Mother of hazing victim speaks out after fraternity cocaine ring bust
On ‘America’s Newsroom,’ anti-hazing advocate Evelyn Piazza addressed drug trafficking and hazing allegations tied to Penn State fraternity members. Grand jury records identify 14 defendants accused in a cocaine distribution network spanning multiple states and involving the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities. Prosecutors allege pledges helped cut and package cocaine brought in from New York and Philadelphia.
Authorities responding to an anonymous hazing report at a Madison, Wisconsin, fraternity discovered about 30 young men crammed into a hot basement. Many were partially clothed and covered with food, condiments and other liquids, while several reportedly displayed signs of physical assault.
The Madison Police Department said officers arrived at the Alpha Epsilon Pi house on Langdon Street at approximately 8:20 p.m. Wednesday. Inside, the basement thermostat read 81 degrees, contributing to an intensely hot and humid environment.
Police said most of the people found at the gathering were 18 years old. Officers deemed the event unlawful, moved everyone outside and assessed the pledges for injuries or signs that they had been incapacitated.
According to police, the chapter is not currently recognized or accredited by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which ended its affiliation with the group more than 10 years ago. Alpha Epsilon Pi’s national organization, however, told News Outlet that it continues to recognize the Madison chapter.
Partially clothed young men were photographed inside the basement of an Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house in Madison, Wisconsin, amid an alleged hazing event. (Madison Police Department)
Madison Police Capt. Kipp Hartman said Thursday that he saw fresh redness and marks that appeared potentially consistent with people being struck. He said he did not observe any open wounds.
Hartman also said he had no information indicating that anyone at the scene was taken to a hospital or otherwise transported for medical care.
Police arrested fraternity president Brayden J. Klein and vice president Samuel N. Vane, both 20, on allegations of hazing and disorderly conduct. The two were booked into the Dane County Jail.
Hartman said the allegations are misdemeanor offenses. The case will now be reviewed by the Dane County District Attorney’s Office.
Bascom Hall is seen on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wisconsin, on October 12, 2013. (2013 Getty Images)
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Investigators have not yet established precisely what took place inside the fraternity house. Hartman said officers encountered conflicting accounts as they spoke with people who had been present.
“We had limited cooperation,” Hartman said.
Police collected statements at the scene, but Hartman said some accounts “did not align with what everybody else’s statements were.” Those discrepancies have added to investigators’ concerns as the inquiry continues.
The alleged hazing took place during rush week at UW-Madison. Hartman said he believes all of the people involved were university students.
The University of Wisconsin campus is pictured in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by: Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Alpha Epsilon Pi identifies itself as “the world’s Jewish college fraternity,” with chapters at more than 150 campuses across four countries.
Jonathan Pierce, AEPi’s chief communications officer, confirmed to News Outlet that the national organization recognizes the Madison chapter. He said its members remain bound by the fraternity’s nationwide health and safety requirements.
“AEPi Headquarters takes the allegations involving our Pi Chapter in Madison, Wisconsin, extremely seriously,” Pierce said in a statement. “We will cooperate fully with the authorities investigating this matter.”
Pierce added that any member determined to have engaged in criminal behavior would be expelled, and that the fraternity would support efforts to prosecute those responsible.
“Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for. There is no place for it in AEPi,” the statement read. “No exceptions. No excuses. We educate our members about their responsibility to ‘Be Your Brothers’ Keeper.’ This is not an optional value.”
The statement later read, “Anyone who engages in hazing forfeits the privilege of being an AEPi brother.”
News Outlet also reached out to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the fraternity’s local chapter for comment.
