Ohio State SAE suspended: the university placed its Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter on interim suspension after a video recorded near campus showed two men with their clothing on fire. The video was recorded on Saturday November 7, 2026 in the 1900 block of Indianola Avenue in Columbus, in a neighbourhood with many Greek life houses. It shows one man sitting on the ground with his sweatpants on fire. He then lunges at a second man, and the second man’s clothing also catches fire. A large crowd is seen nearby, laughing and shouting. Other people later smother the flames and use a fire extinguisher. Both men suffered burn injuries and were taken to a hospital in a private vehicle. Their injuries were listed as moderate and they were treated. Ohio State announced the interim suspension on Sunday November 9. Columbus police and the Columbus Division of Fire Arson Unit are investigating, and a police report filed November 9 lists hazing as the charge under investigation. No arrests or charges had been announced as of Monday November 9. It remains unclear how the clothing caught fire.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Date of video | Saturday November 7, 2026 |
| Location | 1900 block of Indianola Avenue, Columbus, near Ohio State |
| What the video shows | Two men with clothing on fire, a large crowd, flames smothered, extinguisher used |
| Injuries | Both men burned, listed as moderate, treated at a hospital |
| Transport to hospital | Private vehicle |
| University action | SAE chapter on interim suspension from Sunday November 9 |
| Investigation | Columbus police and Fire Arson Unit |
| Police report | Hazing listed as charge under investigation, filed November 9 |
| Arrests or charges | None announced as of Monday November 9 |
| Identities | Names and conditions not released |
| Cause of fire | Not yet known |
What the Video Shows
The video is short and hard to watch, and it is the reason this story moved so fast from a street in Columbus to a national news item. It was recorded on Saturday November 7, 2026 in the 1900 block of Indianola Avenue, close to the Ohio State University campus in an area where many Greek life houses stand. In the video, one man is seen sitting on the ground with his sweatpants on fire. He then lunges at a second man standing close by, and the second man’s clothing also catches fire.
A large crowd is gathered around them. Many people in the crowd are wearing Ohio State red and white colours, and they can be heard laughing and shouting as the scene unfolds. The video does not show how the fire started, and no moment in the footage explains what set the clothing alight. After the worst of the moment passes, other people step in. The flames are smothered, and a fire extinguisher is used to put them out.
How the Two Men Were Hurt and Treated
Both men in the video suffered burn injuries. Their injuries were listed as moderate, and they were treated after being taken to a hospital. They were taken to the hospital in a private vehicle rather than in an ambulance, according to the information released so far. No official statement has explained why a private vehicle was used or who made that choice at the scene.
Their names have not been released, and their conditions have not been released either. It is not clear whether they are Ohio State students, and it is not clear whether they are members of the fraternity. Neither the university nor police have confirmed either point, and no report should treat either claim as fact until an official source says so.
Why Ohio State SAE Suspended Its Chapter So Quickly
Ohio State University placed its Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter on interim suspension on Sunday November 9, about two days after the video was recorded. University spokesperson Benjamin Johnson called it an extremely concerning incident and said the individuals in question were receiving medical care. The university referred the matter to university police and the Columbus Division of Police.
An interim suspension is a temporary measure. It is not a final finding of wrongdoing, and it does not mean the university has decided what happened or who was responsible. It is a pause. While the suspension is in place, the chapter’s normal activities are stopped while the investigation goes on. Universities use this step when an incident is serious enough that they do not want the group to keep operating as normal while facts are still being gathered. A quick interim step shows the university is taking the matter seriously, while leaving the final decision for later.
What Police and Fire Investigators Are Doing Now
Columbus police and the Columbus Division of Fire Arson Unit are investigating the incident. That joint work matters, because the case involves both a possible crime and a fire whose cause is not yet known. Police will look at who was present, what happened before the video started, and what witnesses saw and heard. Fire investigators will look at how the clothing caught fire.
A police report filed November 9 lists hazing as the charge under investigation, according to records obtained by The Dispatch and reported by USA Today on November 10. That wording needs to be read with care. A charge listed as under investigation is not the same as a charge filed against a person. It means police are looking into whether hazing may have been involved. It does not mean hazing happened, and it does not mean any person has been accused in court.
No arrests or charges had been announced as of Monday November 9. Investigators often need time to identify people in a video, track down witnesses, collect statements and check records before they can say whether a crime took place. A large crowd was present, which means there may be many witnesses, but accounts may differ. Police said they received no service calls during the incident. They did respond to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house on Indianola Avenue on November 8 around 9:30 p.m. Police reports often shape how the public understands a fast moving story, as in the new police reports in the Russell Brand case.
What the Fraternity and Campus Groups Have Said
Sigma Alpha Epsilon national chief executive Steve Mitchell said conduct inconsistent with the fraternity’s standards would not be tolerated and the national organisation is investigating with authorities. That statement is short, but it carries two clear points. First, the national fraternity is not treating the incident as a small matter. Second, it is working with authorities rather than running a separate process on its own.
Ohio State’s Interfraternity Council also addressed the incident. The council represents fraternities on campus, and its voice matters because it speaks for the wider Greek life community rather than for one chapter alone. Statements from a university, a national fraternity and a campus council each play a different role. The university speaks as the institution responsible for student safety. The national fraternity speaks as the body that sets standards for its chapters. None of those statements can settle the facts of what happened on Indianola Avenue. Only the investigation can do that.
What Happens Next for the Chapter
The next steps depend on the investigation, and there is no fixed date by which answers must come. Police and fire investigators will keep gathering evidence, speaking to witnesses and reviewing the video and any other recordings from the night. The university will run its own process alongside the police work, and the national fraternity will continue its own review with authorities. Each of those processes moves at its own pace.
Several outcomes are possible, and it would be wrong to predict which one will happen. If investigators find that no crime took place and no university rules were broken, the chapter could return to normal activity, possibly with added conditions or education requirements. If they find that rules were broken or that a crime took place, the consequences could range from probation and new requirements to longer suspension or loss of recognition. The interim suspension stays in place until a decision is made, and the university has not said how long that will take. Readers have also been following the campus shooting in Winston-Salem and the Oviedo explosion that killed a police officer.
FAQs
Was anyone arrested?
No arrests or charges had been announced as of Monday November 9. Columbus police and the Columbus Division of Fire Arson Unit are investigating, and a police report filed November 9 lists hazing as the charge under investigation. It does not mean hazing happened, and it does not mean anyone has been charged.
Were the two men Ohio State students?
It is not clear whether the two men are Ohio State students or members of the fraternity. Their names and conditions have not been released, and neither the university nor police have confirmed that they are students or fraternity members.
Does the suspension mean the fraternity did something wrong?
No. The suspension is a temporary measure, not a final finding of wrongdoing. Ohio State placed the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter on interim suspension on Sunday November 9 while the investigation is ongoing. An interim suspension pauses the chapter’s normal activities so investigators can work.
How did the clothing catch fire?
It remains unclear how the men’s clothing caught fire. Neither the university nor police have said whether it was an intentional stunt, a hazing ritual or an accident. The video shows the fire already burning and does not show how it started. Until investigators report their findings, any claim about the cause is only a guess.
SOURCES
Final Thoughts
This is a story where the pictures are shocking and the facts are still incomplete, and that combination calls for care. Two men were burned and taken to hospital. A video of the incident spread fast. Ohio State SAE suspended its chapter on an interim basis. Police and fire investigators are looking into what happened, with hazing listed as the charge under investigation. No arrests or charges had been announced as of Monday November 9, and the cause of the fire is still not known. The right response for now is to follow the investigation, respect the privacy of the two injured men, and avoid treating guesses as facts.
