Ohio State suspends fraternity after video appears to show 2 men on fire
A fraternity at Ohio State University has been temporarily suspended while authorities investigate a video that appears to show two men engulfed in flames.
A video shared on social media shows a large group of people standing outside, with many of them wearing the school’s red and white colours, laughing and shouting while a man sits on the ground with his sweatpants on fire.
The man then appears to lunge at a second person and tackle him. The second man’s clothing also catches fire and they both roll on the ground removing their clothes as several people around them intervene.
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One person appears to be holding a small fire extinguisher in the video.
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Ohio State University spokesperson Chris Booker told Global News that the university is “aware of this extremely concerning incident, and the individuals in questions are receiving needed medical care.”
“Ohio State has placed the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity on interim suspension pending a full investigation,” Booker said.
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“The university has made referrals to university police and Columbus police, and city law enforcement is investigating,” Booker added. “Ohio State is committed to a safe and healthy environment and expects students and student organizations to uphold that commitment and the university’s values.”
In a statement to Global News, the Columbus Division of Police said it was alerted by Ohio State University to the video that is circulating online showing two individuals on fire.
“It appears this incident took place on Saturday, November 7th in the 1900 block of Indianola Avenue. We did not receive any calls for service to the area on November 7th. One call for service was received in the evening of November 8th alerting us to the video that was circulating online,” the statement added.
The Columbus Division of Police said that it will be working with Ohio State University, as well as the Columbus Division of Fire’s Arson Unit to determine if an
Steve Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, told Global News that the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternal Association (SAE) is aware of the reported incident at the Ohio State University.
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“SAE takes this matter seriously and is conducting a review while working closely with university officials and local law enforcement as they investigate. The Ohio Theta chapter of SAE is a student organization. Accordingly, SAE acknowledges OSU as the primary authority, in conjunction with local law enforcement, to lead the investigation into the incident,” Mitchell said in a statement.
“SAE collegiate chapters are self-governing student organizations responsible for their own operations; however, all members of the Fraternal Association are expected to uphold our standards of conduct and accountability,” Mitchell added.
“Behavior that violates these standards has no place in our organization. SAE is committed to holding those responsible accountable and will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation,” Mitchell’s statement concluded.
More than 60,000 students are enrolled at Ohio State University.
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The incident comes as fraternities are back in the national spotlight in the wake of a former Cornell University student’s lawsuit alleging that she was raped at a fraternity party in 2024.
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A woman identified in court documents by the pseudonym Jane Doe filed the lawsuit in September alleging that seven fraternity members sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. All of those men have denied her allegations, saying either that their interactions were consensual or that they weren’t involved.
She went to campus police three weeks after the alleged encounter and gave a detailed account of what happened, but the local district attorney decided not to file criminal charges or push for more investigation after reviewing a police summary of her interview, according to The Associated Press.
Only the school’s investigation, under the federal Title IX law, persisted, with a goal of deciding discipline for the students involved.
The lawsuit seeks to hold all seven men liable for rape. She is asking for unspecified damages.
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