The Definitive Guide to Hazing, Accountability, and Your Legal Rights: What Every Quitaque, Texas Family Must Know

For parents in Quitaque, Briscoe County, and across the Texas Panhandle, sending your child to college represents a proud milestone filled with hope. Yet, there’s a hidden danger that doesn’t appear in university brochures: the brutal reality of modern hazing. You trust that campus is a safe place for growth, not a venue for coercion, humiliation, or life-threatening abuse. Right now, in Houston, we are fighting a case that shatters that trust and exposes the systemic failures that put students at risk.

In November 2025, we filed a $10 million lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who nearly died after being hazed by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter. The details are harrowing: forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” filled with humiliating items, subjected to hose spraying “similar to waterboarding,” and compelled through extreme physical trials until he developed rhabdomyolysis—a severe muscle breakdown—and acute kidney failure. His urine turned brown, he was hospitalized for four days, and he faces the risk of permanent kidney damage. This is not an isolated fraternity “prank”; it is a calculated pattern of abuse that universities and national organizations too often enable through inaction.

This comprehensive guide is written for you—families in Quitaque, Caprock Canyon, and throughout Briscoe County. Whether your student attends West Texas A&M, Texas Tech, or heads east to the University of Houston or Texas A&M, you need to understand what hazing truly looks like in 2025, the legal landscape in Texas, and the hard-won accountability from national cases. Here, you will find the facts, the law, and the practical steps to protect your child and pursue justice.

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 and texts, photograph injuries, save physical items.
  • Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
  • Do NOT: confront the organization, sign anything from the university, post details on social media, or let evidence be deleted.
• Contact an experienced hazing attorney. Evidence disappears fast. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a confidential, immediate consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like

Hazing is no longer just about silly pranks or mild embarrassment. It is a calculated process of coercion and control that endangers physical and mental health for the purpose of joining or maintaining status in a group. For families in Quitaque, where community and trust are paramount, understanding this evolution is critical.

Modern hazing operates on a spectrum, often escalating from psychological pressure to physical violence:

1. Digital Control & Psychological Coercion: Before a single push-up is forced, hazing often begins in the palm of your child’s hand. Pledges are made to join 24/7 group chats on GroupMe, WhatsApp, or Discord where they must respond instantly to demands at all hours. They may be forced to share their live location via apps, submit to social media policing, or endure “virtual roasting” sessions. This creates a constant state of anxiety and establishes absolute control.

2. “Subtle” Harassment Hazing: This includes forced servitude—acting as an on-call chauffeur, cleaning members’ apartments, or running personal errands. It involves sleep deprivation through mandatory late-night “meetings,” strict dress codes, and being assigned derogatory nicknames. The goal is to break down autonomy and enforce submission under the guise of “earning your place.”

3. Violent Physical & Substance Hazing: This is where lives are irrevocably changed or ended, as in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case. It includes:

• Forced Alcohol Consumption: “Big/Little” nights, “family tree” drinking games, or lineups where pledges are forced to chug handles of liquor.
• Extreme Physical Abuse: “Smokings” with hundreds of push-ups or squats until collapse (like the Nov 3 workout that hospitalized Leonel Bermudez), paddling, bear crawls on vomit-soaked grass, or exposure to extreme cold.
• Sexualized Humiliation: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, or degrading costumes designed to shame and dehumanize.
• Dangerous Rituals: From the “glass ceiling” tackle that killed Michael Deng at a Pi Delta Psi retreat to being sprayed with a hose “like waterboarding,” these acts have high potential for catastrophic injury.

These acts occur not just in fraternities, but in sororities, Corps of Cadets programs, athletic teams, spirit groups like the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, and other campus organizations. The common thread is an abuse of power disguised as tradition.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability Framework: The Rules That Protect Your Child

Texas has clear laws designed to protect students. Understanding them is your first step toward accountability. The primary statute is the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F.

What Constitutes Hazing in Texas?
The law defines hazing as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student for the purpose of joining or maintaining membership in an organization that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of that student. Crucially, this applies to acts both on and off campus. The law explicitly states that the victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

Criminal Penalties:

• Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing offense (up to 180 days in jail, $2,000 fine).
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes bodily injury.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death—exactly the threshold met in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case with rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure.

