Chilling realities of hazing broken down by University of Iowa after disturbing student acts were caught on camera
Greg Harris
Featured Image Credit: Crimepiece
A statement from the University of Iowa outlines the full scope of hazing. It follows the emergence of disturbing student conduct captured on police body-camera footage that has drawn widespread attention.
Hazing remains a major issue within college fraternities, sororities, athletic teams, and some high school organizations in the US, with some incidents resulting in serious injury or death.
Newly-released footage of a hazing incident that happened at the University of Iowa in November 2024 provides a shocking and disturbing insight into hazing activities.
Bodycam footage was released by the University of Iowa Police Dept and published on 'The CrimePiece' YouTube channel, which captured the moment officers discovered 56 blindfolded people in the basement of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity house.
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It shows the blindfolded men standing in close proximity in a basement. They all appeared to be covered in various white, brown and yellow substances, all of which are unknown at this time.
In the video, one officer could be heard saying: "Does anyone want to be forthcoming about what’s going on? Anyone?
"Because you gotta see it from my perspective of, what the f**k did I just walk into?"
A lengthy exchange between police and those involved in the fraternity followed, as officials attempted to gather information on what had been happening.
Police later spoke to the individual responsible for the fraternity outside of the building.
"We responded to a fire alarm, we were trying to get people to evacuate because of the fire alarm, but from my understanding, you guys refused," an officer could be heard saying.
"Then, on top of that, we find this hazing event, we want to speak to somebody. Nobody knows anything, nobody knows anyone. Nobody knows what’s going on. This is going in a report. The University of Iowa is going to see this."
The University of Iowa has reiterated that hazing - which sees new members of a fraternity subjected to humiliating and sometimes dangerous ordeals - is strictly prohibited, while it's also prohibited under Iowa law.
In the statement, called the Hazing Policy, the university strictly states ‘hazing will not be tolerated at the University of Iowa’, emphasizing that hazing is ‘prohibited in any form both on campus and off campus’.
Hazing is a criminal misdemeanor under Iowa law, described as when a ‘person intentionally or recklessly engages in any acts involving forced activity which endanger the physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into, or affiliation with, any organization operating in connection with a university’.
Furthermore, the University of Iowa outlines several activities in its Hazing Policy that may constitute hazing, while acknowledging the list is not exhaustive and that other conduct may also fall under the policy.
This includes ‘whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on or in someone’s body, or similar activity’. The list also includes causing, coercing, or inducing sleep deprivation, extreme calisthenics, consumption of food, liquid, or other substances, and sexual acts.
The Alpha Delta Phi fraternity was suspended in May 2025, a ban which will be in place for the next four academic years.
The University of Iowa urges people to report any concerns regarding activities or conduct which might constitute hazing.