NEW BRUNSWICK -- Rutgers University officials removed a controversial art piece depicting a Jesus on a dartboard from a campus library Thursday after receiving complaints that the exhibit was offensive, school officials said.

The piece, which shows a figure of a crucified Jesus stabbed with four darts, was part of an exhibit in the Art Library on Voorhees Mall in the heart of the New Brunswick campus.

Some Rutgers students and alumni turned to Facebook to post photos of the art piece, called "Vitruvian Man," and demand it be taken down.

"It is surprising that a state university would allow this. I asked them to take it down because I found it disrespectful and they refused," Rutgers alumna Natalie Caruso, of Elmwood Park, said Wedensday in a Facebook post on the Rutgers University Class of 2016 page that drew hundreds of comments and shares.

Other commenters defended the piece and the university's right to display it.

"It's art, it's an important statement. Also it's hilarious. We don't have to cater to the wills of the Church or any denomination of Christianity or religion," Joe Buchoff, a Rutgers student, wrote on Facebook.

On Thursday, campus officials removed the art piece from a prominent spot hanging on a wall near the circulation desk, library officials said. Instead, the piece was moved to the other side of the room and placed on its side on the lower shelf of a glass exhibit case with other art pieces.

By Thursday afternoon, a library spokeswoman said the piece was taken out of the exhibit entirely.

"The artwork in question was removed from the exhibit because it did not meet Rutgers University Libraries policy, which requires art exhibitions and their pieces to be based on university events, curricular offerings and topics of interest to the university community," said Jessica Pellien, director of communications at Rutgers University Libraries.

"The process that the libraries use to determine how artwork is selected for inclusion in an exhibit takes into consideration freedom of expression as well as the criteria listed above. We have concluded that the policy and process the libraries use to select artwork for exhibitions was not followed," Pellien said.

Pellien did not elaborate on how or why the artwork was put on display without the proper approvals.

The dartboard Jesus art piece was one of dozens of unusual art pieces displayed around the three-story library. The other pieces include a stack of coins covered with a condom (titled "Tower of Babel"), a milk carton with a photo of Holocaust victim Anne Frank on the back (titled "Cute Kids Make Good Advertising") and a Rutgers diploma hanging from a real estate sign (titled "The Bullfighter Extends His Cape").

The names of the artists are not included with the artwork. Rutgers officials did not identify the artist who created the dartboard Jesus piece or whether he or she is a student or faculty member.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find NJ.com on Facebook.