Texas Hazing Lawyer: A Comprehensive Guide for Alabama Parents, Including Sumter County Families

When your child leaves for college from Sumter County, Alabama, you imagine their success at schools like the University of Alabama, Auburn University, or perhaps a school further afield like Texas A&M or the University of Texas. You don’t imagine a phone call in the middle of the night. You don’t picture your child in a hospital bed, suffering from kidney failure caused by a fraternity’s forced “workout.” You don’t contemplate navigating a legal battle against a powerful national fraternity and a university that seems more interested in its reputation than your child’s wellbeing.

Yet this is the reality we face right now for one Texas family—and it’s a reality that can touch any family, anywhere, including those in Livingston, York, and across Sumter County. At this very moment, our firm, Attorney911, is fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country on behalf of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who nearly died after brutal hazing by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. His story, unfolding in Texas courtrooms and national news, is not an isolated incident. It is proof of a dangerous, entrenched pattern that exists within Greek life and campus organizations nationwide.

This guide is for you—the parents and families in Sumter County, Alabama, and throughout the United States who need to understand the real dangers of modern hazing, the legal landscape that governs it, and what you can do if your child becomes a victim. Whether your student is at a local Alabama campus, a flagship SEC school, or a university across state lines, the dynamics of power, coercion, and institutional protection are tragically similar.

Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for medical emergencies.
• Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We provide immediate help—that’s why we’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

In the first 48 hours:

• Get medical attention immediately, even if the student insists they are “fine.”
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Screenshot group chats, texts, and DMs immediately.
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles.
  • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects used in hazing).
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
  • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
  • Post details on public social media.
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. Universities move quickly to control the narrative. We can help preserve evidence and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like

For parents in Sumter County, the term “hazing” might conjure images of outdated, slapstick pranks. The reality in 2025 is far more sinister, systematic, and dangerous. Hazing is any action tied to joining or maintaining membership in a group that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of a student. Crucially, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense under most state laws, including Alabama’s, because the power imbalance and coercion inherent in these situations negate true voluntary agreement.

Modern hazing falls into clear, escalating categories:

1. Subtle Hazing: Behaviors that emphasize power imbalance and set the stage for worse abuse. This includes forced servitude (acting as a 24/7 designated driver, cleaning members’ rooms), social isolation, being assigned derogatory nicknames, and mandatory events that interfere with sleep or academics. Digitally, this now includes constant GroupMe monitoring, required location-sharing via apps like Snapchat Maps, and social media policing.

2. Harassment Hazing: Actions that cause emotional or physical distress. This encompasses sleep deprivation through late-night “meetings,” verbal abuse and degradation, forced consumption of unpalatable foods or substances (from hot sauce to excessive amounts of milk), and physical “smokings” or extreme calisthenics framed as “conditioning.”

3. Violent Hazing: Activities with a high potential for catastrophic injury or death. This is the realm of forced alcohol consumption games like “Big/Little” nights or “Bible study,” physical beatings and paddling, dangerous physical tests (blindfolded tackles, “glass ceiling” rituals), sexualized hazing including forced nudity or simulated acts, and kidnapping or restraint. Today, this often moves to off-campus Airbnbs or rural properties to avoid university detection.

The flagship case we are litigating—Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi—illustrates this horrifying progression. According to the lawsuit and major news reports from Click2Houston and ABC13, Bermudez was subjected to degrading “pledge fanny pack” rules, forced labor, and then extreme physical hazing. This culminated in a November 3rd “workout” where he was forced to do over 100 push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion. He developed rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) and acute kidney failure, passing brown urine and requiring a four-day hospitalization. This wasn’t a party gone wrong; it was a systematic campaign of abuse.

Law & Liability Framework: Alabama, Texas, and Federal Law

Hazing laws vary by state, but the legal consequences can be severe both criminally and civilly. For Alabama families, understanding your state’s framework is the first step.

Alabama Hazing Law: Alabama Code § 16-1-23 makes hazing a crime. The law defines hazing broadly as any intentional, reckless, or negligent act directed at a student as a condition of affiliation that endangers physical health or mental health, or involves brutality, forced consumption, or excessive physical activity. It is a Class C misdemeanor but can be enhanced to a Class A misdemeanor if serious physical injury occurs. Importantly, Alabama law also states that consent is not a defense, and it requires educational institutions to adopt a policy against hazing.

Texas Hazing Law (For Comparison & National Cases): In the Bermudez case, Texas law under Education Code Chapter 37 applies. Like Alabama, it defines hazing broadly, criminalizes it, and states consent is no defense. It can be a state jail felony if serious bodily injury or death occurs. We reference Texas law frequently because our active litigation and deep data operate within this framework, and because these statutes often inform legal strategies in other states.

Federal Overlay: Several federal laws create additional liability and reporting requirements:

• The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges receiving federal aid to report hazing incidents more transparently and maintain public hazing data.
• Title IX: When hazing involves sexual harassment, sexual assault, or gender-based hostility, a university’s Title IX obligations are triggered.
• The Clery Act: Requires reporting of certain crimes on campus; hazing incidents that involve assault, alcohol, or drug crimes often fall under Clery reporting mandates.

Civil Liability: Who Can Be Sued?
A civil lawsuit for damages is separate from any criminal case. Potentially liable parties in a hazing case include:

• The individual students who planned, carried out, or covered up the hazing.
• The local chapter as an entity, and its officers.
• The national fraternity or sorority headquarters that sets policies, collects dues, and supervises chapters. Their knowledge of prior incidents is crucial.
• The university or college, based on theories of negligent supervision, deliberate indifference, or premises liability.
• Third parties like landlords of off-campus houses, bars that overserved alcohol, or security companies.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Scripts That Keep Repeating

The Bermudez case is not an anomaly. It follows a decades-long pattern of preventable tragedies. National cases create legal precedents and reveal the “scripts” that dangerous chapters follow.

The Alcohol Poisoning Script: This is the most common fatal pattern.

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a bid-acceptance night of forced drinking. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. The case led to Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died from alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game. Louisiana passed the Max Gruver Act, a felony hazing statute.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of alcohol; died. His family secured a $10 million settlement ($7M from the national fraternity, ~$3M from the university).

The Physical Ritual Script: Brutality disguised as tradition.

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from a traumatic brain injury after a blindfolded “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. The national fraternity was criminally convicted and banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.

The Athletic & Organizational Hazing Script: It’s not just Greek life.

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Widespread allegations of sexualized and racist hazing led to multiple lawsuits, the firing of the head coach, and confidential settlements.

These national stories matter to an Alabama family because they show foreseeability. When a chapter at the University of Alabama or Auburn repeats the same forced drinking game that killed a student at LSU, it demonstrates that the national organization and the university knew or should have known the extreme risks.

Fraternities & Sororities: National Histories and Local Chapters

The organizations on your child’s campus are almost always chapters of national entities. These nationals have extensive—and often troubling—histories that directly impact local chapter culture and liability.

We maintain a Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, tracking over 1,400 Greek organizations across Texas metros. This investigative depth allows us to trace patterns, insurance structures, and prior incidents. The same national organizations involved in high-profile cases operate at campuses across Alabama and the SEC. For example:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): National pattern includes the Stone Foltz death. Chapters have been disciplined for hazing at schools nationwide.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): Has faced numerous hazing-related deaths and lawsuits, including a traumatic brain injury case at the University of Alabama and a chemical burns case at Texas A&M.
• Phi Delta Theta: The Max Gruver death at LSU is a defining case in their history.
• Pi Kappa Phi: The Andrew Coffey death at Florida State and our active Bermudez case at UH are part of their national pattern.

When a chapter at the University of Alabama, Auburn University, or the University of South Alabama engages in hazing, the national headquarters cannot credibly claim ignorance. Their own records are filled with prior warnings, suspended chapters, and risk management memos. This pattern evidence is powerful in court, proving the national organization failed to take adequate steps to prevent a foreseeable harm.

Where Alabama Families Send Their Kids: Campus-Specific Realities

Parents in Sumter County may have students at a range of institutions, from local Alabama campuses to major out-of-state universities with robust Greek life. Understanding the landscape of these schools is critical.

For Students at Alabama Campuses (University of Alabama, Auburn University, University of South Alabama, etc.):
Greek life is a significant part of campus culture at many Alabama institutions. These schools have their own conduct policies and reporting mechanisms. However, internal university processes are often designed to manage institutional risk, not to deliver full justice or compensation to victims. They may result in chapter probation or suspension, but they do not provide for damages for medical bills, ongoing therapy, or pain and suffering. A parallel civil action is often necessary to achieve true accountability and recovery.

For Students at Out-of-State Schools (Including Texas, SEC, Big Ten, etc.):
If your child is hazed at a university in another state, you are not without legal options. Attorney911 is a Texas-based firm with national reach. We handle hazing cases through several models:

1. Direct Representation: For cases with a strong Texas connection (e.g., the national fraternity’s insurance is based in Texas, the victim is from Texas, or the incident occurred in Texas).
2. Co-Counsel Arrangements: We partner with skilled local attorneys in other states, such as Alabama, Georgia, or Ohio. We bring our specialized hazing and institutional litigation experience; they bring their local court and procedural knowledge. This creates a powerful, multi-state legal team.
3. Consultation & Case Strategy: We provide remote consultations to evaluate cases, advise on evidence preservation, and help families understand their options before they hire local counsel.

The legal principles of negligence, bystander duty, and institutional liability are similar across states. The same national fraternities, the same insurance companies, and the same cover-up tactics are at play everywhere.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Damages, and Strategy

If you pursue a civil case, building a powerful claim requires immediate and strategic action. The evidence in hazing cases is often digital and ephemeral.

Critical Evidence to Preserve:

• Digital Communications: Screenshot ALL group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord) immediately. Capture timestamps and sender names. Assume messages will be deleted.
• Social Media: Preserve Instagram stories, Snapchat snaps (screenshot immediately), TikTok videos, and Facebook posts that reference events, injuries, or planning.
• Photos/Videos: Document injuries from multiple angles over several days. Photograph locations and any objects used (paddles, alcohol bottles).
• Medical Records: Seek medical care and tell the provider you were hazed. Obtain all ER reports, lab results (key for alcohol poisoning or rhabdomyolysis), and discharge paperwork.
• Witness Information: Document the names and contact information of other pledges, members, or roommates who witnessed events.

Types of Damages in a Civil Case:
A lawsuit seeks to make the victim and their family whole, and to hold defendants accountable. Recoverable damages can include:

• Economic Damages: All past and future medical expenses, lost wages, costs of psychological care, and diminished future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, trauma, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the family’s grief and loss of companionship.

Overcoming Institutional Defenses: Universities and national fraternities have sophisticated defense playbooks. They will argue the victim “consented,” that it was a “rogue chapter,” or that their anti-hazing policies absolve them of liability. Our experience, including Mr. Lupe Peña’s background as a former insurance defense attorney, equips us to dismantle these arguments. We know how to subpoena national records showing prior incidents, proving foreseeability. We know how to fight insurance companies that try to deny coverage.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Sumter County Parents and Students

For Parents – Warning Signs & First Steps:

• Behavioral Red Flags: Your child becomes secretive, withdraws from family and old friends, exhibits extreme fatigue or personality changes (anxiety, depression), and is constantly monitoring their phone for group messages.
• Physical Red Flags: Unexplained bruises, burns, or injuries; signs of extreme exhaustion; weight changes; smelling of alcohol when they normally don’t drink.
• What to Do: Talk openly and without judgment. Prioritize safety over “not making waves.” If injured, get medical help first. Then, help them preserve evidence before contacting a lawyer.

For Students – Is This Hazing?
If you feel coerced, unsafe, humiliated, or endangered to join or stay in a group, it is hazing. “Tradition” is not an excuse. You have the right to leave and to report. Alabama law and most university policies offer protections for those who report in good faith or call for medical help.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• “Can we sue if the hazing happened off-campus?” Yes. Location does not eliminate liability if the organization sponsored or knew about the event.
• “My child ‘agreed’ to it. Do we have a case?” Yes. Alabama law (§ 16-1-23(d)) specifically states that consent is not a defense to hazing.
• “How long do we have to file a lawsuit?” This is governed by the statute of limitations, which varies by state and claim type. In Alabama, the timeframe for personal injury is typically two years, but specific circumstances can affect this. Do not wait. Evidence disappears and memories fade.
• “Will this be public? I don’t want my child’s name in the news.” Most civil hazing cases settle confidentially before trial. We prioritize your family’s privacy while aggressively pursuing accountability.

Why Attorney911 for Your Hazing Case

When your family faces the trauma of hazing, you need more than a general personal injury attorney. You need a firm with specific expertise in fighting powerful institutions and a deep understanding of the unique dynamics of campus abuse.

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, operating as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. While our offices are in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, Texas, we serve hazing victims and their families nationwide. Here is what we bring to your case:

1. Active, High-Stakes Hazing Litigation Experience: Right now, we are lead counsel in the $10 million lawsuit for Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi. We are in the trenches, currently taking depositions, fighting discovery battles, and preparing for trial. This isn’t historical experience; it’s what we do every day.

2. Insider Insurance Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as an insurance defense attorney for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies value claims, deploy delay tactics, and argue for coverage exclusions. We know their playbook because we used to run it.

3. Complex Institutional Litigation Credentials: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation, facing down billion-dollar defendants. We are not intimidated by national fraternities or university legal teams. We have federal court experience and a network of experts—from medical specialists to digital forensics analysts—to build an unbeatable case.

4. A Data-Driven Investigative Edge: Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public records and proprietary investigation, tracks the networks of liability behind Greek organizations. This means we don’t start from zero; we know how to find the housing corporations, alumni associations, and insurance policies that others miss.

5. Nationwide Service Model: For Alabama families and those in other states, we operate through co-counsel relationships with respected local attorneys. We provide the hazing and complex litigation expertise; your local counsel ensures seamless navigation of Alabama courts and procedures. You get a powerhouse team with no geographic limitation.

Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation

If hazing has hurt your child, you are not alone. The path forward may seem daunting, but you do not have to walk it without experienced guides.

We invite you to contact Attorney911 for a free, completely confidential, no-obligation consultation. During this conversation, we will:

• Listen compassionately to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain the legal options available to your family.
• Discuss how our national experience can work for you, whether through co-counsel in Alabama or direct representation.
• Answer your questions about the process, timelines, and our contingency fee structure (you pay nothing unless we win your case).

Call us today at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also reach us directly at (713) 528-9070, or email Ralph Manginello at ralph@atty911.com or Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com.

Se habla Español. Mr. Peña is fluent in Spanish and can provide consultations in Spanish for Hispanic families.

Whether you’re in Livingston, York, Gainestown, or anywhere in Sumter County, Alabama, your family deserves justice, answers, and the resources to heal. Let us help you fight for it.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the Leonel Bermudez / UH Pi Kappa Phi Hazing Lawsuit:

• Click2Houston (KPRC 2) Report: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/11/21/only-on-2-lawsuit-alleges-severe-hazing-at-university-of-houstons-pi-kappa-phi-chapter-fraternity/
• ABC13 Eyewitness News (KTRK) Coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/

Attorney911 Educational YouTube Videos:

• Using Your Cellphone to Document Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Understanding Statutes of Limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Attorney911 Main Website & Contact:

• Firm Homepage for Free Consultation: https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. Hazing laws vary by state. Every case is fact-specific. If you believe you or your child is a victim of hazing, please contact Attorney911 or another qualified attorney for a consultation on your specific situation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.