ALBANY, N.Y. (AP/WSYR) - A hazing ritual that included submerging pledges' faces in water and hitting them with paddles and rubber hoses has led to the arrests of eight upstate New York university students and another man.
Albany Police spokesman Steven Smith says the 14 victims also had cold water poured on their heads and were told to beg for mercy. The arrests were made just after 1 a.m. Friday in a house in a neighborhood popular with renters attending the University at Albany.
Smith says Monday some of the pledges had minor cuts and bruises and all declined treatment.
He says the group wasn't a sanctioned university fraternity and the school has started university judicial proceedings against the students.
Most of those arrested, including a non-student, face charges of second-degree hazing, a violation.
The University of Albany released the following statement in regard to the incident:
"The Albany Police Department notified the University at Albany that nine arrests were made at 470 Hudson Avenue. The University has confirmed that eight of the nine arrests are UAlbany students.
"None of the arrested or the victims of the alleged offenses are members of a recognized University at Albany fraternity. UAlbany is taking immediate action against those involved in this off-campus incident through the campus judicial disciplinary process. UAlbany proactively educates students and parents about hazing issues and has a zero tolerance policy for any actions that are physically and mentally abusive to the well-being of another.
The University at Albany continues to work in partnership with the Albany Police Department to investigate these allegations as well as to address any other behavior and quality of life issues occurring in the neighborhoods where our students reside."
