and the Tuscaloosa Police Department will be monitoring off-campus residences, bars and restaurants that are not complying with COVID-19 protocols, according to a statement. The University of North Carolina switched to online classes after one week of in-person classes, according to The Daily Tar Heel.