MSU Students Charged Following Hazing Incidents at Ridge Road Home

Updated at 4 p.m.

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.

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-based TKE, said he was not aware of the incident until asked about it by a reporter this afternoon.

Ramos said the national chapter of the fraternity -- whose membership has included the likes of Ronald Reagan and former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw -- will take immediate action. Social activities and recruiting will end at the MSU chapter pending the completion of an investigation, he said.

The national organization might take other steps as well, up to removing officers or suspending the MSU chapter altogether.

TKE was founded in 1899 by men who themselves were unable to get into other fraternities. As a result, TKE was founded as the first "inclusive" fraternity, Ramos said. "Our founders were specifically oriented around that."   

Ramos was unaware of any previous problems at the MSU chapter, he added.

The university itself said it plans on pursuing action against the alleged perpetrators in a statement this afternoon.

"Montclair State University strongly condemns all forms of physical and mental hazing and has a zero-tolerance policy toward any University member participating in this type of behavior," the statement read.

"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."

Check back with Patch for additional information as it becomes available.

Belleville Patch Editor Paul Milo contributed to this report.