Two 20-year-old men were arrested after police responding to a suspected hazing event found more than two dozen young men partially clothed and covered in food, condiments and other liquids. Police said some of those present appeared to have injuries.
The Madison Police Department said officers acted on an anonymous tip about an event at the unaccredited Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. Inside the house, officers found roughly 30 “partially clothed males covered in food, condiments and other liquids” in the basement. The thermostat in the room was set to 81 degrees, according to police.
Several men had visible injuries that police said were consistent with abuse.
Police said the “vast majority” of those in the basement were 18 years old.
A photograph released with the men’s faces redacted shows them gathered in a grimy room with black walls. The Alpha Epsilon Pi letters appear painted on a piece of furniture.
Madison Police Department
Police identified the arrested men as Brayden J. Klein and Samuel N. Vane. Both were booked into the Dane County Jail on suspicion of hazing and disorderly conduct. The Madison Police Department said the fraternity’s president and vice president were at the house and spoke with officers, but it did not say whether Klein or Vane held either position.
Officers escorted the men from the basement and assessed them for signs of incapacitation and physical injuries.
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“Several of these men had visible injuries consistent with being physically assaulted,” police said.
Authorities have not announced additional charges. The investigation remains active, and police are asking anyone with information to contact the Madison Police Department.
Alpha Epsilon Pi is not recognized or accredited by the University of Wisconsin, according to police and university officials. In a statement, the university said the chapter can legally operate as an unaffiliated fraternity because it remains recognized by the national Alpha Epsilon Pi organization.
A spokesperson for Alpha Epsilon Pi’s national headquarters said the organization takes the allegations involving the Madison chapter “extremely seriously.” The group intends to “cooperate fully” with the investigation and said members found responsible for criminal conduct will be expelled.
“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. We educate our members about their responsibility to ‘Be Your Brother’s Keeper.’ This is not an optional value. It is a fundamental expectation of membership. Anyone who engages in hazing forfeits the privilege of being an AEPi brother.”
The University of Wisconsin is also reviewing the incident under its nonacademic misconduct process. Campus officials said they are providing support to students affected by the event.
Madison police urged anyone whose safety is threatened during fraternity or sorority recruitment activities to contact authorities.
