Ohio State University has suspended one of its Greek-life chapters after a video spread online appearing to show two men engulfed in flames near campus while a crowd of onlookers laughed and shouted. The Ohio State fraternity at the center of the investigation, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, was placed on interim suspension as university officials, Columbus police and fire investigators try to determine what happened and whether any crimes were committed.
Columbus police said the incident appears to have taken place on Saturday, Nov. 7, in the 1900 block of Indianola Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. As of Monday, it remained unclear what led to the fire or how seriously the two men were hurt, according to reporting by fox6now.com.
What the video shows
The footage, which circulated on social media, shows a man wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants on the ground with flames covering much of his lower body. A crowd surrounds him, with several people appearing to hold drinks. Global News reported that many in the large group standing outside were wearing the school’s red and white colours, laughing and shouting.
The man then gets to his feet and runs across an open area before colliding with a second man, also wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Both fall to the ground and the second man’s clothing catches fire. Global News described the first man as appearing to lunge at the second person and tackle him.
Both men scrambled to remove their burning clothes as others tried to extinguish the flames. One of the men jumped while pulling off his sweatpants as another person tried to stomp out the fire. The second man fell to the ground, removed his sweatpants and rolled repeatedly on the ground as the fire continued to burn, while several people tried to smother the flames with clothing. One person in the video appears to be holding a small fire extinguisher.
Several people could be heard shouting in the video, including one person yelling, “Take them off,” as the men attempted to shed their burning clothes.
Ohio State fraternity placed on interim suspension
The university confirmed the interim suspension in statements to both outlets, though they attributed the comments to different spokespeople: Fox News Digital quoted Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson, while Global News quoted spokesperson Chris Booker. The wording of the statements was nearly identical.
“The university is aware of this extremely concerning incident, and the individuals in question are receiving needed medical care,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “Ohio State has placed the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity on interim suspension pending a full investigation.”
Booker told Global News that “the university has made referrals to university police and Columbus police, and city law enforcement is investigating,” adding 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.”
More than 60,000 students are enrolled at Ohio State University, according to Global News.
Police learned of the fire from the video
No one called Columbus police to the scene on the day of the incident. Investigators were alerted the following evening after the video began circulating online.
“The Columbus Division of Police was alerted by The Ohio State University to the video that is circulating online showing two individuals on fire,” Sgt. Joe Albert, a department spokesperson, told Fox News Digital.
In a statement to Global News, the department said the incident appears to have taken place on Saturday, Nov. 7, in the 1900 block of Indianola Avenue, that it received no calls for service to the area that day, and that one call for service came in on the evening of Nov. 8 alerting officers to the video circulating online.
Albert said someone also called police about the video that evening. The Columbus Division of Police said it is working with Ohio State University and the Columbus Division of Fire’s Arson Unit to determine whether any criminal acts occurred.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon opens its own review
The national organization behind the Ohio State fraternity said it is also looking into the incident. “Sigma Alpha Epsilon is aware of a concerning video involving an incident at The Ohio State University,” CEO Steve Mitchell said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We take this matter seriously and are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident while working closely with university officials and local law enforcement.”
In his statement to Global News, Mitchell said the organization is “conducting a review while working closely with university officials and local law enforcement as they investigate,” and pointed to the university as the lead investigator: “The Ohio Theta chapter of SAE is a student organization. Accordingly, SAE acknowledges OSU as the primary authority, in conjunction with local law enforcement, to lead the investigation into the incident.”
Mitchell added that “SAE collegiate chapters are self-governing student organizations responsible for their own operations; however, all members of the Fraternal Association are expected to uphold our standards of conduct and accountability.”
He said the organization holds its collegiate members to high standards. “Behavior that violates these standards has no place in our organization,” Mitchell said. “We are committed to holding those responsible accountable and will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation.”
Renewed national scrutiny of Greek life
Fox News Digital reported that the incident comes amid renewed scrutiny of fraternities across the U.S. following a series of hazing investigations, student injuries and deaths tied to Greek life.
Global News noted that fraternities are back in the national spotlight in the wake of a lawsuit filed in September by a former Cornell University student, identified in court documents by the pseudonym Jane Doe, who alleges seven fraternity members sexually assaulted or exploited her at a fraternity party in October 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. All of those men have denied her allegations, saying either that their interactions were consensual or that they weren’t involved.
According to The Associated Press, she went to campus police three weeks after the alleged encounter and gave a detailed account of what happened, but the local district attorney decided not to file criminal charges or push for more investigation after reviewing a police summary of her interview. Only the school’s investigation under the federal Title IX law persisted, with a goal of deciding discipline for the students involved. The lawsuit seeks to hold all seven men liable for rape and asks for unspecified damages.