Civil Liability:
A criminal case is brought by the state to punish wrongdoing. A civil lawsuit, which we file on behalf of victims, seeks financial compensation and accountability from every responsible party. These are not mutually exclusive; both can proceed simultaneously. In a civil case, we can pursue damages from a wider universe: the individuals who committed the acts, the local chapter, the national fraternity or sorority headquarters, the university, and the housing corporations that own the properties where abuse occurs.

The Federal Overlay:

• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges receiving federal funds to report hazing incidents more transparently and strengthen prevention programs.
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based abuse, federal Title IX procedures and protections come into play.
• Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain campus crime statistics, which can include hazing-related assaults.

For Quitaque families, this means accountability can be sought in multiple venues: Briscoe County courts, the university’s own conduct system, and potentially federal court, depending on the case.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Tragic Script That Repeats

The Leonel Bermudez case at UH is not an anomaly. It follows a decades-old script written in tragedy across the country. Understanding these patterns proves that hazing deaths and injuries are foreseeable—and therefore preventable.

The Alcohol Poisoning Script:

• 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. The case led to Pennsylvania’ Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law’ and resulted in scores of criminal charges.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of alcohol during a “Big/Little” event; died of alcohol poisoning. His family secured a $10 million settlement ($7M from the national fraternity, ~$3M from the university).
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died after a “Bible study” drinking game. His death spurred Louisiana’s ‘Max Gruver Act,’ making hazing a felony.

The Physical Torture Script:

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from brain injuries after a blindfolded, violent “glass ceiling” ritual at a fraternity retreat. The national fraternity was criminally convicted of manslaughter and banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. His family settled with 22 defendants, highlighting the web of liability.

The Athletic & Institutional Failure Script:

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): A sprawling scandal alleging sexualized and racist hazing led to multiple lawsuits, the firing of the head coach, and confidential settlements, proving abuse extends far beyond Greek life.

What This Means for You: When a fraternity at UH or Texas A&M uses the same “Big/Little” drinking script that killed Stone Foltz, or the same extreme workout regimen that hospitalized Leonel Bermudez, it shows the national organization failed to prevent a known, deadly pattern. This “pattern evidence” is powerful in court, stripping away defenses like “we didn’t know this could happen.”

Texas University Focus: Where Quitaque Families Send Their Kids

Families in Quitaque and the Texas Panhandle often send students to a mix of regional and flagship universities. Each campus has its own Greek ecosystem and history of hazing incidents.

For Panhandle & Quitaque Families: Regional University Connections

West Texas A&M University (Canyon, Randall County):

• Proximity: The closest four-year public university to Quitaque, a common choice for local students.
• Greek Life: Hosts active fraternities and sororities, including chapters named in the Texas public records directory, such as the Texas Theta chapter of Phi Delta Theta and the Frank Heflin Foundation alumni association (EIN 203507402) in Canyon.
• Context: Greek life here operates with the same national affiliations and risks as larger schools. A hazing incident at WTAMU would involve Randall County authorities and connect to national organizations we track in our data system.

Texas Tech University (Lubbock):

• Major Regional Hub: A primary destination for Panhandle students, with a large Greek system.
• Public Records Evidence: Our IRS B83 data shows multiple Greek entities based in Lubbock, like the Epsilon Nu Housing Corporation (EIN 237359384) and honor society chapters. The Lubbock metro area has 59 Greek-related organizations tracked in our system.
• Historical Context: National fraternities present at Texas Tech, like Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Pi Kappa Alpha, have been implicated in severe hazing cases nationwide.

The Major Texas Flagships: Accountability Across the State

While your student may attend a school hours from home, our firm’s statewide reach and data-driven approach ensure we can effectively pursue accountability anywhere in Texas.

University of Houston – The Flagship Case in Our Courtroom
We are currently leading the litigation in Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston et al., a defining hazing case for Texas. The lawsuit names 17 defendants: UH, the UH System Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi nationals, the Beta Nu housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The hazing occurred at multiple Houston locations: the chapter house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park. After media exposure by Click2Houston and ABC13, the chapter was suspended and voted to surrender its charter. This case is a live example of our firm taking on a major university and national fraternity.

