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Police have released a 911 call that reported fraternity pledges being set on fire in Ohio.
A video of the incident quickly went viral on social media after it was recorded at a gathering of members of an Ohio State University fraternity on Saturday. Authorities are now investigating whether two students left with deep burns during the incident were victims of hazing.
In a Sunday 911 call obtained by CBS News, a woman can be heard telling a Columbus Division of Police dispatcher about the 35-second video filmed at a gathering linked to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
“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,” the caller said. “They put gasoline on him and lit him on fire, and then just kind of stood there and laughed.”
The caller noted that she saw the video through a sorority group chat and was not there when it was filmed.

In the audio clip, which was also reviewed by CNN, the caller also detailed the condition of the two men in the video.
“It’s hard to tell,” she said. “One of them got the fire out pretty, pretty easily, and the other one was stripped naked and still on fire when the video ended.”
In the clip, a hooded man can be seen with his pants engulfed in flames. He jumps to his feet and lunges at another hooded man, knocking them both to the ground.
When they stand up, both men’s clothes are aflame, though it is unclear whether the second man’s clothes were on fire before they collided. One of them eventually begins rapidly removing their clothing. All the while, a ring of people watches them. Many of them are in the university’s distinctive red and white colors.
“Oh s***, oh s***, oh s***,” an onlooker can be heard saying.
Both students have been treated for “moderate” second- and third-degree burns, a Columbus police report states.
Ben Johnson, a spokesperson for Ohio State University, has confirmed that the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity has been placed on an interim suspension while it investigates the incident.
“The university is aware of this extremely concerning incident, and the individuals in question are receiving needed medical care,” Johnson said. “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.”
Steve Mitchell, CEO of the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said that the organization is aware of the video and is working with university officials and authorities.
“Sigma Alpha Epsilon holds its collegiate members to high standards of conduct and accountability,” he said. “Behavior that violates these standards has no place in our organization.
“We are committed to holding those responsible accountable and will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation.”
The fraternity has been sanctioned at least seven times since 2001, according to The Lantern, which examined its own previous reporting and archives.
Fraternity culture has become the subject of a national debate following the Cornell 7 case, which involved a woman accusing seven male members of Cornell University’s Chi Phi chapter of gang-rape.
The unnamed woman says the incident occurred while she was intoxicated with alcohol and ketamine. The men accused in the case have denied the allegations.
The Independent has contacted Columbus police for comment.
