Two more expected to be arraigned Thursday in case of student’s death
By: Lea Kahn
TRENTON Rider University student Michael J. Tourney, who was president of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, was arraigned Friday morning on a charge of aggravated hazing before Mercer County state Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson.
Mr. Tourney, 21, offered a plea of not guilty through his attorney, Michael Rogers, according to Casey DeBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
Mr. Tourney is the third of five Rider University administrators and students to be arraigned after being charged with aggravated hazing by a Mercer County grand jury following the alcohol poisoning death of Rider freshman Gary DeVercelly Jr., at a Phi Kappa Tau fraternity party.
Attorney Michael Rogers, who represents Mr. Tourney, said he was surprised that his client was indicted because "he didn’t do anything wrong, let alone illegal.
"He had no knowledge the young man (Mr. DeVercelly) was consuming alcohol," Mr. Rogers said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.
"I have never seen anything like it where you can be charged (in a criminal matter) because of your title and not your behavior," the attorney said.
Mr. DeVercelly, 18, was pledging to join the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, which was housed on the Rider University campus, when the March 28 incident occurred. He was rushed to Capital Health System’s Fuld Campus in Trenton, where he died March 30.
Rider University student Adriano DiDonato of Princeton Township the first of the students and administrators to be arraigned entered a plea of not guilty Wednesday before Judge Smithson. He was the residence director and house master for the Rider chapter of the fraternity before it was dissolved by Rider officials.
Rider University Dean of Students Anthony Campbell, 51, was arraigned Thursday before Judge Smithson and offered a plea of not guilty through his attorney, Rocco Cipparone Jr.
Rider administrator Ada Badgley, 31, who is Rider’s director of Greek Life, and Rider student Dominic Olsen are expected to be arraigned Thursday morning, Ms. DeBlasio said. Mr. Olsen, 21, was the pledge master for the spring 2007 Phi Kappa Tau pledge class.
Ms. DeBlasio said a status conference before an as-yet-undetermined Mercer County state Superior Court judge has been scheduled for Sept. 10 for Mr. DiDonato, Mr. Tourney and Dean Campbell. It is possible that plea negotiations could be discussed at that time, she said.

