2 plead not guilty to university hazing

A Rider University administrator and a student pleaded not guilty Thursday to aggravated hazing in the binge-drinking death of a fraternity pledge.

Ada Badgley, 31, Rider's director of Greek life, and Dominic Olsen, 21, pledge master for Phi Kappa Tau, did not speak during their hearings. The dean of students and two other fraternity members pleaded not guilty earlier to the same charge.

The pledge, freshman Gary DeVercelly Jr., 18, of Long Beach, Calif., had a blood-alcohol level of 0.426 percent when he was pronounced dead March 30, one day after a special party at the on-campus fraternity house, authorities said.

At the party, pledges drank large quantities of hard liquor with fraternity brothers, some of the pledges consuming entire bottles in less than an hour, prosecutors said.

The Phi Kappa Tau chapter at Rider has since been closed, and Badgley and Anthony Campbell, the dean of students, are on temporary paid leave.

Badgley's lawyer, Mariana Rossman, said after the hearing that Badgley would be exonerated.

Olsen's lawyer, Michael Murphy, said his client wasn't present when DeVercelly was drinking.

Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini Jr. has declined to elaborate on why the two are facing charges even though they weren't present at the party, but he has noted that facilitating is included in the criminal code that defines hazing.

The other students who entered not guilty pleas earlier are Adriano DiDonato, 22, the fraternity's house manager; and Michael J. Torney, 21, the chapter president.

If convicted, the five defendants each would face a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and $10,000 fine.