All states should pass anti-hazing legislation

The memory of what happened to Penn State University main campus sophomore Timothy Piazza during a February 2017 fraternity-related hazing incident will continue to prey on the conscience of that and all other Penn State campuses for many years to come, perhaps as long as Penn State exists.
To bring up to date anyone unfamiliar with the incident, Piazza, along with 14 other student pledges to the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, were summoned to the fraternity house, where the pledges were made to participate in a bid acceptance event referred to as an “obstacle course.”
Piazza was found unresponsive the next morning after having consumed large quantities of alcohol.
He died days later as a result of multiple falls while he was intoxicated.
It was a stupid, unconscionable “ceremony” that claimed Piazza’s life — organized by intelligent, albeit irresponsible, fellow students — but, unfortunately, it probably is safe to say that on many other U.S. campuses hazing remains a dangerous fact of fraternity life, and that is very troubling.
It is puzzling why flirting with possible sickness, serious injury or even death, by way of stupid conduct, is so attractive in some college and university campus fraternities.
There are better, more productive ways to acquire commitment and loyalty — and, in the process, possibly benefit someone in need — than getting enjoyment watching pledges, in essence, making fools of themselves or being made to be subservient to questionable displays of purported maturity and strong leadership that are anything but that.
Regarding Piazza, it is tragic that someone who had so many great possibilities ahead of him ended up succumbing to a situation that never should have been, and his death should be a lesson — a permanent warning — to colleges and universities across this land.
But, now, the Piazza case finally has been brought to a close.
The former students in question were leaders of Beta Theta Pi at the time of Piazza’s death and facilitated the pledge event that ended in tragedy.
The two former students, Brendan Young, now 28, and Daniel Casey, now 27, are the final two criminal defendants charged in the Piazza case to be sentenced. Each received a sentence of two to four months in prison — with work release eligibility — to be followed by three years’ probation and community service.
Hardly a stiff sentence in a case where a death was involved.
Nevertheless, part of that community service should be speaking to other fraternities in this region and beyond about the horror and the lasting personal impacts stemming from the Piazza case.
Young and Casey will always have to deal with various kinds of personal fallout stemming from the part they played in the death of one of their own.
Piazza’s family was instrumental in the Pennsylvania Legislature passing the Timothy Piazza Anti-Hazing Law, which includes a felony-graded offense when serious injury or death results from a hazing incident.
However, that law only applies to Pennsylvania, and other states need a similar law, if they don’t already have one.
For Penn State and Pennsylvania, the criminal process in the Piazza case has reached a conclusion, but there should be no conclusion to the understanding of all the ways his death could have been prevented.