Frat house where student was electrocuted in alleged hazing had laundry list of known red flags: report

Question

Rutgers fraternity permanently closed after student critically injured in an alleged electrical hazing incident on Oct. 15. Alpha Sigma Phi chapter shut down following investigation. The house itself as a structure had previously been deemed unsafe for living and had quite a few building code violations. This was the implication made by the "laundry list of known red flags." However the chapter house did get shut down and the student injured was in critical condition. They are still waiting to know the full details of who and what was involved. The electricity claims are not confirmed, the only thing states was that water was involved, not to sure what that means. Claim was slightly misleading.

Answer 1

Overall the claim that the fraternity home where a student was allegedly electrocuted during hazing had a long list of red flags is ultimately accurate and supported by multiple credible sources such as Fox News, CBS News, and USA Today. A Rutgers University student received severe injuries during an alleged hazing incident which took place at the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity house in New Brunswick New Jersey during October 2025. The student received an electrical shock during an incident which remains under investigation. According to USA Today,  “On Oct. 24, the fraternity’s international president said the Rutgers chapter had been permanently closed.” (Alund and Larsen). 

Local officials declared the fraternity property unsafe after discovering multiple building code violations and unaddressed safety issues. News organizations discovered inspection documents and parent complaints which showed the house contained dangerous conditions including electrical hazards and water damage and building deterioration. The discovery of these horrible and hazardous conditions at the house has raised serious concerns about how these dangerous conditions continue to exist and whether fraternity activities and lack of supervision contributed to the student's injury. 

“Within days of the alleged hazing incident, Alpha Sigma Phi’s chapter house in New Brunswick was declared uninhabitable after it was revealed that the property had a history of failed inspections and a $10,000 fine issued earlier this year” stated Bonavita from Fox News. The research shows a pattern of student housing neglect which ended up leading to dangerous living environments while highlighting problems with accountability. The authorities had already issued fines and documented multiple safety violations which really just shows that people were ignoring warning signs. This isn’t just a reflection of the fraternity itself though, I do believe that it is also on the School and authorities for not doing more to enforce the rules on these issues. 

Sources: 

Bonavita, Julia, and Fox News. “Deadly Wake-up Call: Alleged Frat Hazing Electrocution Highlights Student Dangers in off-Campus Homes.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 31 Oct. 2025, www.foxnews.com/us/deadly-wake-up-call-alleged-frat-hazing-electrocution-highlights-student-dangers-off-campus-homes 

Ramos, Andrew. “Rutgers Fraternity Shut down after Hazing Investigation, Frat Says.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 25 Oct. 2025, www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/rutgers-hazing-fraternity-shut-down/ 

Alund, Natalie Neysa, and Erik Larsen. “‘Water Became Involved’: Hazing Incident Permanently Closes Rutgers Fraternity.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 8 Oct. 2025, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/10/28/hazing-rutgers-fraternity-alpha-sigma-phi/86943677007/

Comments

The claim that a fraternity house, Alpha Sigma Phi at Rutgers University in New Jersey is closing permanently due to a severe hazing incident is accurate.
On October 15, police were called and a 19 year old student was found unresponsive.  It was later discovered that the student was electrocuted and suffered serious electric shock as a result of hazing.
Aside from the several hazing reports that have been filed against this specific fraternity, many other complaints have been filed. According to the city of New Brunswick, the house was "unsuitable for human occupancy”, due to dead mice being found inside of the house, holes in the walls, and raw sewage leaking from several levels of the house. (Patch)
Gordy Heminger, Alpha Sigma Phi’s International President and CEO put out a statement saying, “All members of the chapter, directly or indirectly involved will be permanently expelled…”  Heminger went on to add that he supported Rutgers’ University completely and that hazing was illegal and not condoned by Alpha Sigma Phi.  (ABC 7 News)
Lastly, according to the Rutgers University Greek Life Website, Alpha Sigma Phi is confirmed to be closed and no longer allowed to operate on the campus or be affiliated with the university as a whole.
The claim that Alpha Sigma Phi was shut down by Rutgers University is correct and accurate, due to hazing and unsuitable living conditions that did not meet the standards of the city of New Brunswick.

