Post by tex on Apr 29, 2011 18:52:22 GMT -5
Two Montclair State University students have been arrested and charged with aggravated hazing after an investigation revealed they had engaged in the illegal hazing of a pledge to their fraternity, police said Friday.
Little information was immediately available, but Cedar Grove police said in a news release two members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity subjected the 18-year-old victim to "both mental and physical punishments" that ultimately required surgery to treat an infection resulting from a laceration to his elbow.
The alleged incidents occurred in late February and early March at a Ridge Road residence in Cedar Grove being rented to MSU students.
Following a joint investigation between the Cedar Grove Detective Bureau and the MSU Police, Joseph D. Cordasco, 20, of Belleville, and Christian A. Calderon, 21, of Union City, two members of the Rho Zeta chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, were arrested on April 27 and 28, and charged with aggravated hazing. The men were processed at police headquarters in Cedar Grove and released, pending arraignments in Superior Court in Newark, police said.
In a statement, the university said it "strongly condemns" hazing and has a "zero-tolerance policy" towards anyone who participates in it.
"As soon as the university learned of this incident we took immediate disciplinary action against the fraternity allegedly involved in this incident. With criminal charges having now been filed by the authorities, the university will pursue disciplinary proceedings and will continue to support the Cedar Grove Police Department in their ongoing investigation," the statement read in part.
Tau Kappa Epsilon is an international fraternity formed in 1899. It has 13 chapters in New Jersey alone, according to the MSU website.
Also on the website, the fraternity addresses the issue of hazing new pledges, and even speaks strongly against the practice.
"The new member education program is based on a 'no pledgeship and no hazing' commitment. Every fraternity will claim that they do not haze, but TKE was the first fraternity to implement a new member program that replaces senseless tasks with educational and inspirational programming," the website reads in part.
Steven Ramos, the chief executive officer of Indianapolis, Ind-based TKE, was not aware of the incident until asked about it by a reporter. Ramos said TKE's national organization will take immediate action. Social activities and recruiting will end at the MSU chapter pending the completion of an investigation. The national organization might take other steps as well, up to removing officers or suspending the MSU chapter altogether.
He also stressed that the culture of TKE -- whose members have included Ronald Reagan and Terry Bradshaw, the NFL quarterback -- has been inclusive since its founding more than a century ago.
"Our founders were specifically oriented around that," Ramos said.
Ramos was unaware of any previous problems at the MSU chapter, he added.
belleville.patch.com/articles/belleville-man-arrested-in-msu-hazing
Little information was immediately available, but Cedar Grove police said in a news release two members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity subjected the 18-year-old victim to "both mental and physical punishments" that ultimately required surgery to treat an infection resulting from a laceration to his elbow.
The alleged incidents occurred in late February and early March at a Ridge Road residence in Cedar Grove being rented to MSU students.
Following a joint investigation between the Cedar Grove Detective Bureau and the MSU Police, Joseph D. Cordasco, 20, of Belleville, and Christian A. Calderon, 21, of Union City, two members of the Rho Zeta chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, were arrested on April 27 and 28, and charged with aggravated hazing. The men were processed at police headquarters in Cedar Grove and released, pending arraignments in Superior Court in Newark, police said.
In a statement, the university said it "strongly condemns" hazing and has a "zero-tolerance policy" towards anyone who participates in it.
"As soon as the university learned of this incident we took immediate disciplinary action against the fraternity allegedly involved in this incident. With criminal charges having now been filed by the authorities, the university will pursue disciplinary proceedings and will continue to support the Cedar Grove Police Department in their ongoing investigation," the statement read in part.
Tau Kappa Epsilon is an international fraternity formed in 1899. It has 13 chapters in New Jersey alone, according to the MSU website.
Also on the website, the fraternity addresses the issue of hazing new pledges, and even speaks strongly against the practice.
"The new member education program is based on a 'no pledgeship and no hazing' commitment. Every fraternity will claim that they do not haze, but TKE was the first fraternity to implement a new member program that replaces senseless tasks with educational and inspirational programming," the website reads in part.
Steven Ramos, the chief executive officer of Indianapolis, Ind-based TKE, was not aware of the incident until asked about it by a reporter. Ramos said TKE's national organization will take immediate action. Social activities and recruiting will end at the MSU chapter pending the completion of an investigation. The national organization might take other steps as well, up to removing officers or suspending the MSU chapter altogether.
He also stressed that the culture of TKE -- whose members have included Ronald Reagan and Terry Bradshaw, the NFL quarterback -- has been inclusive since its founding more than a century ago.
"Our founders were specifically oriented around that," Ramos said.
Ramos was unaware of any previous problems at the MSU chapter, he added.
belleville.patch.com/articles/belleville-man-arrested-in-msu-hazing
Attachments:
