The Eyrie

SAN MARCOS, TX — Four Texas State University fraternity pledges were arrested on hazing charges after witnesses reported seeing several men force another man into a pickup truck while he shouted for them to let him go, San Marcos police said.

Police said they received multiple calls about the incident around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday. Officers later found the truck at an apartment complex and determined the people involved were connected to Phi Delta Theta.

According to police, the four men in the truck were pledges, while the man forced into the vehicle was an active fraternity member. The department said those involved told officers the confrontation was a tradition.

Police identify the four arrested students as fraternity pledges

San Marcos police identified the arrested students as Wyatt Carr, 18; Tyler Fogg, 18; Noah Lara, 20; and William Oldner, 19. All four were booked on hazing charges after the investigation tied the incident to the fraternity.

The police account says the sequence began with witnesses seeing a man being pushed or pulled into a pickup truck against his will. The man’s yelling drew attention and led to several emergency calls shortly before officers responded.

Police have not said whether any injuries were reported, but the description of events was serious enough to trigger a criminal hazing investigation. The case also put the university’s anti-hazing rules back in focus because the conduct allegedly involved students affiliated with a recognized campus organization.

Texas State says hazing is not a tradition and is banned by policy

Texas State sent a hazing memorandum to students, faculty and staff in August, warning that “it’s not a tradition – it’s hazing.” The university said it does not tolerate hazing by any group or individual affiliated with the school.

In a statement, Texas State said hazing violates both state law and university policy. The university also said federal privacy rules limit what it can disclose about student discipline matters.

Under university policy, students and organizations can face discipline for hazing even if criminal charges are not brought. Possible sanctions range from a warning to suspension or expulsion, giving the school authority separate from the police investigation.

University rules say consent does not excuse hazing

Texas State’s policy defines hazing as any intentional, knowing or reckless act that endangers a student’s mental or physical health or safety for the purpose of joining or staying in an organization.

The policy also states that a student’s agreement to take part is not a defense in either court or the university’s disciplinary process. That language is meant to prevent organizations from claiming a recruit volunteered for conduct that crosses the line into abuse.

The university said Texas has had an anti-hazing law since 1987. That law gives campus officials and law enforcement a framework for responding when student groups use intimidation, danger or humiliation as part of membership activities.

Federal law now requires colleges to report hazing incidents

Texas State said its rules are also shaped by the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act, signed into law Dec. 23, 2024. The law requires colleges to report hazing incidents and publish them in campus transparency reports.

That federal requirement is intended to make hazing more visible and harder to hide within fraternities, sororities and other student organizations. For universities, it adds another layer of responsibility on top of state law and internal disciplinary systems.

In practical terms, schools must track incidents more closely and make the information available in a public-facing format. Texas State’s response shows how one case can trigger both a police case and a separate university review under newer federal expectations.

What the arrest means for the fraternity and the campus response

The arrests place Phi Delta Theta under scrutiny at Texas State as investigators sort out what happened during the alleged incident. Police have not said whether additional arrests are possible or whether the fraternity itself faces separate action from the university.

For now, the case centers on the conduct police say occurred during a late-night encounter that ended with four pledges in custody. The university has made clear that hazing can lead to punishment whether or not a student is convicted.

Texas State’s public stance is straightforward: hazing is prohibited, consent is not a defense, and sanctions can be severe. The school’s warning, combined with the police arrests, signals that the case may have consequences beyond the criminal charges alone.