At Indiana University, a hazardous hazing incident orchestrated by seven fraternity members led to severe consequences, landing two students in the hospital with dire injuries. The brotherhood’s initiation rituals spiraled into hours of grueling physical exertion that bordered on the sadistic.
The troubling events unfolded in October 2025 within the confines of Phi Kappa Psi’s “chapter room,” as outlined in court filings accessed by CBS4. The charges suggest these fraternity brothers imposed rigorous hazing activities on more than two dozen pledges.
The aspiring members, confined to a barren room with only a metal trough filled with icy water, were subjected to relentless physical challenges. For nearly three hours, they endured countless energy-draining exercises, according to the court records.
One particularly grueling activity cited was the so-called “brother squats,” requiring the pledges to interlock arms and perform squats in unison to the point of complete fatigue, as detailed by media outlets.
The relentless ordeal didn’t end there. Allegations indicate that the pledges were also made to execute push-ups, planks, and leg lifts. Some were further compelled to take a plunge into the frigid water and then recite the fraternity’s creed, as reported by WTHR.
Two of the pledges were taken to the hospital after complaining of difficulty walking and thigh pain. One of them developed dark urine, court documents detailed.
Both pledges ended up hospitalized for multiple days with rhabdomyolysis, a condition where damaged muscle tissue breaks down and dangerously releases proteins and electrolytes into the bloodstream.
The condition can lead to kidney failure and is life-threatening if not treated quickly, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
One of the pledges also told investigators that Phi Kappa Psi President Arjunkumar Patel sent him messages instructing him to lie about his injuries and tell doctors his condition was from working out at the gym, court documents said.
The frat president then told the pledge to delete his messages, prosecutors alleged.
Patel has been hit with felony charges for hazing and obstruction of justice. Fraternity members Joseph Moon, Noah Kucera, Logan Conforti, Casey Clarke, Ryan Donohue and Kaptur Nowaczyk were all charged with two counts of felony hazing, authorities said.
The crew of pledges and fraternity members said Moon, of Elkhart, allegedly oversaw the hazing ritual and decided what grueling activities the pledges should partake in, according to court documents.
Nowacyk, Donahue, Clarke, Conforti and Kucera — known as Phi Kappa Psi’s “Member Education Committee” — were present for the degrading workout session.
Patel was at another event, supervising it from the “outside,” the outlet said.
Indiana University’s Phi Kappa Psi chapter was placed on a cease-and-desist in late October, suspending all organization activities.
“The Office of Student Life holds all fraternities and sororities to high standards of safety, accountability and respectful experiences for every member,” Lamar Hylton, vice chancellor for student life at Indiana University Bloomington, told the outlet.
“The allegations made in the charges announced by the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office are inconsistent with Indiana University’s values and expectations of student conduct.”
A level 6 felony, which all seven members are charged with, carries a maximum sentence of 2.5 years behind bars.
The seven fraternity brothers have been summoned to appear in court for an initial hearing on Sept. 1.