Her beautiful smile could light up an entire room. Bloomsburg, a campus of 8,430 students, is one of six Pennsylvania state universities slated to be merged into two new entities under a plan expected to be considered for final approval by the state system's board of governors in July. In September 2019, freshman Justin King was found dead at the bottom of the Rail Trail in Bloomsburg the morning after it is alleged he spent a night of partying with the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority and Kappa Sigma fraternity. cemeteries found in Peckville, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. currently were serving suspensions of up to four years. To plant trees in memory, please visit the. She would regularly visit him in the Alzheimer's unit of a nursing home and tell her mom that she wanted to be a nurse to help other people like him. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. We are looking at a potential undiagnosed medical condition which requires further testing.. Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. If Bloomsburg truly wants to better its Greek life system, it may want to consider punishing the students and groups that have actually broken university rules, Greenberg wrote. Leah was currently a nursing major at Bloomsburg University where she was a member of the Student Nurses Association and Phi Sigma Sigma sorority. Bloomsburg University officials announced that the school has ended all sorority and fraternity programs. Lives in Leigh, Wigan, United Kingdom. 70 years after her reign, Queen Elizabeth II passed away. Should Outgoing Presidents Have Hiring Powers? Johnson said some alumni who are attorneys have come forward offering pro bono services for students who are unfairly punished by the university. Thisarticle first appeared at RealClearEducation. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Earlier this year, the university cut ties with two fraternities and a sorority that had previously been suspended for violating conduct policies, including the antihazing policy, modeled after Pennsylvanias landmark antihazing law. Johnson said the policy has also disrupted the activities of nonsuspended groups, including Zeta Psi, over the last year and a half. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. So very sorry for your loss. endobj The announcement came days after sophomore Leah Burke reportedly died after an incident outside a fraternity house. . (Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images), Palestine supporters protest exIsraeli general's class at Chicago, Secretary Cardona harshly criticizes 'U.S. See Photos. Rather than punishing innocent students by banning an entire category of student groups, he said, Bloomsburg should only discipline those found responsible for violating university rules.. Burke passed away at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville after "an incident on the outdoor stairs . Verify and try again. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of Kings mother by Kline & Specter, P.C. -On May 8th, 2021 nursing student Leah Burke passed away after "an incident on the outdoor stairs at the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity house at 373 East Third St., Bloomsburg, according to students familiar with the situation." source Share this memorial using social media sites or email. "Effective immediately, Bloomsburg University is terminating its fraternity and sorority life (FSL) program and severing ties with all national and local FSL organizations currently affiliated with the University," Hanna's email said. Asked about the process by which the school reached its decision, spokesman Thomas McGuire told RealClearEducation that it was a University administrative decision and declined to comment further. READ MORE: Police investigating death of Bloomsburg student who died. Namely, Greek Life activities at B.U. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. As far as Im concerned, someone should contact the ACLU, Johnson said. In January 2021, university president Bashar Hanna sent a letter to Bloomsburgs Greek-involved students, warning that any future significant violation of Greek specific rules or Code of Conduct violations will result in the cancelation of the entire FSL community at Bloomsburg University.. Failed to delete memorial. She had the most perfect curly red hair and the brightest blue eyes., The Press-Enterprisethe paper serving the Susquehanna River Valley reported that following an autopsy, the coroners verdict was that Burke showed no signs of traumatic injury and nothing nefarious is suspected.. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Leah Burke (226943723)? I thought you might like to see a memorial for Leah Marie Burke I found on Findagrave.com. IUP (1-0) zipped ahead 7-0 in the opening stanza and continued piling it on for a 12-1 lead at the intermission. Leah was such a cute little girl who grew into a beautiful woman. While at Valley View, she was a three-year member of the National Honor Society and made the high honor roll for 15 consecutive quarters. Leah was currently a nursing major at Bloomsburg University where she was a member of the Student Nurses Association and Phi Sigma Sigma sorority. BUnow will follow up with more information as it becomes available. Local Emergency Planning Committee practices ch, Pulaski County Historical Society announces ann, Century Career Center Intern: Joseph Argueta, Century Career Center Intern: Celeste Gomez, https://intranet.bloomu.edu/documents/ofsl/hazing.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2MmdDWsUikvwYUmrdZC0pb8uiv6B5-cbpetIX7gMjp8kTPDygMyhN_KPc, SCOTT, Richard Dec 16, 1953 - Feb 28, 2023, KNIGHT, Thomas May 19, 1939 - Feb 21, 2023, BEAMER, Doris Sep 30, 1931 - Feb 22, 2023, "American Pickers' to film in Indiana this April, Single vehicle crash on Friday morning injures one, Lewis Cass teacher nominated for Golden Owl Award, In the Past: Airport finished well ahead of schedule, It's Saturday night! Weve updated the security on the site. That incident remains under investigation. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. "All students are reminded that their conduct remains subject to all applicable University policies.". Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. <> notified of the death of Bloomsburg University student Leah Burke by the Montour County Coroner. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. She loved animals and convinced her mom and dad to adopt numerous cats. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. She was a 2019 graduate of Valley View High. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. John Hirschauer is a staff writer for RealClearFoundation. Its unclear to what extent any of Bloomsburgs current 17 sororities and fraternities, some of which are on probation, could continue to operate. based on information from your browser. Bloomsburg said it was immediately terminating its fraternity and sorority life program and severing ties with all national and local Greek life organizations affiliated with the school. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. Give us some more insight. All of you girls meant the world to Leah: Carly Bailleau, Vanessa Antenori, Brooke Daczewitz, Caroline Goffa, Marley Mayer, Kailyn Erbe, Madison Suchy, Megan Winter, Abbey Halloran, Sasha Vorozilchak and Sarah Martin, among many others. The Slate magazine also reported that Hanna admitted kissing a student because he considered her to be like a family member. The announcement came days after sophomore Leah Burke reportedly died after an incident outside a fraternity house. The tragic event took place outside of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity house. She genuinely had a desire to help other people and liked everyone she met. Try again later. Bloomsburg University, a public university in Pennsylvania, announced on May 13 that it is terminating its relationship with all fraternities and sororities formerly associated with the school. Team Leader at Gamma Telecommunications Ltd. Make sure that the file is a photo. Leah had wanted to be a nurse since eighth grade after witnessing her maternal grandfather's illness. Bloomsburg University appears to have terminated its Greek life program based on allegations of misconduct against individual students or specific groups. Five students have died this academic year. Greek-involved students across the country regularly report being subject to guilt-by-association, according to RealClearEducations Survey of Greek-Letter Organizations. The tragic event took place outside of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity house. Sorry! A representative of Delta Pi, a fraternity on campus, said the organizations were told during a meeting with the university's director of fraternity and sorority life at the beginning of the semester that it would be the last straw if one more conduct violation occurred. . Oops, we were unable to send the email. For whatever ails its fraternities and sororities, punishing the innocent cannot be the cure.. To Greenberg, guilt-by-association is not only an immoral principle but an impractical one. %PDF-1.7 Theres going to be a lot of people who are angry about this. There should be a heightened concern for community behaviors," Veldkamp said. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the best local news, sports and entertainment coverage. x\mo8 ERHvmw8_Rca]Hp! 41 talking about this. Resources for faculty and staff from our partners at Times Higher Education. Fraternities and sororities at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania had themselves to blame when Greek Life was put down forever like an out-of-control beast. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. She never had an unkind word to say about anyone and her parents could not have asked for a better daughter. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Most recently on Saturday, May 8, sophomore nursing student Leah Burke died after an incident on the outdoor stairs at the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity house, according to BUNOW.com. Leah Burke. Born in Scranton, she was the daughter of Jim and Amy Burke. Greek life goes back at least to 1964 at the Susquehanna River Valley school. Fraternities are a flourishing part of the community on hundreds of campuses across the United States and provide structure, rules of conduct and discipline for members, the conferences statement said. She was a social butterfly. The school could have handled this another way.. All of you girls meant the world to Leah: Carly Bailleau, Vanessa Antenori, Brooke Daczewitz, Caroline Goffa, Marley Mayer, Kailyn Erbe, Madison Suchy, Megan Winter, Abbey Halloran, Sasha Vorozilchak and Sarah Martin, among many others. Decoteau believes the law and university policy that followed it have excessively limited Greek life activities and put a target on the backs of fraternity members. We are disappointed by the Universitys decision to end support of fraternity and sorority life without meaningful dialogue or collaboration. They continued right up to the present. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Local news, sports and entertainment when you want it. Under the plan, Bloomsburg would be merged with Lock Haven and Mansfield. She would regularly visit him in the Alzheimer's unit of a nursing home and tell her mom that she wanted to be a nurse to help other people like him. Leah had wanted to be a nurse since eighth . To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. % Most recently on Saturday, May 8, sophomore nursing student Leah Burke died after an incident on the outdoor stairs at the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity house, according to BUNOW.com. Dave Decoteau, a 1986 graduate and Delta Pi fraternity member, said he sat on several university committees over more than a decade that worked on solving some of the pervasive problems that plague fraternities and sororities.