Seven Indiana University fraternity members now face criminal charges after an alleged hazing event left two pledges hospitalized for multiple days with rhabdomyolysis. The reported ordeal involved prolonged exercises, ice water and a fraternity-room ritual that prosecutors say crossed well past the line between initiation and injury.
The students charged are Casey Clarke, Logan Conforti, Ryan Donohue, Noah Kucera, Joseph Moon, Kaptur Nowaczyk and Arjunkumar Patel, according to WIBC 93.1 FM. Each faces two counts of hazing, a Level 6 felony, while Patel also faces one count of obstruction of justice, also a Level 6 felony.
The investigation began in October 2025 during IU's homecoming weekend, after police received reports of hazing inside the Phi Kappa Psi chapter room. Court documents described pledges being lined up near a metal trough containing ice water and required to perform exercises for roughly three hours, including “brother squats,” in which they locked arms and squatted until exhausted.
Patel allegedly supervised the new-member event, according to police interviews summarized by WIBC 93.1 FM. One hospitalized pledge told investigators that Patel messaged him urging him to lie about how he was injured and delete their messages, which led to the separate obstruction charge.
Indiana University’s Office of Student Life lists Phi Kappa Psi as suspended from all organization activities effective October 21, 2025, until further notice. Vice Chancellor for Student Life Lamar Hylton said the allegations are inconsistent with IU’s values and student-conduct expectations, adding that fraternities and sororities are expected to maintain high standards for safety, accountability and respectful member experiences.
The criminal case follows broader pressure on IU’s Greek system after the university temporarily restricted fraternity activities amid a series of health and safety concerns in late 2025. Hoodline previously reported that the restrictions affected social events, alcohol-related activities and new-member programming across Bloomington’s fraternity community.
What The Charges Mean
The filings are accusations, not convictions, and the defendants remain entitled to the presumption of innocence as the cases move through Monroe County courts. The allegations nonetheless show why hazing investigations can produce consequences beyond university discipline when forced activities result in serious medical injuries or alleged efforts to conceal what happened.
