On a Sunday in November, a caller reached Columbus police with a video that had moved from phone to phone, and with it a grim accusation that a fraternity had set its own pledges on fire. The story belongs to a long and painful American tradition in which initiation rites, meant to bind young men together, instead leave bodies scarred and institutions scrambling to explain how it happened. Two men are now being treated for serious burns, and Ohio State has suspended the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter while investigators work out what the footage and the official record actually show. What remains
911 Caller Describes Video of Ohio State Fraternity Hazing Incident Involving Fire
Two men suffered second- and third-degree burns after their clothing caught fire during an alleged hazing activity and are receiving medical care.
The two rolled on the ground, trying to get their burning clothes off.
Mark
Why did this get attention so quickly? It was only a couple of days from the incident to the suspension.
Mimi
The video. It spread on social media, and the 911 caller said it reached them through a sorority group chat. Someone who wasn't there watched it and decided to call police.
Mark
What does the police report actually say happened?
Mimi
Not much. Two victims took part in a dangerous activity, and they suffered second- and third-degree burns. It doesn't name them.
Luke
And it doesn't use the word hazing, as far as the reporting shows. That label is attached to the incident as alleged, not established by the report.
Mark
The caller said gasoline was used. Is that confirmed?
Luke
No. That's the caller's description of a video they received secondhand. The police report as described doesn't say what accelerant, if any, was involved.
Mimi
What the video itself shows is a man seated with his sweatpants on fire, who tackles a second man, and both catch fire and roll on the ground while some people try to help.
Mark
What do we know about the fraternity's side?
Luke
The chapter president, George Limperis, gave police a statement, but the redacted report doesn't say what was in it. Nothing is known publicly about his account.
Mimi
The national CEO, Steve Mitchell, said the organization will hold those responsible accountable depending on the findings.
Mark
So what's still open?
Luke
Charges, who the victims are, their condition beyond receiving medical care, and whether the suspension becomes permanent. None of that is answered yet.
Le Pouls
- A video showing a man with burning sweatpants lunging into another student has spread across social media, and the images alone have pushed the story into public view.
- Two men were treated for second- and third-degree burns after their clothing caught fire during an alleged hazing activity, a harm that is physical and immediate.
- Ohio State has temporarily suspended the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter, while the national CEO promises cooperation and action based on whatever the investigation finds.
- The police report is redacted and calls the event only a dangerous activity, so the gasoline allegation rests on a 911 caller who saw the video secondhand.
- Prosecutors have yet to decide on criminal charges, and the coming weeks will show whether the suspension hardens into harsher university or national sanctions.
On a Sunday in November, a caller reached Columbus police with a video that had moved from phone to phone, and with it a grim accusation that a fraternity had set its own pledges on fire. The story belongs to a long and painful American tradition in which initiation rites, meant to bind young men together, instead leave bodies scarred and institutions scrambling to explain how it happened. Two men are now being treated for serious burns, and Ohio State has suspended the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter while investigators work out what the footage and the official record actually show. What remains unsettled is the gap between a shocking clip and the careful, still-thin account that the law requires before anyone can be called responsible.
A call reached Columbus police dispatch on Sunday, a day after the incident was said to have taken place. The caller had seen a video and wanted it forwarded so that someone would act. According to the caller, which police have since released, a fraternity had set its pledges on fire, gasoline had been poured on one man before he was lit, and the others stood by and laughed. The caller was not present and had received the video through a sorority group chat.
The video has since spread widely. It shows a crowd, many in Ohio State red and white, gathered around a seated man whose sweatpants are ablaze. In a panic he lunges at another person and tackles him, and that man's clothing catches fire too. The two roll on the ground trying to tear their clothes off while bystanders try to help.
On Tuesday, Columbus police released a redacted preliminary report on the incident, which allegedly involves Ohio State's Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter. It says two victims took part in a dangerous activity that left them with second- and third-degree burns. The victims are not named. Officers spoke with the chapter president, George Limperis, who gave a statement, but the report does not say what he told them.
Ohio State announced Monday that it had temporarily suspended the fraternity while authorities investigate. The national organization responded the same day, with CEO Steve Mitchell saying it was working with the university and police and would act on the findings.
For now the public record is thin. The report calls the event only a dangerous activity, and the gasoline account comes from someone who saw the video secondhand. What comes next is whether prosecutors file charges, what the investigation concludes, and whether the university or the national fraternity moves beyond a temporary suspension.
A call came into Columbus police dispatch on Sunday, a day after the incident was said to have happened. The caller said they had seen a video and wanted it sent in so that something would be done. According to the call, which police have now released, the caller said a fraternity had set its pledges on fire, that gasoline was put on one man and he was lit up, and that the others stood around and laughed. The caller was not at the scene. They told dispatch the video had reached them through a sorority group chat.
The video at the center of this has since spread widely on social media. It shows a large crowd, many in Ohio State's red and white, standing around a man seated on the ground whose sweatpants are on fire. In a panic, the man lunges at a second person and tackles him. That man's clothing catches fire as well, and the two roll on the ground trying to get their clothes off while some bystanders try to help.
On Tuesday, Columbus police released a redacted report of their preliminary investigation into the incident, which allegedly involves Ohio State's chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The report states that two victims took part in an activity that was dangerous, and that it left them with second- and third-degree burns. It does not name the victims. It also notes that officers spoke with the chapter's president, George Limperis, who gave a statement. The redacted report offers no further detail about what he said.
Ohio State announced on Monday that it had temporarily suspended the fraternity while authorities look into the video. University spokesperson Benjamin Johnson called it an extremely concerning incident and said the people involved were receiving medical care. He added that the university expects students and student organizations to uphold a safe and healthy environment and the university's values.
The national organization also responded on Monday. Sigma Alpha Epsilon CEO Steve Mitchell said he was aware of the video and was working with university officials and local law enforcement. He said the fraternity holds its collegiate members to high standards of conduct and accountability, that behavior violating those standards has no place in the organization, and that it will take appropriate action based on what the investigation finds.
The incident is described as alleged hazing, and the public record so far is thin. The police report characterizes what happened only as a dangerous activity, and the redactions leave out who was involved and what was said. The 911 caller's account of gasoline comes from someone who saw the video secondhand, not from the report itself.
What to watch next: whether prosecutors file criminal charges, what the police investigation ultimately concludes, and whether Ohio State or the national fraternity moves from a temporary suspension to harsher sanctions.
Citations marquantes
They set their pledges on fire, and there's a video of it. And I just want to send it in so that something gets done about it.— 911 caller to Columbus police dispatch
Behavior that violates these standards has no place in our organization.— Steve Mitchell, Sigma Alpha Epsilon CEO
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