Wisconsin police are investigating a fraternity for potential hazing after finding around 30 partially clothed young men in the basement of an Alpha Epsilon Pi house near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The incident occurred on Wednesday night when police responded to an anonymous tip; two members, aged 20, were arrested on charges of hazing and disorderly conduct. The university has launched its own investigation and stated that any student found guilty could face sanctions including expulsion. This case highlights ongoing issues with fraternity-related misconduct at the university, as AEPi had previously been suspended for similar incidents involving alcohol and hazing.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Wednesday night around 8:20 p.m., Madison police raided an off-campus fraternity house of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) based on an anonymous tip. They found approximately 30 partially-clothed teenagers, mostly aged 18, covered in food and condiments, huddled together in a dingy, overheated basement set at a sweltering 81 degrees. Some pledges showed signs of physical assault.
The house belonged to an unrecognized and unaccredited student organization that had been terminated by the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW-Madison) over a decade ago but continued operating unofficially since then. Fraternity president Brayden J. Klein, 20, and vice president Samuel N. Vane, also 20, were arrested for misdemeanor hazing and disorderly conduct.
Both UW-Madison and the Madison Police Department are conducting separate investigations into the incident, with university officials stating they will impose sanctions ranging from reprimands to expulsion on any students found to have violated laws or policies.
Written for “Frat Hazing Incident Arrests” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Police are investigating suspected illegal hazing after about 30 partially clothed young men covered in food, condiments and other liquids were found recently in the basement of a fraternity house near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
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men → investigate → campus
Madison police said some of the men, whom they described as pledges of a fraternity, had signs of being physically assaulted.
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they → say → signs
Police went to the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity house on Wednesday night after receiving an anonymous tip.
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Two fraternity members, both 20, were arrested on tentative misdemeanor charges of hazing and disorderly conduct, police said.
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police → arrest → hazing
No formal charges had been filed against them as of Friday morning.
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The university said it was taking the case seriously and launching its own investigation.
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“UW–Madison is fully committed to preventing and addressing hazing and takes all incidents involving our community seriously,” the university said in a Thursday statement.
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Any student found to have broken the law or university policy could be subject to sanctions ranging from a written reprimand to expulsion, UW-Madison said.
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Police released a photo that shows about two dozen men, all shirtless, in the basement of the fraternity with trash and other debris on the ground.
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The faces of the people in the photo are blurred out.
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Police said the thermostat had been set to 81F, causing hot and humid conditions in the basement, where the walls appeared to be painted black.
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A majority of people in the basement were 18 years old, police said.
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The fraternity’s status as a recognized student organization on the Madison campus was terminated in 2015 for holding events while suspended.
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It had been suspended in 2013 for hosting a party in which a 17-year-old and another person were taken to detox after being served alcohol at a party hosted by the fraternity, according to university records.
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The termination came after a fourth incident involving either events, alcohol or both, the university said.
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Since 2016, there were seven additional allegations involving the fraternity related to intramural sports, disrespectful behavior, drinking and hazing, the university said.
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Because the fraternity is still recognized by its national organization, it is able to operate as a fraternity chapter unaffiliated with the university, UW-Madison said.
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National fraternity spokesperson Jon Pierce said his organization is taking the allegations “very seriously” and will cooperate fully with investigations.
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Any member found to have participated will be expelled from the fraternity, he said.
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“Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for,” Pierce said.
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The fraternity house is located just blocks from the heart of the UW-Madison campus, which is home to about 52,000 students.
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Police said their investigation is also ongoing.
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The university’s office of student conduct and community standards is also investigating in accordance with its nonacademic misconduct process, UW-Madison said.
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