Madison police discovered about 30 partially clothed young men covered in food, condiments and other liquids inside the basement of a fraternity house on Langdon Street Wednesday night, following an anonymous tip about the gathering.
Officers were dispatched to the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity around 8:20 p.m. The Madison Police Department said the men were found in an 81-degree basement and that several showed signs of physical assault. The department said the majority of the young men involved were 18 years old.
Police said Alpha Epsilon Pi, known as AEPi, is not recognized or accredited by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which terminated the organization more than a decade ago.
Fraternity president Brayden Klein and vice president Samuel Vane, both 20, were arrested on suspicion of hazing and disorderly conduct, according to Madison’s WMTV. The Associated Press reported the charges against both men were tentative misdemeanors and that no formal charges had been filed as of Friday morning.
In a statement provided to WMTV, Alpha Epsilon Pi said: “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. 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.”
University Response
The University of Wisconsin-Madison said in a statement that because the Madison chapter remains recognized by AEPi’s national organization, it is legally allowed to call itself a fraternity chapter even though it is unaffiliated with the university.
“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 university said.
The chapter has a history of disciplinary trouble. The university put it on probation in 2013 after it supplied alcohol to a 17-year-old and another guest, both of whom had to be taken to detox. Over the following years, the chapter faced seven additional alcohol, hazing and “disrespectful behavior” violations, according to the university.
Madison police noted that sorority and fraternity recruitment is currently underway across the community and asked anyone whose safety is threatened during the process to contact them.
“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,” the department said. “Information may be shared anonymously and could be eligible for a monetary reward.”
