Two arrested after police find injured men in fraternity basement

Police found about 30 young men partially clothed, covered in food and condiments, and some with visible injuries in the basement of an unrecognized fraternity house in Madison, Wisconsin, authorities said. Two 20-year-olds were arrested in the suspected hazing incident.

The Madison Police Department said officers went to the off-campus Alpha Epsilon Pi house after receiving an anonymous tip about an event there. They found the men in a basement where the thermostat was set to 81 degrees. The men were escorted outside and checked for injuries and incapacitation.

Several had “visible injuries consistent with being physically assaulted,” police said. The “vast majority” were 18 years old. NBC News reported that the group consisted of fraternity pledges and that officers found them around 8:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Police identified the two people arrested as Brayden J. Klein and Samuel N. Vane and said they were taken to the Dane County Jail on hazing and disorderly conduct allegations. NBC News reported that both were charged with those offenses and described them as fraternity leaders. Police said the chapter’s president and vice president were present and spoke with officers, but did not say whether Klein or Vane held those positions.

A police photo of the basement, with the men’s faces redacted, showed them in a dirty room with black walls and Alpha Epsilon Pi letters painted on a piece of furniture, according to CBS News. Police said the men were covered in “food, condiments and other liquids.”

The University of Wisconsin-Madison does not recognize the chapter. NBC News reported that the university stopped recognizing Alpha Epsilon Pi in 2015. The university said the national Alpha Epsilon Pi organization continues to recognize the Madison chapter, which allows it to operate legally as a fraternity unaffiliated with the school.

The university said it is investigating the incident under its nonacademic misconduct process and providing support to affected students. It said it would investigate students “implicated in the incident.”

A spokesperson for Alpha Epsilon Pi’s national headquarters told CBS News that the organization takes the allegations “extremely seriously” and plans to “cooperate fully” with the investigation. Members found responsible for criminal conduct will be expelled, the spokesperson said.

“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.”

Police said their investigation remains open and asked anyone with information to contact the department. They also urged anyone whose safety is jeopardized during Greek life recruitment to contact authorities.