Ohio State Suspends Sigma Alpha Epsilon After Two People Catch Fire at Party

Ohio State University has suspended its Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity after a video circulated on social media showing two people on fire at an off-campus party, the university confirmed on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The Ohio State fraternity suspended in the wake of the footage is barred from operating while the university and Columbus police investigate what happened near the campus Greek-life houses.

Key Points

• Ohio State University placed its Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter on interim suspension on Sunday, November 8, 2026, after a video spread online showing two people on fire at an off-campus party.
• The video shows one person on the ground with his sweatpants in flames while another person tries to spray a fire extinguisher, before the burning person lunges at a second individual whose clothing also catches fire.
• Columbus police said the incident appears to have happened on Saturday, November 7, in the 1900 block of Indianola Avenue, near Greek-life houses about six minutes from the SAE house.
• Police received no calls about the incident that day and were only alerted on Sunday as the video spread online; they are working with Ohio State and the Columbus Division of Fire arson unit.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon's national chief executive, Steve Mitchell, said on Monday, November 9, that the organisation is aware of the video, takes it seriously and will hold those responsible accountable.

What Happened

The video at the centre of the case spread rapidly across social media over the weekend. It shows a chaotic scene at what appears to be an outdoor gathering: one person is on the ground with his sweatpants in flames while another person tries to spray a fire extinguisher at him. The person on fire then lunges at a second individual, whose clothing also catches fire. Both end up rolling on the ground, tearing off their clothes, as bystanders beat at the flames with their hands.

Columbus police said the incident appears to have taken place on Saturday, November 7, in the 1900 block of Indianola Avenue, a street near Ohio State's Greek-life houses and about six minutes from the SAE house. Remarkably, police said they received no calls about the incident that day. Officers were only alerted on Sunday, when the video began circulating widely online and the university was notified. It is not yet clear what injuries the two people sustained, and police have not said whether any charges have been filed or whether the incident involved hazing.

Background and Context

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, founded in 1856, is one of the oldest and largest fraternities in the United States, with chapters on campuses across the country. Its Ohio State chapter has long been part of the university's Greek-life community, which sits just off the main Columbus campus along streets such as Indianola Avenue, where fraternity and sorority houses stand side by side.

An interim suspension is a temporary measure: it stops a chapter from holding events, recruiting members or using university facilities while an investigation runs, and it can lead to a longer suspension or a permanent loss of recognition. The case also arrives amid renewed scrutiny of fraternity conduct across American campuses, and Ohio's anti-hazing law, Collin's Law, shapes how schools treat such cases.

Ohio State Fraternity Suspended: What the Video Shows

The footage, which Ohio State and police are both reviewing, is the main evidence in the case so far. It captures the moments after the fire started, but it does not by itself explain how the flames began. That is the central question for investigators: what set the clothing alight, whether any accelerant or party stunt was involved, and who was present when it happened.

Columbus police are working with Ohio State and the fire department's arson unit to determine whether any criminal acts occurred. Investigators will also want to know who filmed the incident, who was at the party, and why emergency services were not called while two people were visibly burning.

Reactions and Quotes

Ohio State called the incident "extremely concerning" and said the individuals involved are receiving the medical care they need. The university said it had referred the matter to university police and Columbus police, and it moved quickly to place the chapter on interim suspension while the facts are established.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon's national organisation responded on Monday, November 9. Chief executive Steve Mitchell said the organisation is aware of the video, takes it seriously and will hold those responsible accountable. Columbus police have not named the two people who caught fire and have not released details of their injuries.

Why It Matters

The suspension matters because it shows how quickly a single viral video can now trigger institutional action. Within a day of the footage spreading, one of the country's biggest universities had suspended a chapter of one of its oldest fraternities, and a national fraternity organisation had publicly promised accountability.

It also matters for campus safety. A party at which two people caught fire, with no call to police on the night, raises questions about supervision at off-campus gatherings just beyond the university's direct control. Other universities will watch the case: suspensions like this tend to prompt reviews of Greek-life rules and hazing prevention.

Related coverage: the University of Michigan recently faced its own campus incident, when an activist was shoved to the ground during a free-speech event, and in North Carolina a shooting at Winston-Salem State homecoming left one dead and three injured.

What Happens Next

Columbus police, Ohio State police and the fire department's arson unit will continue their joint investigation. They will establish how the fire started, who was involved and whether any crime was committed. If the evidence points to hazing or another offence, charges could follow, and the university's own disciplinary process will run alongside any criminal case.

Ohio State will decide the chapter's longer-term fate once the investigation is complete. An interim suspension can be lifted, extended or replaced with a full suspension or a permanent ban. The national fraternity will also conduct its own review, and further details, including the condition of the two people who were burned and whether they were students, are expected as police release more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Sigma Alpha Epsilon suspended at Ohio State?
Ohio State placed the chapter on interim suspension on Sunday, November 8, 2026, after a video circulated showing two people on fire at an off-campus party near the university's Greek-life houses.

Where and when did the incident happen?
Columbus police said it appears to have happened on Saturday, November 7, in the 1900 block of Indianola Avenue, about six minutes from the SAE house. Police received no calls that day and were alerted on Sunday as the video spread.

Has anyone been charged?
Not so far. Police have not said whether charges have been filed, and it is not yet clear whether the incident involved hazing. Columbus police, Ohio State and the fire department's arson unit are investigating whether any criminal acts occurred.

What has the national fraternity said?
Sigma Alpha Epsilon chief executive Steve Mitchell said on Monday, November 9, that the organisation is aware of the video, takes it seriously and will hold those responsible accountable.