What is Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the college fraternity at the center of the viral Ohio State fire video?

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, one of the largest and oldest social fraternities in the United States, is currently under scrutiny following a viral video showing two men at Ohio State University engulfed in flames. The Ohio State University has temporarily suspended its Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter pending an investigation into the incident.

According to a student who reported the incident to the police, the two individuals in the video were pledges. The Ohio State chapter of the fraternity has 137 members as of the fall semester, and nationwide, the organization boasts 209 chapters and over 13,900 collegiate members. Sigma Alpha Epsilon, founded in 1856 at the University of Alabama, has a history dating back to the Antebellum South and is known for its commitment to service and philanthropy.

The fraternity has raised millions of dollars for various causes, including mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. However, the organization also has a history of disciplinary issues, including a permanent shutdown of a chapter at the University of Oklahoma in 2015 after a video surfaced showing members singing a racist chant.

In response to the Ohio State incident, the national fraternity's CEO, Steve Mitchell, stated that Sigma Alpha Epsilon's collegiate members are self-governing and that all members are expected to uphold the organization's standards of conduct and accountability.