4 minSociety
Madison Police Arrest Fraternity Leaders After Hazing Tip Uncovers Dozens in Basement
Police in Madison, Wisconsin, arrested two fraternity leaders after an anonymous hazing tip led officers to find about 30 partially clothed young men in a sweltering basement, covered in food and showing signs of physical assault.
Police in Madison, Wisconsin, arrested the president and vice president of an unrecognized fraternity chapter after an anonymous hazing tip led officers to discover roughly 30 partially clothed young men packed inside a hot, humid basement, covered in food and condiments, with several showing signs of physical assault.
Officers were dispatched to the Alpha Epsilon Pi house on Langdon Street around 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Madison Police Department. A thermostat in the basement was set to 81 degrees, creating sweltering conditions. The vast majority of those inside were 18 years old, police said.
Officers declared the gathering unlawful before escorting everyone outside and checking the pledges for injuries and incapacitation. Capt. Kipp Hartman said Thursday that he observed what appeared to be fresh redness and marks potentially consistent with being struck, but did not see any open wounds. He added that he was not aware of anyone being transported for medical treatment.
Fraternity president Brayden J. Klein and vice president Samuel N. Vane, both 20, were arrested on hazing and disorderly conduct allegations and taken to the Dane County Jail. Hartman said both alleged offenses are misdemeanors and the Dane County District Attorney's Office will review the case.
Investigators are still working to determine exactly what happened inside the house. Hartman said officers encountered inconsistencies while interviewing those who were there. «We had limited cooperation,» he said. Officers obtained statements from those at the scene, but Hartman said some «did not align with what everybody else's statements were,» raising concerns for investigators.
The incident came during rush week at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hartman said he believes everyone involved was a university student. Police said the chapter is not recognized or accredited by the university and was terminated by the university more than a decade ago. Alpha Epsilon Pi's national organization, however, told Fox News Digital it still recognizes the Madison chapter.
Alpha Epsilon Pi describes itself as «the world's Jewish college fraternity,» with chapters on more than 150 college campuses in four countries. Jonathan Pierce, the fraternity's chief communications officer, confirmed that AEPi recognizes its Madison chapter and said members remain subject to the national organization's health and safety policies.
«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 said any member found responsible for criminal conduct would be expelled and that AEPi would support prosecution. «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.»
Fox News Digital also reached out to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the fraternity's local chapter for comment.
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