An Ohio State fraternity has been temporarily suspended after a widely circulated video captured two people whose clothes were on fire, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers in university jerseys in an incident that police believe happened over the weekend.

The school’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter is suspended while authorities investigate the “extremely concerning” incident, the university said Monday. The university says it alerted the incident to Columbus police, which says it appears to have taken place Saturday in a neighborhood dotted with Greek life houses, including the large, four-story brick home of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

The video begins with a person in gray sweatpants kicking on the ground while their legs are engulfed in flames. A bystander appears to try to put out the fire with an extinguisher but struggles to deploy the fire retardant. The person on fire gets up and runs across the dry, leaf-strewn grass and collides with another person whose pants also appear to be on fire.

A large circle of onlookers in Ohio State jerseys and colors watches as the chaos unfolds, then several people step in to try to extinguish the flames by stomping and pulling the clothes off their bodies.

Both people are “receiving needed medical care,” the university said. The men in the video were rushed to a hospital in a private vehicle with burn injuries and were in stable condition, a Columbus fire spokesperson told CNN affiliate WSYX in a story published Monday.

Saturday was a day when Ohio State’s football team played Oregon at home, a game OSU lost 41-28. Though police said the incident happened in a neighborhood with Greek life houses, the exact location isn’t clear. Details about what led to the incident weren’t immediately available.

The university’s action comes amid intensified scrutiny of fraternity conduct – and college administrations’ handling of it – in the fallout from allegations of gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity in New York. A lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student in September returned a spotlight to long-standing concerns about alleged misconduct in Greek life and how schools, investigators and prosecutors respond.

“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,” Ohio State said Monday.

Police did not receive any calls about the incident on Saturday, but they were alerted on Sunday as the video began proliferating online, Columbus police Sgt. Joe Albert said Monday.

“We will be working with the Ohio State University, as well as the Columbus Division of Fire’s Arson Unit, to determine if any criminal acts occurred,” Albert said.

The national Sigma Alpha Epsilon organization takes “this matter seriously and are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident while working closely with university officials and local law enforcement,” Steve Mitchell, the fraternity’s national CEO, said in a release.

Ohio State’s chapter represents a national fraternity with a mission of “advancing the highest standards of friendship, scholarship, leadership, and service.”

“Sigma Alpha Epsilon holds its collegiate members to high standards of conduct and accountability,” Mitchell said. “Behavior that violates these standards has no place in our organization. We are committed to holding those responsible accountable and will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation.”

The Ohio State Interfraternity Council, a student-led governing body for participating fraternities at the university, said it will revisit its risk management practices and safety education requirements following the incident.

The council encouraged anyone who witnessed or experienced concerning behavior to report it to the university, including through a channel for anonymously reporting suspected hazing.

“We have a responsibility to look out for one another and create an environment where everyone feels safe and respected,” the council said, urging students not to be afraid to speak up or seek help. It also pointed students affected by the incident toward university counseling services and other mental health resources.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.