Mad Men actor, Jon Hamm, has been charged with participating in a violent hazing incident that took place in 1990 at the University of Texas.
Court and school records reveal that Hamm was involved in a lawsuit filed by a member of a fraternal social organization who claimed to have been severely beaten, dragged with a hammer, and had his pants set on fire.
The lawsuit stated that Hamm participated in the hazing “till the very end”.
Hamm, now 44 years old, was charged with hazing and received probation, while a separate charge of assault was dismissed.
The Sigma Nu fraternity, the male group of students involved in the incident, was permanently disbanded.
Neither Hamm nor Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner have responded to requests for comment regarding the charges.
The incident had not been publicly known until this week when Star magazine reported on it.
At the time of the incident, Hamm was not famous and therefore his connection to the case remained unknown.
This news comes as Mad Men, which has received critical acclaim, begins airing its final season.
According to the lawsuit, Hamm became enraged when a 20-year-old student joining the fraternity failed to recite information about Hamm and other fraternity members.
Hamm’s list of items to memorize included “Young Bobby”, “MC Hammer”, and “UT Football Punching Bag”.
In response, Hamm set the student’s jeans on fire, shoved his face in dirt, and struck him with a paddle.
The student, Mark Allen Sanders, required medical attention and withdrew from the university.
The lawsuit was dismissed in 1993, and attempts to reach Sanders were unsuccessful.
Four other fraternity members were also charged with misdemeanor hazing charges and pleaded no contest.
The Sigma Nu chapter was shut down and never reopened on campus.
University records show that Hamm arrived at the University of Texas in the fall of 1989 and left after the same semester in which the hazing incident occurred.
In a 2008 interview with W Magazine, Hamm mentioned that he left school during his second year after his father’s death, returning to his home state of Missouri.
In March, Hamm completed a stint in rehab for alcohol addiction.
His representatives confirmed that he sought treatment for this issue.