Answer 2

 

 The claim stated above is true, but slightly exaggerated. Based on the source provided above it seems that the company that Ted Sherman works for is unreliable. User perception and other analyses suggest a decline in quality that shifts towards clickbait and less accurate reporting. The news channel Fox 12 where the source “Frat house where students were electrocuted in alleged hazing had laundry list of known red flags report” came from is also known to have failed fact checks that are either false or misleading. Which tells us that both of the sources that are making these claims aren’t trustworthy, the information that they provide may be true but not the full truth. To add on the fox news source states that a 19 year old was injured in an incident that involved water and electricity at a fraternity. I compared many reliable sources to Fox 12,  ABC news being one. And they all had one thing in common, they all stated the exact same thing about the incident and the 19 year olds condition. Which tells us this incident did in fact occur in New Jersey and that he is hospitalized but not in critical condition anymore based on multiple reports on this incident and statements made by a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office. I found primary sources like official statements from Rutgers University and the Middlesex county prosecutor's office that confirm that a student was found unresponsive after a 911 call, these statements verify the incident. Both Fox 12 and NJ news both made statements that didn’t have any information to back it up, one being “ a second student was reportedly shocked as well after attempting to pull the kid away from the wire”. After doing some research there was nothing that led to a second person being electrocuted which tells us that Ted Sherman is exaggerating the story. ABC news on the other hand provides verified information on the topic and didn’t mention a second individual being harmed. The secondary sources I used were Fox news, ABC, and NJ. ABC was verified by law enforcement while NJ and Fox made claims that were unverified. Fox 12 news is attempting to make claims about what really happened that night and isn’t providing where they got the information from, therefore we cannot believe it is true since the 19 year old individual and everyone involved has yet to be identified or come out about the situation. This tells us that this incident did occur but we don’t know the full facts of the story until we have direct information from the main source which is everyone involved and the 19 year old. 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/frat-house-where-student-electrocuted-alleged-hazing-had-laundry-list-known-red-flags-report 

https://www.nj.com/news/2025/10/hazing-involved-when-rutgers-student-was-critically-injured-at-frat-house-national-org-says.html

Answer 3

This claim is in fact true, there was an alleged hazing incident at Rutgers, in the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. However, we are limited on information. Many sources have covered this topic, such as USA Today, Fox News, CBS News and Eyewitness News by ABC, state that a teenage boy faced serious injury while at a fraternity, and is currently hospitalized due to injuries. However all sources claim hazing had taken place but do not confirmed exactly what occurred, USA Today stating, "The confirmation came on the heels of rumors of hazing that had not been unconfirmed by university officials and law enforcement." Coverage on the topic have mixed confirmation on whether or not the injuries received were due to hazing, but some sources claim that they were, such as CBS News, "Alpha Sigma Phi said Friday it was closing its Rutgers chapter after concluding hazing was a factor". One can only assume the lack of information is to protect the young boys privacy. All articles have in fact reinstated the fact that the fraternity is now shut down, and there is a full cooperation with the University on the ongoing investigation. Multiple of these sources have also supported the claim of the cease and desist that was placed on the frat house, not allowing the boys involved in the frat to participate in any activities related to hazing. This claim does in fact cover the truth, the fact that a boy was injured in alleged hazing, alongside other many reliable news outlets covering the same topic. All outlets that did cover said topic, did cover the same thing, and the stories aligned, supporting that this claim is true.

USA Today

CBS News 

ABC 24/7 Live

Answer 4

The claim that a Rutgers University student was electrocuted during a hazing incident at the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity house, which had a “laundry list of known red flags,” is mostly supported by current reports. Several reliable outlets confirm that on October 15, 2025, a 19-year-old student was found unresponsive after reportedly coming into contact with exposed wiring and water during an alleged hazing event (ABC News, 2025). The building itself had a history of serious safety issues. A July 2025 inspection listed multiple “life safety” violations, including electrical hazards, before the incident occurred (Fox News, 2025). Following the event, Alpha Sigma Phi’s national organization shut down the Rutgers chapter after confirming hazing took place (ABC News, 2025).

However, it’s important to be cautious about wording. While the student was badly hurt, not all reports confirm that “electrocution” is the correct term it usually means death by electric shock, and as of now, the student has survived. Also, investigators haven’t filed criminal charges yet, and the exact role of hazing and faulty wiring is still being reviewed. Overall, the claim is mostly accurate, but it should be worded carefully to avoid overstating what’s confirmed.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/frat-house-where-student-electrocuted-alleged-hazing-had-laundry-list-known-red-flags-report

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fraternity-chapter-closes-alleged-hazing-incident-left-rutgers/story?id=126840777