Texas A&M University – Corps & Greek Life Complexities
Texas A&M’s unique Corps of Cadets culture and powerful Greek system present specific risks. We have handled cases involving:

• Corps of Cadets Hazing: Allegations including degrading sexualized positions and physical abuse.
• Fraternity Chemical Burns: A Sigma Alpha Epsilon lawsuit where pledges alleged being doused with industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe burns requiring skin grafts.
• Public Records Network: The College Station-Bryan metro has 42 Greek organizations. IRS data shows entities like the “Gentlemen of Aggie Tradition” (EIN 880537463) operating there.

University of Texas at Austin – Transparency and Pattern
UT Austin maintains a public hazing violations log, showing a pattern of recurring issues:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): Sanctioned for forcing new members to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.
• Spirit Group Accountability: Organizations like the Texas Wranglers have been disciplined for hazing.
• Metro-Scale Operations: The Austin-Round Rock metro is home to 154 Greek organizations, per our Cause IQ data, including house corporations for chapters at UT.

Baylor University & Southern Methodist University
As private institutions, SMU and Baylor have significant Greek life but different procedural landscapes. Both have faced hazing scandals—from Baylor baseball team suspensions to SMU fraternity chapters being placed on probation for paddling and alcohol hazing. Our litigation strategy adapts to hold these private entities accountable.

The Organizations Behind the Letters: A Data-Driven Directory

When hazing occurs, liability doesn’t stop with the students in the room. A network of legally recognized organizations holds insurance, assets, and responsibility. Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—built from IRS filings, university records, and corporate data—maps this network so families don’t start from zero.

The Texas Greek Ecosystem: A Snapshot from Public Records
Statewide, our data tracks 1,423 fraternity and sorority organizations across 25 Texas metro areas. For Quitaque families, this means we can identify the entities connected to your child’s campus, whether it’s in Lubbock, College Station, or Houston.

Sample IRS Public Records: Who Really Owns the Chapter House?
The IRS grants tax-exempt status (code B83) to Greek house corporations and alumni chapters. These are not secret societies; they are public record. For example:

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc. (EIN 462267515), 10601 Big Horn Trl, Frisco, TX 75035. This is the entity that owned/controlled the UH chapter house where Leonel Bermudez was hazed.
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc. (EIN 741380362), PO Box 470061, Fort Worth, TX 76147. A foundation supporting Kappa Sigma chapters across Texas.
• Frank Heflin Foundation (EIN 203507402), 9000 W Country Club Rd, Canyon, TX 79015. A Phi Delta Theta alumni fund associated with West Texas A&M.

These entities, and hundreds like them, often carry insurance and have deep-pocketed alumni boards. They are essential targets in a thorough hazing lawsuit.

National Histories, Local Consequences
The fraternity that hazes at Texas Tech is part of the same national organization that hazes at the University of Alabama. We leverage national pattern evidence to prove foreseeability. For instance:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): National pattern of fatal “Big/Little” alcohol hazing (Stone Foltz).
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): Multiple chapters nationwide involved in traumatic brain injury, chemical burn, and assault lawsuits.
• Phi Delta Theta: National pattern of drinking game hazing (Max Gruver).

When we take a case, we subpoena the national organization’s records to expose what they knew about risks and what they failed to do to protect pledges.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

Pursuing a hazing case requires a meticulous, strategic approach from day one. As we are demonstrating in the Bermudez case, success hinges on evidence preservation, understanding damages, and navigating complex insurance battles.

Critical Evidence Collection:

1. Digital Communications: GroupMe, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, and text threads are the modern minute books of hazing. We work with digital forensics experts to recover even deleted messages.
2. Medical Documentation: Immediate ER records are crucial. In rhabdomyolysis cases like Bermudez’s, lab reports showing critically elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels are definitive proof of the cause and severity of injury.
3. Photographic/Video Evidence: Photos of injuries, venues, and even social media posts documenting “pledge nights.”
4. Institutional Records: Through discovery, we obtain the university’s prior conduct files on the chapter and the national fraternity’s risk management reports, showing a history of ignored warnings.

The Full Scope of Damages:
Hazing inflicts profound and lasting harm. Recoverable damages include:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, future therapy), lost wages, and diminished future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, severe emotional distress, PTSD, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In tragic cases, families can recover for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and their own emotional suffering.
• Punitive Damages: In egregious cases, courts may award punitive damages to punish the defendants and deter future conduct.

