Madison police checked the thermostat in a frat basement where 30 young men were found covered in food, and it read 81 degrees

Police in Madison, Wisconsin, found roughly 30 partially clothed young men covered in food, condiments, and other liquids in a fraternity house basement on Wednesday night, September 23. As detailed by LADbible, officers went to the Alpha Epsilon Pi house following an anonymous tip. Police described the men, all around 18 years old, as pledges to the fraternity.

When officers entered the basement, they found hot and humid conditions, with the thermostat set to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Madison Police Captain Kipp Hartman said he saw what appeared to be fresh redness and marks on some of the pledges that were potentially consistent with being struck. He said he did not see any open wounds.

Officers declared the gathering unlawful, evacuated the house, and checked the pledges for signs of incapacitation or injury. As reported by ABC News, two fraternity members, both aged 20, were arrested on tentative misdemeanor charges of hazing and disorderly conduct. Hartman described “limited cooperation” from those at the scene, saying some statements did not align with what others said.

The chapter’s status is where things get complicated

Under Wisconsin’s hazing statute, no person may intentionally or recklessly endanger the physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation into an organization connected with a school. Depending on the level of harm caused, violations can lead to charges ranging from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class G felony. Hazing allegations also surfaced recently at a Michigan high school, where two freshmen were reportedly taped to a flagpole.

Police said the chapter was not accredited by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and had been terminated by the university more than a decade ago. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor said the situation involved a student group whose status was terminated in 2015, not an official chapter of the university’s fraternity and sorority community. However, Alpha Epsilon Pi’s national organization told Fox News it still recognizes the Madison chapter.

Jonathan Pierce, the fraternity’s chief communications officer, said AEPi Headquarters takes the allegations “extremely seriously.” He added, “We will cooperate fully with the authorities investigating this matter.” Pierce also said, “Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for.”

Reesor said she was disappointed to see the allegations and images of what took place. The national AEPi organization issued a cease-and-desist directive on Thursday, requiring the group to immediately end all activities. University students have also been in the news this week after one student’s organs began shutting down from two cold medicines sharing an ingredient.

The national organization will investigate the group’s activities, while the university’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards will investigate the individual students involved. The two members arrested face tentative charges and have not been convicted of any crime.