4 Texas State Frat Pledges Charged in Hazing Incident

Police in Central Texas say a hazing "tradition" has landed four college students in hot water. San Marcos police received 911 calls on Tuesday night reporting multiple men forcing another man into a blue pickup as he yelled to be released, per KVUE. Officers later tracked the truck to an apartment complex and determined the incident involved Phi Delta Theta at Texas State University. The four in the truck—identified as pledges Wyatt Carr, Tyler Fogg, Noah Lara, and William Oldner, all between the ages of 18 and 20, per KSAT—were arrested on hazing charges.

The man pushed into the vehicle was an 18-year-old active fraternity member who wasn't injured, authorities say. The students reportedly described the episode as a customary initiation rite, per an affidavit. The university, citing privacy rules, declined to address any discipline meted out in the case, but it said it doesn't tolerate hazing, which violates both state law and campus policy, per KVUE. Chron.com notes that a conviction could bring up to 180 days in county jail, plus a $2,000 fine.