They dragged desks down stairs, stuffed clothes still on hangers into cars and filled trunks, backseats and a U-Haul with other belongings.
Part eviction, part garage sale, members of the Rutgers University fraternity shut down over hazing allegations were clearing out their possessions Saturday as Homecoming Weekend visitors looked on.
The Alpha Sigma Phi brothers declined to discuss the hazing accusations leveled against the fraternity. But they made it clear that the fraternity’s national organization knew about the safety hazards and maintenance issues with their New Brunswick house. And they said the chapter was aware well before a 19-year-old Rutgers student suffered an electric shock and needed to be hospitalized in an Oct. 14 incident authorities are still investigating.
As the fraternity members came to clear out their belongings Saturday, they discovered signs of a break-in and vandalism, the brothers said.
Members and parents said they returned to broken glass, crowbar marks, and missing or damaged clothing and electronics. Security was on-site as they cleared out their things.
Rutgers University Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the alleged break-in.
“We’ve been complaining for a while,” one member said Saturday about the state of the house. He spoke under the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “We just got it the worst because the violations kept adding up.”
“Nationals knew what they were doing,” another member said.
The house had a history of code violations and lacked locks on multiple doors, according to residents. A July inspection found electrical hazards and exposed wiring.
CLVEN, the fraternity’s housing arm, manages properties nationally. Records show the house was fined repeatedly for infractions dating to 2014, including obstructed exits, broken doorways and failing carbon monoxide detectors.
Conflicting accounts have emerged, with some claiming exposed wiring contributed to the student’s injury. The national chapter has not addressed the code violations. But it maintains hazing was involved.
“Based on our investigation, hazing did occur and as a result, the fraternity made the decision to close the chapter,” Gordy Heminger, spokesperson for Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc., said Friday.
“At some point, water became involved …” Heminger added. “This was hazing.”
The house at 106 College Ave. is now listed as closed on the university’s website.
University officials, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and Alpha Sigma Phi’s national office said the incident remains under investigation.
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