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Shocking footage captured the moment police discovered 56 shirtless fraternity pledges smothered with slop in a dark University of Iowa frat house basement.
The students were found by police and firefighters responding to a fire alarm at the Alpha Delta Phi frat house, the newly released police video showed.
Bodycam footage showed the moment the authorities burst into the room and found what appeared to be an illegal hazing ritual.
Many of the young men were blindfolded and lined up along the wall in silence when the police arrived on November 15, 2024.
‘This is the police department, this stops here,’ the cop yelled to no response. ‘Who is in charge?’
But the boys remained immobile and silent with their eyes shifting from one another.
‘I’ve already given multiple commands to clear the room and get out of here, but no one’s moving,’ the officer added.
Another cop remarked on the disgusting smell coming from the basement as he walked down the steps while they tried to find who was responsible for the home.
Police allegedly discovered hazing occurring at the Alpha Delta Phi frat house at the University of Iowa on November 15, 2024
A total of 56 pledges were covered with food while many were blindfolded or barefoot. When officers asked the young men what was going on they remained silent and hardly moved
When an officer asked Gaya why the young men were all at the house, he said it was for a celebration
The young men finally revealed that their ‘house dad’ was in charge, but claimed he was away working and that they had no way of reaching him.
The pledges were drenched in what appeared to be food and liquids and many were barefoot.
At one point a young man in the house initially appeared to subtly try to block an officer from entering, which the officer later noted.
Police stated that the scene appeared to be an instance of hazing.
Hazing is a criminal misdemeanor strictly prohibited at the University of Iowa. Alpha Delta Phi was suspended for four years, until it can be reinstated on July 1, 2029, according to KCRG 9.
The footage shows how the raid was surveyed by Joseph Gaya, 22, who was later charged in connection with the incident.
He sipped a drink and puffed on his vape while the officers were conducting the investigation and asked a cop if he wanted to ‘taste’ a red substance on a pledge’s neck while an officer was checking if anyone was injured.
Gaya was then seen going on an explosive rant against the police while they checked IDs.
Police were horrified by what they discovered and suggested it was an incident of illegal hazing
Alpha Delta Phi was suspended for four years, until it can be reinstated on July 1, 2029. Hazing is a criminal misdemeanor
Gaya could be heard telling him to go check them somewhere else and said how his record was clean before calling the cop a ‘f***ing f****t’.
‘You got nothing, you got nothing, you got f***ing nothing. There’s no fire here, there’s no nothing,’ he said.
When the officer asked him why the young men were all at the house, Gaya said it was for a celebration.
Gaya was arrested and charged with interference with official acts the day after the incident however, according to KCRG 9, those charges were dismissed about a year later.
Gaya was not a University of Iowa student and did not live at the house.
‘This past year has been challenging, but I’m thankful the case was dismissed, and the truth was recognized,’ Gaya told KCRG 9 after he was cleared.
‘I deeply appreciate the time, effort, and dedication my attorneys, Dan Vondra and Brianna Potts, put into resolving this case.
‘I’m looking forward to putting this behind me and focusing on the future.’
However as the bodycam footage emerged, Gaya took to Instagram to reference the incident.
He shared a clip of a popular podcaster known as Barstool Big Kat speaking positively about Gaya’s behavior during the raid.
Officers were trying to find out who was responsible for the home and it was finally revealed it was their house dad, who was working at the time of the discovery. He finally arrived on the scene and worked with the officers
The University of Iowa released a statement shortly after the incident which said: ‘The university took immediate action after UI Police, Iowa City Police, and Iowa City Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the fraternity house early Friday morning and found several dozen pledges blindfolded in the basement. One person has been arrested and charged with interference with official acts.’
‘The university is committed to protecting the health and safety of its students and will address any behavior that puts student safety at risk,’ the statement added.
‘OSA will follow the Student Organization Discipline Procedure, which includes sanctions for prohibited behaviors including hazing, misconduct, and alcohol and illegal drugs. As registered student organizations, fraternities are expected to uphold the values of the university, and their members are expected to comply with the Code of Student Life.’
Fraternities are required by the university to undergo training on alcohol use, violence prevention, and leadership development, according to the press release.
Additionally, the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity said in a statement to the Daily Mail that they are ‘aware of the footage from a 2024 incident at the University of Iowa and remains steadfast in its zero-tolerance hazing policy.’
‘Immediately following the incident, an independent, third-party investigation was conducted, and the individuals responsible were removed from membership,’ the statement continued.
The fraternity noted that the Iowa chapter received thorough anti-hazing education and participates in hazing prevention programming.
The Daily Mail reached out to Gaya’s attorney.
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