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Tim Bream

getmyjive11 said:
This. A grown man making a good salary should not have to live in a frat. Even if he just wanted to help advise the members (for whatever reason), living in the frat is nonsensical. Common sense would tell you that whatever his reasons may have been, they probably weren't good.
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What would you be complaining about if Bream did not live there?

What would have changed?
 
bwifan said:
Most well run university's I would think would have their lawyers running and controlling all of this at this point.... However at PSU we have seen how this management team thinks and operates...

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Yes and no. As soon as it was known that bream was involved, his direct boss in the Athletic Department should have called in him and asked:

a. where were you on that night?
b. what do you know about what happened?
c. what communication have you had with any members of the fraternity about what happened?
d. have you been contacted by law enforcement or anyone else about the case?

The boss should close by instructing Bream to immediately inform me of any changes to the above.

The boss would summarize the above in an e-mail addressed to Barbour and the primary (lawyer) contact in the General Counsel's Office.

If there were no evidence that the above was happening within 24 hours, Barbour should have been using that person's head for field goal practice. Same for Counsel's if they receive no information from the Athletic Department.
 
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getmyjive11 said:
Its probably a situation where Franklin's input carries a lot of weight.
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Except that it's not Franklin's job to be leaning on Bream so that he can formulate a recommendation. He can be in the loop, but some AAD should be on point. If that didn't happen, it's Barbour's responsibility to see that it did.
 
Who would be Bream's direct boss in the athletic department? Does that happen far before Barbour in the chain of command? Any way to find out?
 
Art said:
Yes and no. As soon as it was known that bream was involved, his direct boss in the Athletic Department should have called in him and asked:

a. where were you on that night?
b. what do you know about what happened?
c. what communication have you had with any members of the fraternity about what happened?
d. have you been contacted by law enforcement or anyone else about the case?

The boss should close by instructing Bream to immediately inform me of any changes to the above.

The boss would summarize the above in an e-mail addressed to Barbour and the primary (lawyer) contact in the General Counsel's Office.

If there were no evidence that the above was happening within 24 hours, Barbour should have been using that person's head for field goal practice. Same for Counsel's if they receive no information from the Athletic Department.
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No, I don't think his boss should ask all those questions. The only question needed to be asked is "are you involved" to the point where it can be a potential distraction to this department? If he says NO and it is proven he is, then that's grounds to fire him and if he admits YES but doesn't think he's culpable in any way, then a possible paid leave of absence is the way to go.
 
lyndj said:
No, I don't think his boss should ask all those questions. The only question needed to be asked is "are you involved" to the point where it can be a potential distraction to this department? If he says NO and it is proven he is, then that's grounds to fire him and if he admits YES but doesn't think he's culpable in any way, then a possible paid leave of absence is the way to go.
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Sorry, but given PSU's potential liability (beyond Bream's involvement) I think you get as much information as you can. And if in the process you find that his behavior was not what you expect, you determine what disciplinary action should be taken.
 
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lyndj said:
No, I don't think his boss should ask all those questions. The only question needed to be asked is "are you involved" to the point where it can be a potential distraction to this department? If he says NO and it is proven he is, then that's grounds to fire him and if he admits YES but doesn't think he's culpable in any way, then a possible paid leave of absence is the way to go.
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Define "involved".

I think Art's questions hit the nail on the head.
 
BBrown said:
I want to see EXACTLY what his involvement was and I don't mean from the defense attorney's or from SPM because I don't trust either of those slugs.
And frankly I dont give an F what deadspin and the other media outlets think, we went down that road once before and supplicated ourselves to them and they still took their pound of flesh.
What I do want to know is why anyone one, at the University, thought him living at a Frat house was a good idea?
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BBrown: could not agree more with your comments about SPM, Deadspin, etc. I think it is instructive that the police concluded they had nothing on Bream, and that SPR (who wanted to charge everyone she possibly could) did not bring any charges against Bream. My understanding is that he was asleep in another wing of the Chapter House when this incident occurred.

As for his living there, I understand he was in the middle of a divorce, and that prompted him to look for temporary digs. My guess is that the University had NO IDEA he was living in the Chapter House. Even if they did, what business does (or should) the University have in inquiring into the residence of its employees?
 