Our Strategic Advantages in Your Fight:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), is a former insurance defense lawyer for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers value claims, deploy delay tactics, and fight coverage. He turns their playbook against them.
• Complex Institutional Litigation Experience: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas lawyers involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by billion-dollar institutions, national fraternities, or their high-priced defense teams.
• Data-Driven Investigation: We don’t start from scratch. We use our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine to immediately identify all potentially liable entities, from the local house corporation to the national alumni foundation.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Quitaque Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and Action Steps

Is your child being hazed? Watch for:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, or drastic weight change.
• Sudden secrecy about organizational activities.
• Personality changes: anxiety, withdrawal, or defensiveness.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Requests for large amounts of money with vague explanations.

What to do if you suspect hazing:

1. Talk calmly and supportively. Ask open-ended questions: “Has anything made you uncomfortable?” “Do you feel pressured to do things you don’t want to do?”
2. Prioritize safety and medical care. If injured or intoxicated, go to the ER.
3. Preserve evidence. Help your child screenshot all relevant messages and photograph injuries. Write down a timeline.
4. Contact an attorney BEFORE reporting. We can advise on how to report to the university or police in a way that protects your child’s rights and preserves evidence. Do not confront the organization directly.
5. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911. We will guide you through these critical first steps.

For Students: Your Rights and Safety

• You have the right to be safe. “Tradition” is not an excuse for abuse.
• You can leave. You have the legal right to resign from any organization at any time.
• Texas law protects “good faith” reporters. If you call 911 for someone in medical distress, you may be protected from certain university sanctions, even if underage drinking was involved.
• Document everything. Screenshot, photograph, and save. Your phone is your best witness.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case

We have a video detailing common client mistakes, but key errors include:

• Deleting evidence (texts, photos).
• Confronting the fraternity/sorority before consulting a lawyer.
• Signing university settlement offers without legal advice.
• Posting details on social media, which can be used against you.
• Waiting too long. Texas has a statute of limitations; evidence and memories fade. Learn more about deadlines here.

Why Attorney911 is the Right Firm for Texas Hazing Cases

When your family is in crisis, you need advocates with the experience, resources, and tenacity to take on powerful institutions. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) is built for this fight.

Our Proven Hazing Litigation Credential: The Bermudez Case
We are not theorists; we are trial lawyers in the trenches. Our active leadership in the Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit proves we are currently fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas. We understand the tactics universities and nationals use because we are employing counter-tactics in real time.

A Unique Combination of Strengths:

• Mr. Lupe Peña’s Insider Defense Experience: As a former insurance defense attorney, Mr. Peña knows how insurers lowball claims, use “independent” medical exams to minimize injuries, and drag out cases to pressure families. He uses this knowledge to secure maximum value for our clients. Learn about his background.
• Ralph Manginello’s Complex Case Pedigree: From the BP Texas City disaster to federal court litigation, Mr. Manginello has faced off against the best-funded defense teams. His 25+ year career and membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) give him unique insight into both the civil and criminal aspects of hazing cases.
• A Statewide, Data-Enabled Practice: We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Our proprietary Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine means we begin every case with a deep understanding of the organizational landscape surrounding your child’s university.

We work on a contingency fee basis for personal injury cases, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case. See how contingency fees work.

Call to Action for Quitaque and Briscoe County Families

If hazing has injured your child or shattered your family, you do not have to navigate this nightmare alone. The path to accountability begins with a single, confidential conversation.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

We will listen with compassion, analyze the facts with precision, and explain all your legal options clearly. We serve families throughout Texas, including those in Quitaque, Turkey, Silverton, and all of Briscoe County. Whether your student was hurt at West Texas A&M, Texas Tech, or any campus in the state, we have the resources and expertise to help.

Call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911).
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com
Se habla Español: Mr. Peña provides full legal services in Spanish.

Let us help you secure the justice, compensation, and closure your family deserves. The call is free. The consultation is confidential. The time to act is now.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the UH Pi Kappa Phi Case:

• Click2Houston Investigation: 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 Report: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

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

Main Website & Contact:

• Attorney911: https://attorney911.com

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, explain your legal rights, and advise you on the best course of action for your family.

The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911
Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, Texas
Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com