Wisconsin Police Find 30 Young Men ‘Partially Clothed,’ ‘Covered in Food, Condiments’ in Basement of Frat House
Police discovered 30 “partially clothed males covered in food, condiments, and other liquids” in the sweltering basement of an unaccredited fraternity house located near the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Wednesday, the “vast majority” of whom were 18 years old, after receiving an anonymous tip about the event.
“Officers were dispatched to the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, located along the 100 block of Langdon Street around 8:20 p.m.,” the Madison Police Department revealed, and provided a photo of what they are calling a “hazing incident”:
Officers were dispatched to the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity around 8:20 p.m. Inside the basement of the residence, officers found around 30 partially clothed males covered in food, condiments, and other liquids. (Madison Police)
Police said Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) is an unrecognized and unaccredited student organization that was terminated by the University of Wisconsin more than a decade ago.
According to the police, the men were being kept in an 81-degree basement, and several of the young men showed signs of physical assault.
The fraternity president, Brayden Klein, and the fraternity’s vice president, Samuel Vane, both 20 years old, “were arrested on suspicion of hazing and disorderly conduct,” Madison WMTV reported, and published a statement from the fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi:
“Any member found responsible for criminal conduct in this matter will be expelled from AEPi, and we will support prosecution to the fullest extent of the law,” the fraternity said. “We will also work with the university in hopes that they will take action against individual perpetrators for violation of the student code of conduct.”
A report from the Associated Press said Klein and Vane were “arrested on tentative misdemeanor charges of hazing and disorderly conduct” and that “no formal charges had been filed against them as of Friday morning.”
A statement from the University of Wisconsin-Madison explained that the fraternity “is legally allowed to call itself a fraternity chapter unaffiliated with the university,” and said the Madison chapter will be suspended “pending a thorough investigation”:
“Since this chapter continues to be recognized by its national organization, it is legally allowed to call itself a fraternity chapter unaffiliated with the university,” UW-Madison said. “AEPi Headquarters has now issued a cease-and-desist directive to its Pi Chapter in Madison, Wisconsin, suspending all chapter programming pending a thorough investigation into alleged violations of the fraternity’s health and safety guidelines.”
The New York Post revealed that “UW-Madison put the frat on probation in 2013 after it plied a 17-year-old boy and another guest with booze, leading them to be rushed to detox, according to the university,” but that the fraternity faced seven more alcohol, hazing, and “disrespectful behavior” violations over the next several years.
Hofstra University, which is located in New York, suspended its Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter in 2019 after a video uploaded to Snapchat showed partygoers at one of the fraternity’s events hoisting a dog to drink from a keg upside down.
“The Madison Police Department is aware the recruitment process is underway for sororities and fraternities in our community. Officers are asking for anyone to reach out if their safety is jeopardized during this process,” the department noted. “Anyone with information about this incident or if you were actively involved, please contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or online at p3tips.com. Information may be shared anonymously and could be eligible for a monetary reward.”
