Wisconsin Fraternity Hazing Scandal

The story so far

As of September 25, 2026

Police broke up an alleged hazing event at the Alpha Epsilon Pi house on Langdon Street in Madison after an anonymous tip brought officers there around 8:20 p.m. Wednesday. In the basement, officers found about 30 partially clothed young men covered in food, condiments and other liquids. The thermostat was set to 81 degrees, making the room hot and humid, and several had visible injuries consistent with being struck. Police declared the gathering unlawful, escorted everyone outside to check for incapacitation and injuries, and arrested two 20-year-old chapter leaders, Brayden J. Klein and Samuel N. Vane, on hazing and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. The investigation is ongoing and prosecutors will decide on formal charges.

This is no longer just a single-night incident. The fraternity’s Madison chapter is not recognized by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, which terminated its status in 2015, yet it continues to operate because the national Alpha Epsilon Pi organization still recognizes it. That gap explains how a group the university cut off can still recruit first year students during rush week a block from campus. The university has opened a misconduct case that can sanction individual students, from a written reprimand to suspension or expulsion. National leaders say they will cooperate with authorities and expel any member found responsible for criminal conduct.

What matters now is establishing exactly what happened in the basement and who directed it. Some witness accounts conflict, and cooperation has been limited. No one was taken for medical treatment at the scene, but officers documented fresh marks on bodies. The open questions for law enforcement are whether misconduct stops at misdemeanor hazing or includes additional crimes, and whether more students will be arrested.

The chapter’s recent history frames the stakes. It was suspended in 2013 after a 17-year-old and another person were taken to detox from a party, lost recognition in 2015 after holding events while suspended, and has drawn seven more allegations since 2016 related to intramural sports, disrespectful behavior, drinking and hazing. Most of those found in the basement were 18 years old. Put together, the case tests how the city and the university protect student safety when a banned fraternity continues off campus and when the rush calendar concentrates risk.