The Definitive Guide to Hazing in Texas for Families in the Town of Bloomburg & Cass County

1. Hook & Emergency Guidance for Bloomburg Families

The call comes late at night. Your child, a student at a Texas university, is whispering that things have gone too far. There was a “pledge event.” Now they’re hurt, scared, and don’t know what to do. You feel a surge of panic mixed with helplessness. Your child is hours away in College Station, Austin, or Houston, and you’re sitting in the Town of Bloomburg, wondering how a quest for friendship and belonging turned into a nightmare of forced drinking, physical abuse, and psychological torment.

This scenario is not a distant fear; it is a present reality for Texas families. Right now, our firm is fighting one of the most serious hazing lawsuits in the country, representing Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston (UH), the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, and 13 individual members. The allegations are harrowing: a “pledge fanny pack” filled with humiliating items, forced overconsumption of food leading to vomiting, extreme physical workouts, and being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding.” The result? Bermudez developed rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, passed brown urine, and was hospitalized for four days with a risk of permanent kidney damage. This is happening in our state, to students from communities like ours.

This comprehensive guide is written for you—the parents, grandparents, and families in the Town of Bloomburg, Atlanta, Linden, and across Cass County and East Texas. Our children attend schools from Texarkana to Texas A&M to the University of Houston. When hazing strikes, distance should not mean helplessness. We will explain what modern hazing truly looks like, the full weight of Texas law, the national patterns repeating on our campuses, and the practical, legal steps you can take to protect your child and demand accountability.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

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

In the First 48 Hours – A Bloomburg Parent’s Action List:

1. Secure Medical Care: Insist on an ER visit. Conditions like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) or internal injuries are not always immediately apparent.
2. Preserve Digital Evidence: Have your child screenshot EVERYTHING—GroupMe chats, text messages, Instagram DMs, Snapchat messages—before they are deleted. Our video on using your phone to document evidence explains how.
3. Document Physically: Take clear, dated photos of any injuries (bruises, burns, cuts). Save any clothing or items involved.
4. Write a Narrative: Jot down everything your child tells you: names, dates, locations, specific acts. Memory fades quickly.
5. DO NOT:
   • Let your child delete messages out of shame or fear.
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or university directly.
   • Sign anything from the school or an insurance adjuster.
   • Post details on social media.

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. If your child was hazed at any Texas campus, call us for a free, confidential consultation. Time is not on your side when evidence vanishes and stories get coordinated.

2. Hazing in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

Hazing is not a relic of the past or a series of “harmless pranks.” It is a calculated pattern of abuse that uses power, tradition, and secrecy to break down new members. For families in Bloomburg, understanding its modern forms is the first step in recognizing the danger.

The Texas Legal Definition (Plain English)

Under Texas Education Code Chapter 37, hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act by one person alone or with others, directed against a student, that:

1. Endangers the mental or physical health or safety of that student, AND
2. Is done for the purpose of pledging, initiation, affiliation, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization.

Crucially, the victim’s “consent” is not a legal defense. The law recognizes that a 19-year-old under intense peer pressure cannot truly consent to their own endangerment.

The Modern Hazing Playbook: What Your Child Might Face

1. The Digital Prison:

• 24/7 Group Chat Control: Pledges are required to respond instantly to messages at all hours, leading to severe sleep deprivation.
• Geo-Tracking: Forced to share live location via Find My Friends or Snapchat Map.
• Social Media Humiliation: Coerced into posting embarrassing content on TikTok or Instagram as a “challenge.”

2. Disguised Abuse:

• “Mandatory Wellness Workouts”: Extreme, punitive calisthenics (hundreds of push-ups, squats until collapse) framed as fitness.
• “Big/Little Bonding”: Forced, rapid alcohol consumption under the guise of celebration.
• “Team Building Retreats”: Moving hazing to remote Airbnbs or lodges to avoid campus oversight.

3. Persistent Physical & Psychological Torment:

• Forced Consumption: Beyond alcohol to consuming excessive amounts of milk, hot dogs, spicy foods, or non-food items until vomiting.
• Simulated Torture: As in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case, tactics like spraying with a hose “similar to waterboarding.”
• Systemic Degradation: Enforced dress codes, carrying humiliating “pledge packs,” acting as on-call drivers for members.

