Alpha Delta: Dartmouth College's 'Animal House' fraternity faces suspension after student brands buttock and falls ill

Officials were alerted to the incident by doctors

The Alpha Delta fraternity inspired the Animal House movie (Rex)

Amid the recent furore over inappropriate behaviour by US college students, news has emerged from the original bad-boy fraternity of a prank that went painfully wrong.

Reports say that Dartmouth College’s Alpha Delta – the fraternity that inspired the cult movie Animal House – faces possible suspension after one of its members agreed to be branded on his buttocks.

The college authorities stepped in after the brand became infected and the student had to seek medical care. Medical personnel alerted the New Hampshire college which then looked into the matter, Gawker reported.

Dartmouth College was established in 1769 (Rex)

“Alpha Delta fraternity has been charged with violating Dartmouth’s standards of conduct in connection with the reported branding of some new members of the fraternity by other members in the fall of 2014,” spokesman Justin Anderson.

He said that the student was now facing disciplinary action that could range from “probation, suspension, or permanent revocation of recognition”.

Dartmouth College, a private institution established in 1769, is considered one of the leading universities in the country.

The current president Phil Hanlon, is a member of Alpha Delta fraternity, which has been present at the college since 1846. The fraternity's national office did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Reports said the student had agreed to the branding last year in order to avoid other fraternity rituals that involved heavy drinking.

The fraternity’s raucous reputation was celebrated in the 1978 film Animal House, starring the late John Belushi, and which was reportedly based n writer Chris Miller’s experiences in the fraternity at the college.