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Penn State Suspends Fraternity After Nude Photos Posted Online

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

A Penn State fraternity has been suspended for a year after the discovery of a secret Facebook page that included photos of naked, unconscious women. Emily Reddy is with member station WPSU, which is on the Penn State campus. She talked with students about their reaction to the news.

EMILY REDDY, BYLINE: Just after the public announcement that Penn State's chapter of Kappa Delta Rho would be suspended for a year, fraternity brothers were playing football on the lawn of their house.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Beautiful day guys. Great day to be a brother.

REDDY: But they wouldn't comment on allegations that frat members had posted graphic pictures of nude female students who appeared to be sleeping or passed out.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "COOL KIDS")

ECHOSMITH: (Singing) I wish that I could be like the cool kids - like the cool kids.

REDDY: At the nearby campus student union, freshman Felipe Moraes said he wasn't really surprised to hear about the photos.

FELIPE MORAES: I think there's probably a lot more stuff that's not like super out there for everybody but just kind of kept under the covers.

REDDY: Sitting at tables across from Jamba Juice, doing homework and chatting, some Penn State students say they've heard about the pictures, which are also said to include images of drug deals and hazing. A former member of the fraternity went to police when he found out about the private Facebook group. Sophomore Nicole Barros says she was shocked and disappointed when she heard about the pictures. She thinks it was an isolated incident.

NICOLE BARROS: I mean, I have a lot of friends that are in fraternities. And they have all said that they think it's ridiculous. They'd never do anything like that. Their frats don't do that. So I don't think it's something - I hope that people don't take it as all frats are like these disgusting people that like do this, you know?

REDDY: JoAnn Foley-DeFiore is an instructor in biobehavioral health at Penn State. She thinks it's a small percentage of male students who are doing things like this, but she worries for her daughter, who's in middle school now.

JOANN FOLEY-DEFIORE: As a future parent of a Penn State student or hopefully a Penn State student, I'm terrified. And my daughter who hears the same news, she comes home terrified.

REDDY: Freshman Smith Sopp thinks the one-year suspension is a good start for the fraternity and that it might eventually get kicked out for good. He thinks the students should be charged criminally as well.

SMITH SOPP: I was shocked - a bit disgusted. I mean, I don't like hearing things - especially things like that, especially when they're related to the school. I think it gives us a bad name.

REDDY: Police haven't made any arrests yet, but they say charges could include invasion of privacy and harassment. In State College, Pa. I'm Emily Reddy. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Emily Reddy is the news director at WPSU-FM, the NPR-affiliate public radio station for central and northern Pennsylvania.

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