I'm going to put on my foil cap for a moment. It bugs me that SPM seems to protect Bream whenever his name comes up. At the first presser on the charges when asked about him she was quick to say Tim was not involved. Then this week challenged the defense to bring proof forward on his involvement. Isn't that her job? Did PSU donate to her failed campaign? Is she hoping for a PSU job like Mike Medria got? Something just doesn't sit right with me. Hey, are those aliens over there? Off comes the foil cap.
 
LafayetteBear said:
BBrown: could not agree more with your comments about SPM, Deadspin, etc. I think it is instructive that the police concluded they had nothing on Bream, and that SPR (who wanted to charge everyone she possibly could) did not bring any charges against Bream. My understanding is that he was asleep in another wing of the Chapter House when this incident occurred.

As for his living there, I understand he was in the middle of a divorce, and that prompted him to look for temporary digs. My guess is that the University had NO IDEA he was living in the Chapter House. Even if they did, what business does (or should) the University have in inquiring into the residence of its employees?
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I don't think it's so much about it being their business where he lives as much as how where he lives can affect the position he holds at the university. As others have noted, a fraternity house comes with all sorts of issues with underage drinking being the least of them.
 
So the prosecution by a lame duck DA wants no part of Bream.
Yet the defense hinges its entire case on the testimony of Bream and hires some podunk private eye to "serve" papers.

And how the hell is this judge allowing the entire trial to be played out during a preliminary hearing?
 
cvilleelkscoach said:
I'm going to put on my foil cap for a moment. It bugs me that SPM seems to protect Bream whenever his name comes up. At the first presser on the charges when asked about him she was quick to say Tim was not involved. Then this week challenged the defense to bring proof forward on his involvement. Isn't that her job? Did PSU donate to her failed campaign? Is she hoping for a PSU job like Mike Medria got? Something just doesn't sit right with me. Hey, are those aliens over there? Off comes the foil cap.
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She seemed to trash PSU pretty early on I thought so don't think it's about protecting PSU, but maybe she knows Bream personally?
 
Art said:
Except that it's not Franklin's job to be leaning on Bream so that he can formulate a recommendation. He can be in the loop, but some AAD should be on point. If that didn't happen, it's Barbour's responsibility to see that it did.
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I never said it was his job.
 
Art said:
Yes and no. As soon as it was known that bream was involved, his direct boss in the Athletic Department should have called in him and asked:

a. where were you on that night?
b. what do you know about what happened?
c. what communication have you had with any members of the fraternity about what happened?
d. have you been contacted by law enforcement or anyone else about the case?

The boss should close by instructing Bream to immediately inform me of any changes to the above.

The boss would summarize the above in an e-mail addressed to Barbour and the primary (lawyer) contact in the General Counsel's Office.

If there were no evidence that the above was happening within 24 hours, Barbour should have been using that person's head for field goal practice. Same for Counsel's if they receive no information from the Athletic Department.
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Not sure I would have had the conversation alone with him regarding an issue like this and send an email to lawyer and Sandy. When I have conversations with employees regarding issues serious as this with authorities and lawyers involved I am making sure minimum HR is there and if I was Chamelle minimum Sandy and/or lawyer there with a written summary sent out afterwards to all participants at that meeting. We have seen in the past at PSU when summary's are not sent out and trying to decipher people's notes or recall from memory.
 
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stormingnorm said:
A lot of things regarding this situation that are causing a lot of confusion. I'll try to provide some clarity and some extra information regarding a few of them.

Tim Bream's employment status.
The poster PSU I did a thorough job on this topic.
Tim Bream is an Athletic Department employee who works primarily with the Football team. As such, the proper structure within which to handle any Employment matters is the Athletic Department, not the Football Program. Of course, since he does his actual job within the Football program, you can comfortably assume that any media coverage will reasonably highlight that aspect of his resume. That's just the reality of the situation, it should not be framed as a Football situation, but it will be. To think otherwise is naive. As others have pointed out, Tim Bream was not hired by James Franklin, and he would not be the direct supervisor within the bureaucratic structure. Even though, from a practical standpoint, if the Head Football Coach did want someone other than Tim Bream to serve as the head trainer, there would be someone else in that position.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, since there have been numerous other interesting ironies within the Athletic Department Administration over the last few years, the Athletic Director recently created a new Assistant Athletic Director position, an AAD in charge of Human Resources. This was done in 2015.
Link here: Andrea Wickerham http://news.psu.edu/story/365014/20...-named-penn-state-assistant-athletic-director.
Ms Wickerham, like many recent additions to the Administration, checked off certain boxes that appear to be desired by the current Athletic Director. Competency and Vigilance don't often appear to be on the top of the list of required traits, unfortunately. But that is a separate issue not suitable for this forum. But, as it relates to the current situation regarding Tim Bream, the proper functioning, or lack thereof, of the AAD of Human Resources Department is relevant to the current predicament.
Previously, the HR needs were handled through the existing University structure. The current duplicative internal structure is not functioning well.

