Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State Suspends Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity After Fire Video

Ohio State University has placed its Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter on interim suspension after a video circulated on social media showing two people on fire at a party, the university said.

"The university is aware of this extremely concerning incident, and the individuals in question are receiving needed medical care," spokesperson Ben Johnson said in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch. "Ohio State has placed the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity on interim suspension pending a full investigation, and the university has made referrals to law enforcement."

What the video shows

In the video shared on X, one person is seen with his sweatpants on fire while another person tries to reach him with a fire extinguisher, The Dispatch reported. The person on fire gets up and lunges at a second individual, whose clothing also catches fire as he tackles him. Both fall to the ground, roll around and start pulling their sweatpants off while several onlookers step in to help put the flames out.

The Lantern, the Ohio State student newspaper, reported that the video was posted on X at about 8:30 p.m. and showed multiple people tackling each other to the ground in an attempt to extinguish one individual's burning clothes. The Lantern said the incident involved the Ohio State chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the Ohio Theta chapter, whose house is on Indianola Avenue, and that the suspension was enacted after the university learned of the video.

Most of the students in the crowd at the party appear to be wearing Buckeye football gear or other sports apparel, The Dispatch reported. It is unclear what led to the fire or when the incident happened. It is also unclear what injuries the two people received or whether any charges have been filed.

The chapter now sits inactive

The fraternity is labeled as an inactive student organization on an Ohio State website, The Lantern reported, and the chapter has since made its Instagram account private. University spokesperson Chris Booker gave The Lantern the same account of the suspension and added that 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.

The suspension lands in a year of fraternity discipline at Ohio State. In July, the university revoked another fraternity, Phi Kappa Alpha, after an incident in which a student was hospitalized, The Dispatch reported. That action followed a Student Conduct investigation that found violations including hazing, endangering behavior and alcohol, and the matter was reported to the appropriate authorities, Johnson said. The Dispatch also reported in March that the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity was under suspension after a March 25 event that hospitalized a student whose name was not released.

For Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the interim suspension is in place pending the full investigation. Readers in Columbus will get the next facts from that investigation: when the fire happened, how badly the two people were hurt, and what law enforcement does with the university's referrals. This story will be updated in place as officials release more information.