Frat leaders arrested after pledges found in basement, injured and covered in condiments

Two leaders of an underground University of Wisconsin-Madison fraternity were arrested and charged with hazing after dozens of pledges were found injured, shirtless and covered in condiments in a dingy basement.

The Madison Police Department said Thursday it received an anonymous tip about an event in the basement of an off-campus chapter house after police received an anonymous tip.

Alpha Epsilon Pi was kicked off campus as a recognized chapter in 2015, but the organization maintained a presence at the Madison home.

Police say about 30 pledges, most of whom were 18, were found partially-clothed in a filthy basement around 8:20 p.m. on Wednesday.

The apparent hazing victims were “covered in food, condiments, and other liquids” and “had visible injuries consistent with being physically assaulted.”

Brayden Klein and Samuel Vane, both 20, were charged with hazing and disorderly conduct. Madison police are still investigating the matter.

The university said in a statement that while it stopped recognizing Alpha Epsilon Pi about a decade ago, the national organization has continued to recognize the Madison chapter, allowing it to exist in the community.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison said in a statement that it will investigate students “implicated in the incident.”

Alpha Epsilon Pi was founded as a Jewish fraternity in 1913.

The national organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the incident. Its website lists a Madison, Wisconsin, chapter called “Pi,” but it does not cite an affiliation with the university.

Anti-hazing advocates say underground chapters present a unique risk for hazing incidents because they are not monitored by officials at their college or university.