Whatever role Tim Bream played with regard to the death of Piazza, from the beginning of the Beta situation, everyone I know who has some familiarity with the case, even those who are fond of Bream personally, have been shocked that he was allowed to continue on in his role without interruption. Other than that, I do not know what additional details may or may not come out as the legal proceedings run their course,


Stacy Parks-Miller has been brought up by several posters. Parks-Miller's role here is a very important determinant. Some background may be helpful.
When the Beta incident occurred, and the investigation began, Parks-Miller was in the middle of an election campaign to retain her seat as Centre County District Attorney. She lost that election, in the primary, and is now a lame duck until after the November general elections. Her personal situation is full of controversy and drama, but the details are not relevant enough to be worth going into

One of the advantages of residing in a small town is that you can never go too far without coming into contact with people who have access to, and insights on, local current events. As the investigation was proceeding, people who would have reasonable access and who's insights were worth listening to, spoke about how Parks-Miller was putting together a wide ranging and scorched-earth case against the members of Beta. Parks-Miller later brought forward hundreds of charges against 18 defendants.
Some of these same people, a few of which are now even more deeply involved in the proceedings, have since commented that with regard to everyone at Penn state, aside from the Beta student brothers, Parks-Miller has acted more like a defense attorney than as a prosecutor. That may help in understanding the statements reported earlier from Parks-Miller when she was questioned about why Tim Bream had not been charged.
Parks-Miller's actions appear very inconsistent at first glance, to be so aggressive in charging the Beta brothers, but protective and defensive with regard to the Penn State-affiliated actors - including Tim Bream.
Parks - Miller's actions only make sense when taken within the context of her other relationships , and her status with regard to her failed attempt to retain her seat as Centre County District Attorney. It probably helps to understand if you can relate to the "Company Town" type atmosphere that describes the relationship between Penn State and the local community.
I don't think that anyone is completely comfortable with where Parks-Miller may currently stand, or what her actions might be as the situation proceeds. She is widely regarded as a "loose cannon" at best, and as someone who's actions are hard to anticipate.

Matters are further complicated with the possibility that the criminal proceedings may extend to after the November elections - at which time it is anyone's guess how Parks-Miller may react, or even the chance that the criminal proceedings could extend until the next DA is seated.
The comments regarding the Parks-Miller led case being a "shit show" are not unexpected or uncommon regarding cases led by Parks-Miller, and part of the reason why she was thoroughly defeated in her re-election bid.

There are also the civil issues - which won't involve the DA - but which are very volatile.
Will the deceased's family be satisfied by simply receiving a large check from Penn State? Most people seem to feel that an out of court financial settlement will suffice, since there is not a lot else to be gained by the family in pursuing things any further. If so, it is highly likely that Penn state will acquiesce - there are other personal relationships at work in that regard, which are also too detailed to be worth discussing here - that would make the likelihood of a mutually agreeable financial settlement likely. But if the Piazza family feels it is more important to receive a pound of flesh with regard to public scorn and accountability, all of that changes.


Of the three major issues awaiting resolution, the Criminal Cases against the Beta brothers, the Civil Case involving the decedent's family, and the Public Relations fallout, the one that most people have a tough time predicting is the Criminal Case.
The combination of Parks-Miller's volatility, the wide range of different defendants, lawyers, and degrees of potential culpability, and the possibility of external pressures on the Court make it impossible to get a clear picture. The criminal trials - assuming we reach the point of actual live trials, and not plea agreements - are certainly going to be a Public Relations/Media nightmare for the entire University.

The Civil case, barring some very unexpected surprises, is likely to be erased quietly with an out of court financial settlement. And that is certainly the desired outcome from the standpoint of Penn State Administration.

The Public Relations/Media fallout from the Tim Bream involvement is most certainly going to rain down on the Football Program, rightly or wrongly, because that is simply a much more attractive target than the other alternatives. As with most media frenzies, it wont last long, thankfully.
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Then I think Franklin needs to request a new trainer for the football department temporarily while his situation gets cleared up. It may not be a distraction in house but its a pr problem externally.
 
