Police are investigating suspected illegal hazing after about 30 partially clothed young men covered in food, condiments and other liquids were found recently in the basement of a fraternity house near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
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men → investigate → campus
Madison police said some of the men, whom they described as pledges of a fraternity, had signs of being physically assaulted.
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they → say → signs
Police went to the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity house on Wednesday night after receiving an anonymous tip.
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Police → go → tip
Two fraternity members, both 20, were arrested on tentative misdemeanor charges of hazing and disorderly conduct, police said.
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police → arrest → hazing
No formal charges had been filed against them as of Friday morning.
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charges → file → morning
The university said it was taking the case seriously and launching its own investigation.
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it → say → investigation
“UW–Madison is fully committed to preventing and addressing hazing and takes all incidents involving our community seriously,” the university said in a Thursday statement.
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university → commit → statement
Any student found to have broken the law or university policy could be subject to sanctions ranging from a written reprimand to expulsion, UW-Madison said.
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Madison → find → expulsion
Police released a photo that shows about two dozen men, all shirtless, in the basement of the fraternity with trash and other debris on the ground.
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all → release → ground
The faces of the people in the photo are blurred out.
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faces → blur → photo
Police said the thermostat had been set to 81F, causing hot and humid conditions in the basement, where the walls appeared to be painted black.
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walls → say → basement
A majority of people in the basement were 18 years old, police said.
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police → say → basement
The fraternity’s status as a recognized student organization on the Madison campus was terminated in 2015 for holding events while suspended.
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status → recognize → events
It had been suspended in 2013 for hosting a party in which a 17-year-old and another person were taken to detox after being served alcohol at a party hosted by the fraternity, according to university records.
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old → suspend → records
The termination came after a fourth incident involving either events, alcohol or both, the university said.
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university → come → events
Since 2016, there were seven additional allegations involving the fraternity related to intramural sports, disrespectful behavior, drinking and hazing, the university said.
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university → be → sports
Because the fraternity is still recognized by its national organization, it is able to operate as a fraternity chapter unaffiliated with the university, UW-Madison said.
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Madison → recognize → university
National fraternity spokesperson Jon Pierce said his organization is taking the allegations “very seriously” and will cooperate fully with investigations.
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organization → say → investigations
Any member found to have participated will be expelled from the fraternity, he said.
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he → find → fraternity
“Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for,” Pierce said.
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Pierce → stand → everything
The fraternity house is located just blocks from the heart of the UW-Madison campus, which is home to about 52,000 students.
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which → locate → students
Police said their investigation is also ongoing.
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investigation → say → ?
The university’s office of student conduct and community standards is also investigating in accordance with its nonacademic misconduct process, UW-Madison said.
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Madison → investigate → process
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