Aug 13, 2007 3:17 pm US/Eastern
Rider President Defends 2 Officials In Hazing Case
The President Of Rider Supports 2 School Officials Charged With Hazing In The Binge-Drinking Death Of A Student
TRENTON (CBS) ―
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Gary DeVercelly, 18, of Long Beach, Calif., died on March 30 after a night of heavy drinking at a fraternity party.
CBS
The president of Rider University Monday defended two school officials who have been charged with hazing in
connection with the binge-drinking death of a freshman last spring.
Mordechai Rozanski said in a letter posted on the university's Web site Monday that the university was "surprised by the
charges" against two school officials.
Anthony Campbell, 51, Rider's dean of students, and Ada Badgley, 31, the university's director of Greek life, have been charged along with three students with aggravated hazing in relation to the death of Gary DeVercelly, Jr., 18, of Long Beach, Calif.
Campbell last week pleaded not guilty; Badgley is expected to enter a plea when she appears in court this week.
DeVercelly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.426 percent, or more than five times New Jersey's legal limit for driving, when he was pronounced dead March 30 at a Trenton hospital, authorities have said. He died one day after drinking at a party at the Phi Kappa Tau house on the private school's campus in central New Jersey.
The party, according to prosecutors, was a special event in which pledges such as DeVercelly would drink large quantities of hard liquor with fraternity members.
Prosecutors have said the defendants "knowingly or recklessly organized, promoted, facilitated or engaged in conduct which resulted in serious bodily injury" to DeVercelly and another student, William Williams, who survived.
In the letter, Rozanski denied the two school officials had done any of the things they'd been accused of.
"We know that neither Tony nor Ada was present at the fraternity house, nor did they engage in any of the activities," described by prosecutors in announcing the charges, Rozanski wrote.
Rozanski said Campbell and Badgley had asked the university for a leave of absence to prepare their defenses. The university president said the request had been granted, and both officials would be on paid leave for 30 days beginning, Monday, Aug. 13.
The president said that when the 30 days are over, the private university would evaluate the situation and decide what to do next.
Adriano DiDonato, 22, a student who was also fraternity's house manager, and Michael J. Torney, 21, the chapter president, last week pleaded not guilty. Dominic Olsen, 21, pledge master of the fraternity's spring 2007 pledge class, is expected in court this week.
If convicted of the hazing charge, the officials and fraternity members would face a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 HD for more on this developing story.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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