{"id":230283,"date":"2026-11-10T09:06:08","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T09:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ohio-state-university-investigating-fraternity-after-video-appears-to-show-two-people-on-fire-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-11-10T09:06:08","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T09:06:08","slug":"ohio-state-university-investigating-fraternity-after-video-appears-to-show-two-people-on-fire-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ohio-state-university-investigating-fraternity-after-video-appears-to-show-two-people-on-fire-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio State University investigating fraternity after video appears to show two people on fire – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An Ohio State University fraternity is being investigated after video of two young men seemingly on fire circulated online over the weekend.
The Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was placed on \u201cinterim suspension\u201d pending a full investigation, according to a statement Sunday from OSU. The administration described it as an \u201cextremely concerning incident\u201d and noted that it referred the matter to law enforcement.
\u201cOhio State is committed to a safe and healthy environment and expects students and student organizations to uphold that commitment and the university\u2019s values,\u201d the statement said.
The video posted online starts with someone in a sweatsuit on the ground with his pants engulfed in flames. That person gets up and tackles another person in a matching sweatsuit, resulting in the second person\u2019s clothing being ignited.
Both of the men then run around and attempt to shed their clothing while others come in to help them stamp out the flames, according to the video.
A second video shot from a different angle appears to show that the second person\u2019s pant leg was already on fire when he was tackled. It also showed a bystander seeming to struggle to use a fire extinguisher as others tried to help snuff out the flames.
The incident appeared to occur Saturday on a block near the university, according to a statement from the Columbus Police Department. There were no initial calls about the matter Saturday, but the department was alerted Sunday about the video that was circulating online.
\u201cWe will be working with the Ohio State University, as well as the Columbus Division of Fire\u2019s Arson Unit to determine if any criminal acts occurred,\u201d police said.
Ohio State\u2019s Buckeyes hosted the Oregon Ducks on Saturday as two of the NCAA\u2019s top Division I football teams faced off. Many of the bystanders in the videos appeared to be wearing Ohio State football jerseys.
The fraternity\u2019s national headquarters is also aware of the video, Steve Mitchell, CEO of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said in a statement to NBC News on Monday. Mitchell said that the fraternity is actively investigating the circumstances and working closely with the relevant authorities.
\u201cSigma Alpha Epsilon holds its collegiate members to high standards of conduct and accountability,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cBehavior 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.\u201d
Sigma Alpha Epsilon was founded March 9, 1856, at the University of Alabama. A number of notable figures have been members, such as former President William McKinley, author William Faulkner, actor Sam Elliott and NFL coach Pete Carroll.
It has also had a concerning history of incidents over the last 20 years, culminating in a number of deaths, according to a 2013 Bloomberg report that dubbed it the \u201cdeadliest frat.\u201d
The report from Bloomberg noted that there were nine deaths related to drinking, drugs and hazing between 2006 and 2013, which it said was more than any other Greek organization. It added that more than 100 universities had disciplined Sigma Alpha Epsilon and 15 chapters had been shuttered.
The national headquarters responded in 2014<\/a> by eliminating the pledge system, stating at the time that deaths and other incidents had resulted in \u201cconsequences that have never been consistent with our membership experience.\u201d
It replaced pledging with what it dubbed the \u201cTrue Gentleman Experience,\u201d referencing one of the organization\u2019s guiding principles. The fraternity boasts that a true gentleman is defined in part by a man \u201cwhose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety.\u201d
There was an incident at a \u201ctalent show\u201d held by the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at the University of New Hampshire in 2022 that resulted in 46 members being charged with hazing<\/a>. While dozens chose to engage in diversion programs, three people were acquitted of the charges at trial, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. <\/a>
The newspaper reported that the judge ruled that because the incident was not related to pledging or continued membership, it did not meet the requirement for a hazing charge under the law.
I am a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital, covering a range of news-of-the-day topics. My job is to report in a timely manner on crime, mass shootings, war coverage, domestic and international affairs, pop culture and more.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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For YouSettings news AlertsThere are no new alerts at this timeAn Ohio State University fraternity is being investigated after video of two young men seemingly on fire circulated online over the weekend. The Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was placed on \u201cinterim suspension\u201d pending a full investigation, according to a statement Sunday from OSU. The administration […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":230284,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-230283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-us","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230283\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/230284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}