Alpha Delta Phi, a fraternity at the University of Iowa, was suspended until 2029 after an alleged hazing incident. Body camera footage released by the campus shows an alleged hazing incident from November 2024. The footage, which recently surfaced online and went viral on social media, reveals 56 male pledges blindfolded in the fraternity house basement.
According to KCCI, first responders were called due to a fire alarm and found pledges shirtless and covered in ketchup, mustard and alcohol. On Feb. 25, 2025, the Office of Student Accountability investigated the incident, resulting in the fraternity's suspension until July 1, 2029.
The footage from this encounter is deeply concerning. This should make viewers question what was happening in the basement before first responders arrived, and the lengths other members of Alpha Delta Phi were willing to go to initiate the 56 pledges.
Police-worn body camera footage shows a first-person perspective of the scene in the basement.
The officer goes on to question the men in the room, “Does anyone want to be forthcoming on what’s going on? Anyone? Because you’ve got to see it from my perspective of, ‘What the f— did I just walk into?’”
Ohio University defines hazing as “Any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental, emotional or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into, or affiliation with, any student organization or group, regardless of the person’s consent to participate.”
Most universities in the U.S. participate in Greek life. It’s known as a system where fraternities and sororities exist socially on or near its college campus. The University of New Mexico reports there are over 750,000 undergraduate members in 12,000 chapters on more than 800 campuses in the U.S. and Canada.
Hazing might come as a result of the initiation process for students who pledge to be in a fraternity or sorority. Decade-old traditions can easily become a neglectful use of power over initiates.
A consequence of this type of forced action on another person is death or serious injury.
Collin’s Law, Ohio Senate Bill 126, is Ohio’s Anti-Hazing Act, named after Collin Wiant, an 18-year-old student who died in Athens during a hazing ritual in 2018.
Signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine in 2021, the law increased the penalty of hazing to a 2nd degree misdemeanor, sometimes a 3rd degree in cases of serious injury.
The first hazing-related death reportedly happened in 1838. An epidemic of this magnitude existed on college and university campuses and can look very similar to that of the IU fraternity footage; in fact, it does.
According to the Hazing Prevention Network, the most common hazing behaviors among all types of student groups consist of alcohol consumption, isolation, sleep deprivation and sex acts.
It also reported 55% of college students involved in fraternities, sororities, teams and other student organizations experienced hazing, and “only 1 in 10 labeled it hazing.”
Being a bystander to hazing means witnessing dangerous, humiliating or illegal initiation activities. According to the Hazing Prevention Network, 71% of students witnessed hazing and indicated alcohol was involved in some way.
Therefore, as students attending university, there is an obligation we must uphold to report cases of hazing. Students who were involved in the UI incident might still carry trauma or guilt from the alleged hazing they underwent.
While the body camera footage might have surfaced online and has been met with humor, hazing is a deadly, forced action that can change a student and their family's lives forever.
If you or someone you know is concerned about hazing, you can report it by calling the Anti-Hazing Hotline: (888) 668-4293 or (888) NOT-HAZE. The line accepts anonymous hazing reports from anyone.
The Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage. Have thoughts? The Post can be reached via editor@thepostathens.com.
