Gov. Chris Christie said Friday the immediate suspension of five active Rutgers University football players accused of being among group of people charged in connection with a string of crimes was "the appropriate thing."
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. -- Gov. Chris Christie said Friday the immediate suspension of five active Rutgers University football players accused of being among a group of people charged in connection with a string of crimes was "the appropriate thing."
The governor and Republican presidential candidate, speaking on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, said Rutgers' athletic director, Julie Hermann, took the appropriate course of action by suspending the five players who were charged Thursday with assaulting a group of people, including one student whose jaw was broken during the unprovoked attack.
"I think the AD did the appropriate thing by suspending them immediately so there's no cloud over their game this weekend," Christie said.
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"Obviously, it's an enormous concern when you have folks who are scholarship athletes at Rutgers who appear, allegedly, to have engaged in that kind of conduct," he said, adding, "Let's let the prosecution run its course."
An investigation into an April 26 home invasion, when three masked men burst into a New Brunswick home and robbed five Rutgers students at gunpoint, led to the arrest of 10 people.
Officials have since linked various people to other crimes, including a second home-invasion robbery on Hartwell Street the following night and an attempted robbery at a dorm on campus n May. Six of the suspects face riot and assault charges stemming from yet another incident, a violent confrontation on Delafield Street April 25.
The governor said his office has been receiving updates from Rutgers' president, Robert Barchi, and will continue to monitor the investigation.
"I only know what I read and I've obviously spoken to the chairman of the Board of Governors and also spoke to my own chief counsel," Christie said. "My staff is in continuous conversation with Dr. Barchi's office and if there's more we have to say we'll say more later today, but we're just getting information as it's coming in."
Christie is campaigning in New Hampshire Friday before returning to New Jersey later in the day.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
