A fraternity at Rutgers University has been permanently shut down after officials confirmed a hazing incident, allegedly involving electrical wires and water, left a 19-year-old student critically injured earlier this month.
The New Jersey university’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi has been under investigation since Oct. 15, when police responded to the frat house on College Ave. after receiving an emergency call that was immediately disconnected.
When officers arrived at the residence just after midnight, they found the unresponsive teen, who was then rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in critical condition.
The student remained hospitalized on Saturday, though officials said his condition has been improving.
A spokeswoman for the county prosecutor’s office on Thursday told Patch that the victim — who has not been identified — had been electrocuted after coming into contact with exposed electrical wires. The incident reportedly occurred in the basement of the house, where water had somehow become involved.
A second teen also suffered a shock from exposure to the wires, but he wasn’t as seriously injured, his mother told NJ.com.
In the immediate aftermath, some claimed the incident stemmed from the property’s shoddy conditions, not hazing as many assumed — and indeed the house was poorly maintained.
According to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, the frat house, located at 106 College Avenue in New Brunswick, has a history of serious safety violations dating back to at least 2014. Those have included exposed wiring, missing fire alarms, obstructed exits and pest infestations.
The building’s most recent inspection, on Sept. 18, showed 19 violations.
However, according to the fraternity’s parent organization, the incident this month was directly related to hazing, resulting in the chapter being closed.
“Based on our investigation, hazing did occur,” said Gordy Heminger, the president of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, Inc. He added that any fraternity members involved would be expelled from the organization.
In addition to hazing being barred at the university and fraternity, it’s also illegal under New Jersey state law. The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office continues to investigate the incident and is weighing the possibility of criminal charges.
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