Mother of hazing victim speaks out after fraternity cocaine ring bust
Anti-hazing advocate Evelyn Piazza discusses drug trafficking and hazing charges involving Penn State fraternity members on ‘America’s Newsroom.’ Grand jury documents detail 14 defendants charged in a multi-state cocaine operation involving Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities, where pledges allegedly cut and packaged drugs imported from New York and Philadelphia.
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Police responding to an anonymous hazing tip at a fraternity in Madison, Wisconsin, found roughly 30 partially clothed young men packed inside a sweltering basement, covered in food, condiments and other liquids – with several showing signs of being physically assaulted, authorities said.
The Madison Police Department said officers were dispatched to the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) house along Langdon Street around 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, where a thermostat in the basement was set to 81 degrees, creating hot and humid conditions.
The vast majority of those inside were 18 years old, police said. Officers declared the gathering unlawful before escorting everyone outside and checking the pledges for injuries and incapacitation.
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Police said the chapter is not recognized or accredited by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was terminated by the university more than a decade ago. Alpha Epsilon Pi’s national organization, however, told Digital it still recognizes the Madison chapter.
Partially clothed young men are seen inside the basement of an Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house in Madison, Wisconsin, during an alleged hazing incident. (Madison Police Department)
Madison Police Capt. Kipp Hartman said Thursday that he observed what appeared to be fresh redness and marks potentially consistent with being struck, but did not see any open wounds.
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Hartman added that he was not aware of anyone being transported for medical treatment.
Police said fraternity president Brayden J. Klein and vice president Samuel N. Vane, both 20, were arrested on hazing and disorderly conduct allegations and taken to the Dane County Jail.
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Hartman said both alleged offenses are misdemeanors and the Dane County District Attorney’s Office will review the case.
An outside view of Bascom Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin on October 12, 2013, in Madison, Wisconsin. (2013 Getty Images)
Investigators are still working to determine exactly what happened inside the house, and Hartman said officers encountered inconsistencies while interviewing those who were there.
“We had limited cooperation,” Hartman said.
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Officers obtained statements from those at the scene, but Hartman said some “did not align with what everybody else’s statements were,” raising concerns for investigators.
The incident came during rush week at UW-Madison. Hartman said he believes everyone involved was a university student.
Campus of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by: Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Alpha Epsilon Pi describes itself as “the world’s Jewish college fraternity,” with chapters on more than 150 college campuses in four countries.
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Jonathan Pierce, the fraternity’s chief communications officer, confirmed to Digital that AEPi recognizes its Madison chapter and said members remain subject to the national organization’s health and safety policies.
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“AEPi Headquarters takes the allegations involving our Pi Chapter in Madison, Wisconsin, extremely seriously,” Pierce said in a statement. “We will cooperate fully with the authorities investigating this matter.”
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Pierce said any member found responsible for criminal conduct would be expelled and that AEPi would support prosecution.
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“Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for. There is no place for it in AEPi,” the statement read. “No exceptions. No excuses. We educate our members about their responsibility to ‘Be Your Brothers’ Keeper.’ This is not an optional value.”
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The statement later read, “Anyone who engages in hazing forfeits the privilege of being an AEPi brother.”
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Digital also reached out to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the fraternity’s local chapter for comment.
