Police Find Frat Pledges Covered in Food During Sweltering Hazing Investigation

Clear Facts

• Madison police responded to a hazing tip at the Alpha Epsilon Pi house on Langdon Street and found about 30 partially clothed young men in an 81-degree basement covered in food and liquids.
• Fraternity president Brayden J. Klein and vice president Samuel N. Vane were arrested on misdemeanor hazing and disorderly conduct charges.
• The chapter was terminated by the University of Wisconsin-Madison more than a decade ago, yet the national organization still recognizes the local group.

Authorities acted on an anonymous tip Wednesday evening and discovered the pledges packed into the overheated basement. Officers immediately declared the gathering unlawful and escorted everyone outside for medical checks.

Most of the young men inside were 18 years old. Police observed redness and marks consistent with possible physical contact, though no open wounds were reported and no one required hospital transport.

Madison Police Capt. Kipp Hartman noted inconsistencies in the statements given by those present. “We had limited cooperation,” Hartman said.

Fraternity president Brayden J. Klein and vice president Samuel N. Vane, both 20, were taken to the Dane County Jail. The district attorney will review the misdemeanor charges.

Alpha Epsilon Pi’s national communications officer Jonathan Pierce stated the organization takes the allegations seriously and will fully cooperate with investigators. “Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for. There is no place for it in AEPi,” Pierce said.

The national organization confirmed it still recognizes the Madison chapter and emphasized that any member found responsible for criminal conduct will be expelled.

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