Madison police arrested two leaders of an unrecognized fraternity on Wednesday night after responding to reports of hazing at a residence in the 100 block of Langdon Street. Brayden J. Klein and Samuel N. Vane, both 20, were taken to the Dane County Jail and charged with misdemeanor hazing and misdemeanor disorderly conduct, according to WKOW.
Officers arrived at the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) house around 8:20 p.m. following an anonymous tip. Upon entering the basement, police discovered approximately 30 partially clothed males, the majority of whom were 18 years old, covered in liquids, condiments and food. According to a Madison Police Department (MPD) incident report, several of the men exhibited visible injuries consistent with physical assault. Investigators also noted that a thermostat in the room had been set to 81 degrees, resulting in humid and hot conditions.
Police declared the event unlawful and escorted all individuals outside, where officers checked pledges for incapacitation and injuries. Klein and Vane, who served as the fraternity’s president and vice president respectively, spoke with responding officers prior to their arrests. Madison Police Capt. Kipp Hartman stated that in his two years as captain in the district, this was the first time he had seen such an incident. Hartman noted that police step in when physical harm or lives are at stake.
University Status and Disciplinary Action
The Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter is an unaccredited and unrecognized student organization. UW–Madison officials stated the organization’s status was terminated in 2015. The university previously suspended the group after a guest and a 17-year-old minor were transferred to detox following drinking at the fraternity in Spring 2013; the eventual termination followed four additional incidents involving alcohol or events between that suspension and 2015.
Despite the university’s termination, the chapter is legally permitted to operate as a fraternity unaffiliated with the university because it remains recognized by its national organization. The university’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards will investigate any implicated students through a nonacademic misconduct process. Potential sanctions under Wis. Admin. Code Chapter UWS 17 include:
- Written reprimand
- Disciplinary probation
- Disciplinary suspension
- Expulsion or termination
- Educational sanctions
National Fraternity Response
AEPi International stated that it is cooperating fully with authorities and takes the allegations involving the Madison chapter seriously. In a statement, the national organization described hazing as a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for
and asserted that anyone engaging in such behavior forfeits the privilege of being an AEPi brother
. The national chapter has pledged to support prosecution to the fullest extent of the law and will expel any member found criminally responsible.
University officials from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards met with national AEPi officials on Thursday to review the incident and discuss follow-up actions.
Community Impact and Investigation
Witnesses on Langdon Street described a large crowd gathering as the police operation unfolded. Another witness, Schettino, reported seeing approximately 20 wet and shirtless pledges carrying bags of clothes back to their dormitories as they left the AEPi house. Schettino noted that three police cars remained outside the residence until at least 11:30 p.m.
MPD Public Information Officer Stephanie Fryer addressed rumors circulating on the university’s YikYak page, stating that while the investigation remains open and active, police have no information suggesting that feces were involved in the incident.
The Madison Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or via p3tips.com. UW-Madison students may report hazing anonymously through an online form or via FSL Confidential.