Alpha Sigma Phi Closes Rutgers Chapter After Hazing Injury

Alpha Sigma Phi’s national office has closed its Rutgers chapter after an internal investigation concluded hazing led to serious injuries to a 19-year-old student. Middlesex County prosecutors and Rutgers police responded to a disconnected 911 call shortly after midnight on Oct. 15 at the fraternity’s College Avenue house and found the student unresponsive; the student was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, was initially in critical condition and later reported out of critical condition but remains hospitalized. Officials say the incident may have involved a lineup, water and possible contact with a strong electric current in a dark basement, leaving the student with a serious burn or shock, though investigators have not released the victim’s identity or full specifics. Alpha Sigma Phi said all members directly or indirectly involved will be permanently expelled, the chapter house has been padlocked and residents told to move out after the chapter was placed on interim suspension, and the national office will cooperate with university and criminal investigations. Prosecutors are continuing their investigation and have not announced charges, and campus members and community leaders condemned the hazing while the national fraternity urged maximum penalties to deter future incidents.