Ohio State suspends Sigma Alpha Epsilon after video shows two men engulfed in flames

Ohio State University has placed its Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter on interim suspension after video footage showed two young men engulfed in flames near the Columbus campus, with some onlookers laughing and cheering as the scene unfolded.

The footage, recorded on Saturday, shows a man sitting on the ground with his sweatpants ablaze. He lunges at another person, tackles him and sets his clothing on fire as well, and the two roll across the grass stripping off burning clothes while bystanders rush in — one shouting "Take them off," another struggling with a fire extinguisher. Columbus police say they received no emergency calls from the scene. The clip circulated on social media regardless, where one post joked that watching the struggle with the extinguisher was "the best part."

The university confirmed the suspension on Monday, two days after the incident. Spokesperson Benjamin Johnson said the individuals involved are receiving medical care and that Ohio State "is committed to a safe and healthy environment." Sigma Alpha Epsilon CEO Steve Mitchell issued the customary statement: the fraternity "holds its collegiate members to high standards of conduct," and behaviour violating those standards "has no place in our organization."

The formal process is at its beginning. Columbus police and the fire department's arson unit are still examining whether any criminal acts occurred, and authorities have not established what caused the fire or whether hazing was involved. The suspension required no such findings — the footage did the work.

The arson unit is still determining what happened. The university needed a video and a weekend.