Frat Leaders Arrested After Cops Found Dozens Of Partially Dressed Teens In Dingy Basement In Suspected Hazing Incident

Two fraternity leaders have been arrested following a suspected hazing incident at a University of Wisconsin-Madison-area fraternity house.

Police were called to the property after receiving an anonymous tip and later found a group of young men inside.

The discovery has now raised questions about what students can face during fraternity recruitment and initiation.

While some online commenters dismissed hazing as a long-standing part of Greek life, a common American college term for fraternities and sororities, others called the situation deeply disturbing.

“This is terrifying, so sad,” one person wrote.

Police arrested two young fraternity leaders after receiving an anonymous tip

On September 23, Madison Police Department officers arrived at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house at around 8:20 p.m.

They had received an anonymous tip about an event taking place at the property. What officers encountered inside led them to remove everyone from the house while they assessed the situation.

Police said the group included around 30 men who were “partially clothed.”

They were found in the basement, where officers said they were covered in “food, condiments, and other liquids.”

The room was also unusually hot. According to the police report, the thermostat was set to 81 degrees.

Officers escorted the men outside and checked them for injuries and possible incapacitation.

The “vast majority” of those found there were 18 years old, police added.

Furthermore, the condition of some of the men became one of the most concerning parts of the police report.

According to authorities, “Several of these men had visible injuries consistent with being physically a*saulted.”

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The department did not announce additional charges against anyone beyond the two men arrested in connection with the incident.

A photograph released from the scene showed the basement after police arrived.

The faces of the people pictured were redacted. The image showed a dark, dirty-looking space with black walls and Alpha Epsilon Pi lettering painted on a piece of furniture.

Police are still investigating what happened before officers arrived.

After the police assessed the situation, they arrested two fraternity leaders

Police arrested 20-year-olds Brayden J. Klein and Samuel N. Vane.

Both were booked into the Dane County Jail and faced misdemeanor charges of hazing and disorderly conduct.

The police department said the fraternity president and vice president were present at the house and spoke with officers.

However, authorities did not specify in their statement whether Klein and Vane held those two titles.

No other charges had been announced.

Authorities have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Madison Police Department as the investigation continues.

The fraternity’s relationship with the university also became important to the case

UW-Madison and police described the local Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter as an “unrecognized and unaccredited” student organization. The university had terminated the chapter more than a decade ago.

However, the school explained that Alpha Epsilon Pi remains a nationally recognized fraternity. That means the local group is legally allowed to operate independently from the university.

UW-Madison said it is nevertheless investigating the incident through its nonacademic misconduct process.

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“UW–Madison is fully committed to preventing and addressing hazing and takes all incidents involving our community seriously,” the university said.

The school further warned that students found to have violated university policy, regulations, or the law could face sanctions.

Those can include a written reprimand, disciplinary probation, suspension, termination, or educational sanctions.

Campus officials are also supporting students affected by the incident.

The national Alpha Epsilon Pi organization also addressed the allegations involving the Madison chapter

A spokesperson said the organization takes the matter “extremely seriously” and plans to “cooperate fully” with the investigation, CBS News reported.

The fraternity also said it would expel members found responsible for criminal conduct.

“Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for,” the spokesperson said.

“There is no place for it in AEPi. No exceptions. No excuses.”

The organization pointed to its “Be Your Brothers’ Keeper” principle, saying members are expected to look out for one another.

“This is not an optional value. It is a fundamental expectation of membership,” the spokesperson said.

“Anyone who engages in hazing forfeits the privilege of being an AEPi brother.”

As soon as the incident went viral, it quickly drew very different reactions online

Some commenters defended fraternities and argued that students know what they are signing up for when they join.

“Nobody makes you join a stupid frat. If you do and get hazed, that’s on you,” one person wrote.

Another wrote, “Who gives a c*ap. Every fraternity has done this for 100 years. It’s just part of it, and all involved laugh about it for the next 70 years.”

Others questioned the details of the police description.

“Are shirtless and nearly n*ked the same thing?” one commenter asked, while another wrote, “They will know what hazing really is in jail, I hope.”

Some focused instead on the pressure students may feel to fit in.

“What kids will do to be included is insane. Frats are paid for friends, nothing else,” one person commented.

Police have not announced further charges, and the investigation remains ongoing.

“Get rid of all the fraternities,” wrote one netizen ...