As police investigate whether fraternity members provided drugs or alcohol to Penn State freshman Joseph Dado, the Interfraternity Council has suspended the fraternity where he was last seen before being found dead on campus Monday.
The Interfraternity Council (IFC) held a private executive board meeting in the HUB-Robeson Center on Tuesday night in response to Dado's death.
In addition to suspending Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity, the IFC also issued a request for all member fraternities to refrain from having social functions until Oct. 2, IFC President Luke Pierce (senior-economics) said.
Fiji will be suspended until the conclusion of the police investigation, Pierce said. Under the terms of the suspension, the fraternity cannot vote or participate in council business and is barred from holding social functions.
Fiji members can still continue to participate in the recruitment process and extend bids to potential new members, he said.
Fiji fraternity officials had no comment Tuesday night.
Dado -- who Pierce said was registered for fraternity recruitment -- was last seen leaving Fiji, 319 N. Burrowes Road, at about 3 a.m. Sunday.
Maintenance workers found him dead in an exterior stairwell near the Steidle Building at about 6 p.m. Monday, Penn State Police said.
The 18-year-old's death was ruled accidental and toxicology test results, which are expected in the coming weeks, will determine whether he had alcohol or drugs in his system, Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers said.
Student Eric Hayes, who was with Dado, said Dado did consume alcohol that night but not to the point of requiring medical attention.
Pierce said the fraternities should use the next two weeks as "a time to educate one another on the affects of excessive alcohol consumption."
He called on fraternity members to reflect and remember "the tragic loss of life of fellow Penn State student and potential new fraternity member Joseph Dado."
Dado, of Latrobe, left East Halls at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday with a few of his friends and went to Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, Hayes (freshman-engineering) said.
"We have no reason to believe at this time that Mr. Dado consumed any alcohol while he was visiting Alpha Tau Omega," said Wynn Smiley, CEO of ATO National Fraternity.
Dado left ATO, 321 E. Fairmount Ave., with his friends and walked to his sister Natalie Dado's Burrowes Corner apartment building, 119 S. Burrowes St., Hayes said. The group then walked to Fiji, where a party was winding down, he said.
Dado remained at the fraternity with a Fiji member whom he knew from high school when his three friends returned to East Halls shortly after 2 a.m., Hayes said.
Dado told his friends he was spending the night at the fraternity, Hayes said.
Authorities will consider pressing charges against anyone who provided Dado with alcohol or illegal substances, Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said.
"I'm sure that any venue he stopped at, that there is a lot of questioning going on," Powers said.
Powers said Penn State's Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Roy Baker has contacted Phi Gamma Delta's national organization regarding the situation.
"I have great confidence in the leadership of [Fiji] to move forward from this situation," Pierce said. "The IFC will continue to support their efforts in recruitment."
