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A New Jersey university’s fraternity chapter has been permanently closed after authorities reportedly discovered a student had been critically injured in an alleged hazing incident involving electricity earlier this month.
Rutgers University’s Alpha Sigma Phi chapter has had its doors permanently shuttered more than a week after a 19-year-old member was hospitalized in critical condition following an alleged hazing incident, according to the school’s website. The Oct. 15 incident reportedly involved the student being electrically shocked and coming into contact with water, NJ.com reported. Authorities were initially called to the home in response to a disconnected 911 call, but upon arrival, discovered the injured and unresponsive student.
“Based on our investigation, hazing did occur and as a result, the fraternity made the decision to close the chapter,” Gordy Heminger, a spokesperson for Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, Inc, said in a statement to NJ.com.
The frat house had a history of code violations, NJ Advance Media reported.
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Heminger reportedly added that the Oct. 15 incident involved “underground and unreported new members,” and occurred in the basement of the off-campus fraternity house.
“At some point, water became involved,” Heminger said. “This was not students just listening to music in the dark as was claimed by an anonymous parent. This was hazing. We are still trying to determine who and how many people were involved, but we believe it will be double digits when all the facts come out.”
Heminger also reportedly called on Rutgers to expel any students who were involved in the incident, while vowing that Alpha Sigma Phi will do the same.
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“We hope Rutgers will do the same,” Heminger reportedly said. “New Jersey has very strong anti-hazing laws and I hope the prosecutor seeks the maximum penalties allowed for those involved.”
As of Friday, authorities had not filed any charges stemming from the incident and the injured student was no longer in critical condition, NJ.com reported.
The New Brunswick house also possessed a history of building code violations and officials have since declared the building to be an unsafe structure, according to NJ Advance Media.
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A July 2025 inspection revealed numerous “life safety” issues – including multiple electrical hazards – at the property, which is owned by the fraternity’s national arm and managed by CLVEN, according to NJ.com.
Immediately following the incident, Rutgers imposed a cease and desist order on the fraternity’s activities and placed the chapter on organizational disciplinary probation until May 18 – however, the fraternity has since been shut down in light of the new information obtained by investigators.
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In 2021, the state implemented several new and stricter penalties for hazing after 19-year-old Timothy Piazza, a New Jersey resident, died after being forced to drink copious amounts of alcohol while attending Penn State University. Two former college students ultimately pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from Piazza’s death last year, according to NJ.com.
Alpha Sigma Phi’s national organization, Rutgers University and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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