Hazing bodycam shows 56 blindfolded pledges at Iowa fraternity
Hazing appeared on full display in newly released police body camera footage that captured dozens of blindfolded, shirtless pledges covered in food and alcohol at the University of Iowa’s Alpha Delta Phi house during a Nov. 15, 2024 response.
Hazing caught on police bodycam
The footage shows Iowa City police, University of Iowa police and firefighters entering a dark basement and finding 56 pledges, many blindfolded and some coated in red, brown and white substances and alcohol, as crews responded to a fire alarm on Nov. 15, 2024. An officer is heard reacting in the recording, saying, "You gotta see it from my perspective, what the f--- did I just walk into?"
Officers enter basement and question pledges
In the video, officers shined flashlights into two dark rooms and asked whether anyone needed medical attention or was there against their will; the pledges responded in unison that no one was being held against their will. An officer is heard telling the group, "This stops here, guys, " while officers searched the house looking for someone in charge and repeatedly urged two men to contact the house dad or the person overseeing the event.
Confrontation, arrest and later disposition
The bodycam captures a man who shouted slurs at officers and interrupted conversations; officers arrested that individual and prosecutors later charged him with interference with official acts. The charges against him were later dropped, and footage shows another man in a white hoodie standing in a doorway holding a beer and handing an ID to officers while saying, "I think it's fake. "
University action and public reaction
Following the incident, the University of Iowa suspended Alpha Delta Phi until summer 2029. Edited and unedited clips of the body camera footage have circulated online, including an edited upload to YouTube that drew hundreds of thousands of views and short-form posts that generated millions of interactions on social platforms.
The video records officers trying to determine the nature of the gathering and one commenting, "Looks like we have quite a bit of hazing, " while they ordered some shirtless men out of the room for questioning and pressed for someone responsible to step forward.
The university suspension stands as the next confirmed milestone: Alpha Delta Phi remains suspended until summer 2029 while the aftermath of the Nov. 15, 2024 incident continues to draw public attention.