Answer 5

2. The claim stated above is true, but slightly exaggerated. Based on the source provided above it seems that the company that Ted Sherman works for is unreliable. User perception and other analyses suggest a decline in quality that shifts towards clickbait and less accurate reporting. The news channel Fox 12 where the source “Frat house where students were electrocuted in alleged hazing had laundry list of known red flags report” came from is also known to have failed fact checks that are either false or misleading. Which tells us that both of the sources that are making these claims aren’t trustworthy, the information that they provide may be true but not the full truth. To add on the fox news source states that a 19 year old was injured in an incident that involved water and electricity at a fraternity. I compared many reliable sources to Fox 12,  ABC news being one. And they all had one thing in common, they all stated the exact same thing about the incident and the 19 year olds condition. Which tells us this incident did in fact occur in New Jersey and that he is hospitalized but not in critical condition anymore based on multiple reports on this incident and statements made by a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office. I found primary sources like official statements from Rutgers University and the Middlesex county prosecutor's office that confirm that a student was found unresponsive after a 911 call, these statements verify the incident. Both Fox 12 and NJ news both made statements that didn’t have any information to back it up, one being “ a second student was reportedly shocked as well after attempting to pull the kid away from the wire”. After doing some research there was nothing that led to a second person being electrocuted which tells us that Ted Sherman is exaggerating the story. ABC news on the other hand provides verified information on the topic and didn’t mention a second individual being harmed. The secondary sources I used were Fox news, ABC, and NJ. ABC was verified by law enforcement while NJ and Fox made claims that were unverified. Fox 12 news is attempting to make claims about what really happened that night and isn’t providing where they got the information from, therefore we cannot believe it is true since the 19 year old individual and everyone involved has yet to be identified or come out about the situation. This tells us that this incident did occur but we don’t know the full facts of the story until we have direct information from the main source which is everyone involved and the 19 year old. 

sources:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/frat-house-where-student-electrocuted-alleged-hazing-had-laundry-list-known-red-flags-report 

https://www.nj.com/news/2025/10/hazing-involved-when-rutgers-student-was-critically-injured-at-frat-house-national-org-says.html

 

Answer 6

This claim is true, but slightly exaggerated. The Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity at the University of Rutgers has recently come under fire for a hazing incident that took place at their chapters house on October 15th. A student was found in critical condition after a hazing incident involving electricity mixed with water and left one student injured and one critically injured. The house, which has a history of code violations, has now been declared as uninhabitable and is now closed. The house was also victim to a burglary a week before the incident, pointing to an overall unsafe environment. I found two articles on the story, both sharing pretty much the same information. The article by Fox News primarily talks about the background of the house and how it was essentially a disaster waiting to happen due to multiple code violations and an overall unsafe environment. The second article, by USA Today, mainly talks about how the injury was due to electricity coming into contact with a Fraternity Pledge who had also been exposed to water. The boy is now in stable condition and is being treated for his injuries. I don't believe these sources would have very much biases on this topic. The event was relatively cut and dry and there is no reason either source would have a bias in either direction. Their isnt much evidence to undermine this claim, only that there was little mention of electricty being involved, despite the title saying students were electrocuted at the house. Other than that, all the information present in the articles supports this claim
https://www.foxnews.com/us/frat-house-where-student-electrocuted-alleged-hazing-had-laundry-list-known-red-flags-report

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/10/28/hazing-rutgers-fraternity-alpha-sigma-phi/86943677007/

Answer 7

The statement that a frat member was electrocuted during alleged hazing at Sigma Alpha Phi at Rutgers University seems to be mostly accurate and was reported on by multiple different sources. On October 15th, 2025, a 19 year old at Rutgers was found unresponsive after coming into contact with an exposed wire and water multiple times. According to ABC news, authorities believe the student may have been electrocuted, but was confirmed to have had serious burns. It was also reported by NJ Advanced Media that the chapter house had multiple building code violations including loose wiring. The Sigma Alpha Phi chapter at Rutgers University was immediately suspended following this incident and will remain that way until at least May of 2026. Overall this claim is mostly true but seems to be a little exaggerated. It’s not confirmed that the student was actually electrocuted. Being that the house had code violations including loose wiring, and the fact that the student was found near water, it is more likely that the student was actually shocked. As the term electrocuted usually means that a person is killed by the shock, and as of right now the student is still alive.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/frat-house-where-student-electrocuted-alleged-hazing-had-laundry-list-known-red-flags-report

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fraternity-chapter-closes-alleged-hazing-incident-left-rutgers/story?id=126840777

Answer 8

The claim is true. On october 15, 2025, a student at Rutgers University was very severly injured during a hazing ritual for the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. the fraternity has been shut down sence the incident. the student who got hurt was found unconsious in the frat house. during the incident this student was being shocked with high levels of electricty whith water being involved, another student was also harmed while trying to stop the situation. This fraternity is now fully shut down at Rutgers, the house also had a long hisory with getting building and elctrical code violations.

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/rutgers-hazing-fraternity-shut-down/

https://www.foxnews.com/us/frat-house-where-student-electrocuted-alleged-hazing-had-laundry-list-known-red-flags-report