Art said:
Sorry, but given PSU's potential liability (beyond Bream's involvement) I think you get as much information as you can. And if in the process you find that his behavior was not what you expect, you determine what disciplinary action should be taken.
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I agree that some of those questions needed to be asked, but not solely by his boss. Any meeting with Bream and PSU employees under such pretences absolutely needs to include the PSU legal department. HR and Bream's counsel should probably also be there.
 
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dwiz said:
He's at practice every day. The PI must not have tried too hard.
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They're saying he couldn't get past the front desk at lasch, which is understandable the investigator said he finally reached him by phone and he agreed to meet him in Lasch parking lot but Bream never showed. It looks like Bream tried very hard to avoid too.
 
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"As with most media frenzies, it wont last long, thankfully." The rest of your post was so well said and accurate, this last part though, I have to respectfully disagree, given the length of the last one 6 years ago.
 
BisbeeMike said:
"As with most media frenzies, it wont last long, thankfully." The rest of your post was so well said and accurate, this last part though, I have to respectfully disagree, given the length of the last one 6 years ago.
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How long do you think the "last one 6 years ago" lasted?
 
I can just see TB moving his stuff into Lasch after he was evicted from the frat house. Futon and mini-refrigerator.
 
interrobang said:
No one can find him? Or no one really looked? Seems pretty shady for the private investigator to just show up at Lasch, leave the document at the desk and say "surely he was hiding"

He's a private investigator, go find him.
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I don't know, people have a hard time finding their own shadow in State College, it's the only town I've ever heard of in which the district attorney simply vanished into thin air.
 
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dwiz said:
He's at practice every day. The PI must not have tried too hard.
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I agree, which makes me think Tim went to great lengths to avoid the PI. I doubt the PI would be allowed into practice, but Tim had to know a PI was looking for him. Eventually the PI had to serve the subpoena through Penn State and Bream doesn't show up to testify claiming that he did not know he'd been subpoenaed? I don't see how that's possible.
 
I doubt the PI even tried hard. He did just enough to stay "he tried" then the defense attorney is using that (oddly successfully) to get a contempt hearing (at a friggin preliminary hearing where there's already been more than enough evidence to bind the charges over for trial)
 
interrobang said:
I doubt the PI even tried hard. He did just enough to stay "he tried" then the defense attorney is using that (oddly successfully) to get a contempt hearing (at a friggin preliminary hearing where there's already been more than enough evidence to bind the charges over for trial)
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But you knew that because of his employment, there would be grandstanding. It's inevitable. But also the reason why he's going to become a distraction to the athletic department.
 
interrobang said:
I doubt the PI even tried hard. He did just enough to stay "he tried" then the defense attorney is using that (oddly successfully) to get a contempt hearing (at a friggin preliminary hearing where there's already been more than enough evidence to bind the charges over for trial)
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Whatever the PI did, the judge found it to be sufficient enough that he felt Bream was properly served the subpoena and now schedule a contempt hearing...in a criminal case. This isn't a divorce proceeding.
 
Where's all the posters that said this wasn't a big deal? I care about penn state first and foremost and this situation is not a good look. Hopefully sandy gets out in front of it
 
PSUSignore said:
I agree that some of those questions needed to be asked, but not solely by his boss. Any meeting with Bream and PSU employees under such pretences absolutely needs to include the PSU legal department. HR and Bream's counsel should probably also be there.
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Don't disagree with that, though I think the initial meeting should be limited to Bream and the person to whom he directly reports. If the General Counsel's Office feels the need to be further involved after the initial report, sure. HR? See no need for their involvement unless it reaches the point where some sort of penalty is being considered. Bream, of course, can bring his attorney along. After all, he's paying for it.
 
jerseylion109 said:
Where's all the posters that said this wasn't a big deal? I care about penn state first and foremost and this situation is not a good look. Hopefully sandy gets out in front of it
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I think they should just put him on paid leave, make an announcement that he is dealing with a personal issue, no explanation needed beyond that and move on. When and if his situation gets cleared up, he can rejoin the department. Remove the athletic department from this immediately. He's not fired (yet) and will still be able to support himself until it's resolved. If he is somehow found much more deeply involved and it is an ethical issue cut the ties permanently. I'm sure his contract has a clause for behavioral standards.
 
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