Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Boston Police Seek Criminal Charges After Finding Frat Hazing Victims Bound In Basement


By

John Del Signore

Published Apr 11, 2012

Modified Apr 11, 2012


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

John Del Signore

Published Apr 11, 2012

Modified Apr 11, 2012


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Police were called to a frat house in Boston just after midnight on Monday to find five young men in the basement bound with duct tape wearing nothing but their underwear and coated with flour, coffee grinds, fish sauce, chili sauce, honey, hot sauce, mustard, and empty sardine cans. According to police, the young men were shivering and crying, some of them had parts of their heads shaved, and they all had red welts on their backs. Oh, just another Easter Sunday in Boston!

The fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, is near Boston University but is not sanctioned by the school. Nevertheless, Boston University says any students who are found to be responsible could face suspension or expulsion. None of the students found bound in the basement wanted medical attention, but a police source tells a local Fox affiliate, "All five were shivering and had horrified and fearful looks on their faces."

Local police are seeking criminal charges against 14 people, and the AP reports that police are "asking a district court to approve charges of hazing, failure to report hazing and assault and battery." The incident comes on the heels of a damning Rolling Stone article about the fraternity system at Dartmouth, written by a former fratboy who says his fraternity asked pledges to: "swim in a kiddie pool of vomit, urine, fecal matter, semen and rotten food products; eat omelets made of vomit; chug cups of vinegar, which in one case caused a pledge to vomit blood; drink beer poured down fellow pledges' ass cracks... among other abuses." What, no branding? Typical wimpy Dartmouth.

Tagged

boston

boston university

fraternities

hazing


John Del Signore

Twitter

Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say

Police are investigating a related incident in which a 62-year-old woman was found injured beneath the Van Wyck Expressway.

By

Charles Lane

Published Oct 14, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. ET


Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves

The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.

By

Arya Sundaram

and

Samantha Max

News

Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves

The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.

By

Arya Sundaram

and

Samantha Max


Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid

By

Carol Chen

National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter

By

Rosemary Misdary

Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law

By

Jon Campbell


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .