The Ultimate Guide to Hazing Lawsuits in Texas | Attorney911’s Willacy County Hazing Lawyer Resource

For Willacy County Families: When Your Child’s Dream of Brotherhood or Sisterhood Turns to Abuse

A freshman from Raymondville arrives at his first “bid acceptance” party at a South Texas fraternity house, his heart filled with the promise of friendship and tradition. Hours later, he’s vomiting in a dimly lit bathroom, his muscles screaming in agony from hundreds of forced squats, his phone buzzing with demands from senior members. He collapses, unable to stand, but terrified to call for help—what if he gets the chapter shut down? What if they kick him out? Meanwhile, in Willacy County, his parents’ phone rings with a hospital’s area code, their world about to shatter.

This is not a hypothetical. This is exactly what happened to Leonel Bermudez at the University of Houston’s Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter in Fall 2025—a case our firm, Attorney911, is actively litigating right now. Hazing is not a relic of the past; it is a present and violent reality on Texas campuses, and it reaches families in Willacy County, Lyford, Raymondville, and every community across our region.

If you are a parent, guardian, or student in Willacy County confronting the nightmare of hazing, this comprehensive guide is for you. We will explain what modern hazing truly looks like, break down your legal rights under Texas and federal law, examine the patterns at our state’s major universities, and show you how experienced legal counsel can fight for accountability and recovery. Your family does not have to face this alone.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for any medical emergency.
• Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We are Legal Emergency Lawyers™ for a reason.

In the first 48 hours, critical steps include:

• Get Medical Attention: Even if injuries seem minor, seek care. Conditions like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) may not show symptoms immediately.
• Preserve Evidence: Screenshot ALL group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, texts), photograph injuries, and save any physical items involved. Do not delete anything.
• Document Everything: Write down a timeline with names, dates, locations, and what happened while memories are fresh.
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or university directly.
  • Sign any documents from the university or insurance companies.
  • Post details on social media.
  • Allow your child to delete messages or “clean up” their phone.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears rapidly. We can help secure it and protect your family’s rights. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.

Hazing in 2025: It’s More Than “Just Partying”

For Willacy County families, the image of hazing might be shaped by old movies—silly pranks or excessive drinking. The reality in 2025 is far more sinister, systematic, and digitally enabled. Hazing is any action, on or off campus, that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of joining or maintaining status in any group. “Consent” is not a legal defense in Texas.

Modern Hazing Tactics: The Four Dangerous Categories

1. Alcohol & Substance Hazing: This remains the deadliest form.

• Forced Consumption: “Big/Little” nights where pledges are given handles of liquor, “lineup” drinking games, or coerced drug use.
• The UH Pi Kappa Phi Case: Leonel Bermudez was forced to consume milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, followed immediately by sprints. This dangerous cycle is a known hazing script.

2. Physical & Endurance Hazing: Disguised as “conditioning” or “workouts.”

• Extreme Exercise: “Smokings” involving hundreds of push-ups or squats until collapse.
• Violent Rituals: Paddling, beatings, or dangerous tests like the “glass ceiling” ritual that killed Chun Deng.
• Exposure & Deprivation: Being left outside in cold weather, sleep deprivation, or food/water restriction.
• The UH Pi Kappa Phi Case: Bermudez endured bear crawls, wheelbarrow races, cold-weather exposure in underwear, and a “Nov 3 workout” of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion. Another pledge was hog-tied face-down on a table for over an hour.

3. Sexualized & Humiliating Hazing: Designed to break down dignity.

• Forced Nudity & Simulated Sex Acts: “Elephant walks,” “roasted pig” positions.
• Public Degradation: Wearing humiliating costumes or performing embarrassing acts.
• The UH Pi Kappa Phi Case: Pledges were required to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, a sex toy, nicotine devices, and other degrading items.

4. Digital & Psychological Hazing: The 24/7 control cycle.

• Group Chat Tyranny: Constant, monitored messaging with instant response demands, used for sleep deprivation and psychological control.
• Social Media Coercion: Forced to post humiliating content or participate in dangerous “challenges.”
• Isolation & Threats: Cutting off contact with non-members, fear-based coercion.

Where Hazing Happens: Beyond the Frat House

While fraternities and sororities are frequent offenders, hazing permeates:

• Corps of Cadets & ROTC programs (notably at Texas A&M).
• Athletic Teams, from football to cheerleading.
• Spirit & Tradition Groups like the Texas Cowboys.
• Marching Bands and Performance Groups.
• Some Academic, Service, and Cultural Clubs.

The common thread is a toxic mix of tradition, secrecy, and power imbalance that organizations exploit.

Texas Hazing Law & Your Family’s Legal Rights

Willacy County families operate under a specific legal framework. Understanding it is the first step toward accountability.

Texas Education Code Chapter 37: The Anti-Hazing Statute

Texas law defines hazing broadly and treats it with seriousness. Key provisions include:

• §37.151 Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers a student’s physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership.
• §37.152 Penalties: Hazing is a Class B Misdemeanor. It becomes a Class A Misdemeanor if it causes injury requiring medical treatment, and a State Jail Felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
• §37.155 Consent NOT a Defense: It does not matter if your child “agreed” to participate. The law recognizes the coercive power of peer pressure.
• §37.153 Organizational Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be fined up to $10,000 per violation.
• §37.154 Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting: Students who call for help in an emergency are protected from prosecution, even if underage drinking was involved.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Two Paths to Accountability

Criminal Cases:

• Brought by: The State (DA or County Attorney).
• Goal: Punishment (jail, fines, probation).
• Charges: Hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to a minor, manslaughter in fatal cases.
• Outcome: A conviction is public record but does not provide financial recovery for your family.

Civil Lawsuits:

• Brought by: The victim and their family.
• Goal: Financial compensation (damages) and institutional accountability.
• Claims: Negligence, gross negligence, wrongful death, negligent supervision, emotional distress.
• Crucially: You can pursue a civil case regardless of whether criminal charges are filed. The burden of proof is different (“preponderance of evidence” vs. “beyond a reasonable doubt”).

The Federal Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and New National Laws

• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires universities receiving federal funds to publicly report hazing incidents and strengthen prevention programs by 2026.
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, it triggers federal Title IX obligations for the university.
• Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain campus crimes, which can include hazing-related assaults.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Hazing Lawsuit?

A proper investigation traces liability up the chain:

1. Individual Members & Officers: Those who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: As an entity, for fostering a culture of abuse.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: For failing to supervise, enforce policies, or for having knowledge of prior patterns. In the UH case, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters is a named defendant.
4. The University: For negligent supervision, deliberate indifference to known risks, or premises liability. The University of Houston and its Board of Regents are defendants in the Bermudez lawsuit.
5. Third Parties: Property owners, landlords of off-campus houses, or alcohol providers.

National Hazing Cases: The Tragic Patterns That Repeat in Texas

The cases that make national headlines are not anomalies; they are blueprints. The same patterns of forced drinking, humiliation, and cover-up occur repeatedly because the institutional incentives—tradition, secrecy, loyalty—remain unchanged.

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern: Fatal “Traditions”

• Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State University, Pi Kappa Alpha (2021): A 20-year-old pledge died after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol during a “Big/Little” event. Outcome: $10 million in settlements ($7M from Pi Kappa Alpha national, ~$3M from BGSU).
• Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a bid-acceptance drinking event. Fraternity brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. Outcome: Dozens of criminal convictions and Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
• Max Gruver – LSU, Phi Delta Theta (2017): Died from alcohol toxicity after a “Bible study” drinking game. Outcome: $6.1 million verdict and Louisiana’s Max Gruver Act.
• Andrew Coffey – Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi (2017): Died from acute alcohol poisoning at a “Big Brother” event. Outcome: FSU suspended all Greek life; civil lawsuit filed.

The Physical Brutality Pattern: Ritualized Violence

• Chun “Michael” Deng – Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi (2013): Pledge died from traumatic brain injury after a blindfolded, violent “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. Outcome: National fraternity convicted of felony charges and banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.

The Catastrophic Injury Pattern: Lives Forever Changed

• Danny Santulli – University of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta (2021): Pledge suffered permanent, severe brain damage after forced drinking. He cannot walk, talk, or see and requires 24/7 care. Outcome: Settlements with 22 defendants, amounts confidential but significant.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Texas A&M (2021): Pledges suffered severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts after substances like industrial cleaner were poured on them. Outcome: Chapter suspended; $1 million lawsuit filed.

The Lesson for Texas: These national organizations—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Phi—all have active chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, and Baylor. Their national headquarters cannot claim ignorance. This “pattern evidence” is powerful in court to prove foreseeability and negligence.

Texas Universities Under the Microscope: Where Willacy County Students Go

Willacy County families send their children to universities across our great state. Understanding the landscape, policies, and history at each major institution is critical.

University of Houston (UH): A Current Crisis

For Willacy County Families: UH is a major destination for South Texas students. When hazing happens in Houston, it impacts our community directly.

• The Active Case – Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi: This is not history; it is active litigation we are leading. In Fall 2025, Leonel Bermudez suffered rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure after systematic hazing. He was hospitalized for four days, passing brown urine. The lawsuit names 17 defendants: UH, the UH System Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi national, its housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. As reported by Click2Houston and ABC13, the chapter was suspended Nov. 6 and voted to surrender its charter Nov. 14, 2025.
• UH’s Greek Ecosystem: UH hosts a dense network of fraternities and sororities across four councils (IFC, Panhellenic, NPHC, MGC). This includes chapters of nationals with severe hazing histories.
• How a UH Case Proceeds: Jurisdiction may involve UHPD, Houston Police, and Harris County courts. Evidence often centers on digital messages from homes near campus or off-campus venues like the Yellowstone Boulevard Park used in the Pi Kappa Phi case.

Texas A&M University: Tradition and Risk in the Corps

For Willacy County Families: The Aggie network is strong in South Texas. The unique culture of the Corps of Cadets carries specific risks.

• Corps of Cadets Hazing: A 2023 lawsuit alleged a cadet was subjected to degrading hazing, including being bound in a “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth. The suit sought over $1 million.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon Chemical Burns: As noted above, a 2021 case involved brutal physical hazing resulting in severe burns.
• The Greek & Corps Overlap: Hazing risk exists in both the highly traditional Corps system and the large Greek life community.
• How a Texas A&M Case Proceeds: May involve University Police, Bryan/College Station PD, and Brazos County courts. Corps cases can involve unique military-style traditions as evidence.

University of Texas at Austin: Public Records, Repeating Problems

For Willacy County Families: UT’s prestige draws students statewide. Its public hazing log is a double-edged sword—showing transparency but also revealing persistent issues.

• Public Hazing Violations Log: UT publishes findings, which we use to establish patterns. Examples include:
  • Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members forced to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics. Sanction: Probation.
  • Texas Wranglers (2022): Spirit group sanctioned for forced alcohol consumption and humiliating acts.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon Assault Allegation (2024): An Australian exchange student sued after allegedly being assaulted at a party, suffering a broken nose and dislocated leg.
• How a UT Case Proceeds: May involve UTPD, Austin PD, and Travis County courts. The public violation log is a powerful tool for discovery.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

• SMU: As a private university, SMU has less public reporting but significant Greek life. Past incidents include the Kappa Alpha Order chapter suspension in 2017 for paddling and forced drinking.
• Baylor: Beyond its Greek system, Baylor has faced hazing allegations within its baseball team (2020), resulting in multiple player suspensions. Its history with institutional response to scandal is a factor in any case.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: How We Uncover the Full Picture

For Willacy County families, facing a national fraternity or a large university can feel overwhelming. Where do you even start? At Attorney911, we don’t start from zero. We maintain a proprietary data engine built from public records to map the complete ecosystem behind hazing.

Our Public Records Directory: Who Really Stands Behind the Letters

To illustrate the depth of our investigatory approach, here are examples of Texas-registered Greek organizations we track through IRS filings and other public data. This is the kind of foundational knowledge we bring to every case:

Examples from IRS B83 Filings (Texas Greek Organizations):

• Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc | EIN: 133048786 | College Station, TX 77845
• Sigma Phi Lambda Inc | EIN: 201237505 | Corinth, TX 76210 | Beta Chapter
• Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation | EIN: 371768785 | Missouri City, TX 77459
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc | EIN: 462267515 | Frisco, TX 75035
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc | EIN: 475370943 | Houston, TX 77204 | Theta Delta Chapter
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc – Sigma Gamma Chapter | EIN: 392352450 | Houston, TX 77254
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi | EIN: 900293166 | College Station, TX 77843 | Texas A&M University Chapter

Cause IQ Metro Data – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Area (188+ orgs):
Our metro-level tracking includes entities like the Texas District of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Houston Alumnae Chapter, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority – Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter, all based in Houston.

What This Means for Your Case:
When we take a case involving a fraternity at UH, we already know how to identify not just the undergraduate chapter, but the related housing corporation, alumni foundations, and national headquarters. Each is a potential source of insurance coverage and liability. We know the legal names, EINs, and addresses before we even send the first subpoena.

Building a Powerful Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy & Damages

Winning a hazing case requires converting pain and injustice into a compelling legal narrative backed by irrefutable evidence.

The Evidence Pyramid: From Screenshots to University Files

1. Digital Communications (The Most Critical): GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram DMs. We use digital forensics to recover deleted messages. These chats show planning, coercion, and cover-up attempts.
2. Photos & Videos: Content shared in chats or on social media. Security footage from houses or nearby businesses.
3. Medical Records: Documentation of injuries—ER reports, lab tests (like the critically high creatine kinase levels showing rhabdomyolysis), psychiatric evaluations for PTSD.
4. Internal Organization Documents: Pledge manuals, “tradition” binders, emails between members and national headquarters.
5. University Records: Prior conduct violations for the same group, obtained via subpoena or public records request. This proves “prior notice.”
6. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, roommates, RAs.

We have a detailed video guide on using your phone to document evidence, a crucial first step for families.

Recoverable Damages: What Hazing Cases Are Worth

Civil lawsuits seek to make victims whole and hold institutions accountable through several damage categories:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (past and future), lost wages, costs of therapy, diminished future earning capacity if disabilities are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (for families): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, loss of companionship and guidance.
• Punitive Damages: In egregious cases, to punish the defendant and deter future conduct.

Cases involving death or catastrophic injury (like Danny Santulli’s or Stone Foltz’s) have resulted in settlements and verdicts ranging from $6 million to over $14 million.

Overcoming the Defense Playbook

We know the strategies used by fraternity and university insurers because Mr. Lupe Peña used to be an insurance defense attorney. We are prepared for their arguments:

• “They Consented”: We cite Texas law where consent is no defense and demonstrate the coercive environment.
• “It Was Off-Campus”: We establish liability based on sponsorship, control, and foreseeability.
• “It Was a Rogue Chapter”: We use our data engine to show national patterns and prior knowledge.
• “Insurance Doesn’t Cover Intentional Acts”: We argue negligent supervision by nationals and universities is covered.

Practical Guides for Willacy County Parents, Students & Witnesses

A Parent’s Action Plan

Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, extreme fatigue, drastic weight change.
• Secretive about activities, withdrawal from family/friends, sudden anxiety or depression.
• Constant, anxious phone use for group chats; receiving calls/texts at all hours.

What to Do Now:

1. Talk Supportively: Ask open questions. “Is there anything you’re expected to do that makes you uncomfortable?”
2. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot everything. Photograph injuries.
3. Seek Medical Care: Get a full evaluation. Tell doctors the cause was hazing.
4. Report Strategically: Consider reporting to campus police/Dean of Students and local police. Consult us first on timing and approach.
5. Contact a Lawyer Early: Before talking to university administrators or insurance adjusters. Watch our video on client mistakes that can ruin a case.

A Student’s Guide to Safety & Rights

• Recognize Hazing: If you feel coerced, endangered, or humiliated to belong, it’s hazing.
• Exit Safely: You have the right to quit. Send a clear text/email resigning. Do not attend “one last meeting.”
• Report Anonymously: Use campus hotlines or the National Anti-Hazing Hotline (1-888-NOT-HAZE).
• Preserve Evidence: Screenshot, screen record, save everything. You are in a one-party consent state—you can record conversations you are part of.

Critical Mistakes That Can Destroy Your Case

1. Deleting Messages: This looks like a cover-up. PRESERVE, DON’T DELETE.
2. Confronting the Chapter Directly: This triggers their defense strategy and evidence destruction.
3. Signing University Settlement Papers: These often waive your right to sue for far less than your case is worth.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense investigators will use this against you.
5. Waiting Too Long: Texas has a statute of limitations. Evidence and witness memories fade. Learn more about statutes of limitation here.

Why Willacy County Families Choose Attorney911 for Hazing Cases

When your family is in crisis, you need more than a lawyer; you need advocates who understand the battlefield. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) brings a unique combination of insider knowledge, proven experience, and investigative firepower to hazing litigation.

Our Unmatched Advantages in Hazing Litigation

1. Insurance Insider Knowledge – Mr. Lupe Peña’s Defense Background:
Mr. Peña spent years as an attorney for a national insurance defense firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers evaluate claims, deploy delay tactics, and argue coverage exclusions. We know their playbook because we used to run it. This is an irreplaceable advantage in maximizing your recovery.

2. Complex Institutional Litigation Experience – Against the Biggest Defendants:
Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas attorneys involved in the BP Texas City Explosion litigation, taking on a billion-dollar corporation. We are not intimidated by national fraternities or university legal teams. We have federal court experience and a 25-year record of complex case management.

3. Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise – HCCLA Membership:
Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand criminal hazing charges intimately. We can advise on the interaction between criminal and civil cases and represent witnesses or members who may have exposure.

4. The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine – Investigative Depth:
As demonstrated earlier, we don’t start investigations from scratch. We maintain a proprietary database of Greek organizations, their corporate structures, and their histories. We know how to find every potentially liable entity and its insurance coverage.

5. A Proven Record of Multi-Million Dollar Results:
We have recovered millions for clients in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. We work with top economists, life-care planners, and medical experts to build cases that command full and fair compensation.

Our Commitment to Willacy County Families

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Whether your child was hazed at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, Baylor, or any other campus, we have the knowledge and resources to help. Se habla Español – Mr. Peña provides fluent Spanish-language legal services.

We operate on a contingency fee basis for personal injury cases: you pay no upfront fees, and we only get paid if we win your case. See how contingency fees work.

Your Next Step: A Confidential, Free Consultation

If you suspect or know that your child has been hazed, time is your most precious and perishable resource. Evidence disappears, witnesses are coached, and institutions close ranks.

We invite you to contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, for a free, confidential, and no-obligation consultation. In this meeting, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Review any evidence you have.
• Explain the legal landscape and your family’s options.
• Outline a potential strategy.
• Answer all your questions about process, timeline, and cost.

You are under no pressure to hire us. Our goal is to ensure you have the information needed to make the best decision for your family.

Contact Attorney911, Your Legal Emergency Lawyers™:

• 24/7 Phone: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct Line: (713) 528-9070
• Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com
• Website: https://attorney911.com

Let us help you turn this crisis into a fight for accountability, recovery, and change. For your child, and for every student who follows.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC. Hazing laws, university policies, and legal precedents can change. The information in this guide is current as of late 2025 but may not reflect the most recent developments. Every hazing case is unique, and outcomes depend on the specific facts, evidence, applicable law, and many other factors. If you or your child has been affected by hazing, we strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified Texas attorney who can review your specific situation.

The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911
Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, Texas
Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Website: https://attorney911.com