This conduct isn’t limited to social fraternities. We see it in sororities, athletic teams, Corps of Cadets programs, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, marching bands, and other campus organizations. Wherever there is a power imbalance and a ritual of belonging, the risk exists.

3. The Texas Law & Liability Framework for Cass County Families

When hazing injures a student from Bloomburg, multiple layers of law come into play. Understanding this framework reveals who can be held accountable.

Texas Criminal Hazing Law (Education Code Chapter 37)

• Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing offense.
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Also Illegal: Failing to report hazing you have knowledge of, or retaliating against someone who reports.

Civil Liability: Who Can Be Sued for Damages?

A civil lawsuit seeks compensation for the immense harm caused. The defendant universe is often wide, and our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine is built to identify every responsible entity.

1. The Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, executed, or supervised the abuse.
2. The Local Chapter: As an organization, it can be held liable for authorizing or failing to stop the conduct.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: They often have the deepest pockets and the greatest responsibility. We investigate whether they knew of prior incidents, failed to enforce their own policies, or provided inadequate training. The Pi Kappa Phi national organization is a defendant in the Bermudez lawsuit for this reason.
4. The University: Public universities like UH, Texas A&M, and UT have a legal duty to protect students. They can be sued for negligent supervision if they knew or should have known about a pattern of hazing and failed to act. Sovereign immunity has limits, especially in cases of gross negligence.
5. Supporting Corporations: House corporations, alumni building associations, and educational foundations that own property or fund chapters.
6. Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, alcohol providers, or security companies whose negligence contributed.

The Federal Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and the Stop Campus Hazing Act

• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, universities have stringent federal obligations to investigate and address it.
• The Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain crimes, including some hazing-related assaults, in annual security reports.
• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires increased transparency and public reporting of hazing incidents by universities receiving federal funds, with full implementation by 2026.

4. The Flagship Case: Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi – Why It Matters to Texas

Every parent in Cass County should know this case. It is not an abstract news story; it is a current, active example of the brutal reality of hazing and the fight for accountability that our firm leads every day.

• The Victim: Leonel Bermudez, a transfer student at the University of Houston.
• The Organizations: The Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, the UH System Board of Regents, and the chapter’s housing corporation.
• The Allegations (As Detailed in Media Reports): During his Fall 2025 pledge period, Bermudez was subjected to a regime of abuse. He was forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” with condoms and sex toys, endured humiliating interviews, and was used as an on-call driver. The physical hazing included extreme workouts at Yellowstone Boulevard Park, being sprayed in the face with a hose, forced consumption of milk and hot dogs until vomiting, and a November 3rd session of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats that left him broken.
• The Catastrophic Injury: This led to rhabdomyolysis—a severe skeletal muscle breakdown that flooded his kidneys with toxins. He suffered acute kidney failure, passed brown urine, and was hospitalized for four days. He faces a risk of permanent kidney damage.
• The Legal Action: We filed a $10 million lawsuit in Harris County. The case names 13 individual fraternity leaders and seeks to hold every layer of the organization accountable.
• The Aftermath: Pi Kappa Phi headquarters suspended the chapter on November 6, 2025. On November 14, the members voted to surrender their charter, shutting down the UH chapter. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing.”

For Bloomburg Families: This case proves that severe, life-altering hazing is happening at our major Texas universities RIGHT NOW. It shows that chapters can and will be shut down, and that national headquarters and universities can be forced to answer in court. This is the level of serious litigation we bring. You can read the detailed media coverage in the Click2Houston report and ABC13 coverage.

5. The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Data-Driven Accountability

Unlike firms that guess, we build cases on a foundation of public data. We maintain a proprietary directory of Greek-life organizations across Texas to immediately identify all potentially liable entities. For families in Bloomburg, this means we don’t start from zero.

The Greek Ecosystem Surrounding Cass County & East Texas

While Bloomburg itself is a close-knit community, your children enter a vast, interconnected Greek universe across Texas. Our data tracks over 1,423 fraternity and sorority organizations across 25 Texas metros.

The Relevant Metro & Regional Connections:
Bloomburg is in the Texarkana metropolitan statistical area and is deeply connected to the educational hubs of East Texas and beyond. The campuses your children attend are linked to a complex web of legally recognized entities.

Public Records Directory: A Sample of Texas Greek Organizations
The following are real entities listed in IRS and public filings. This is the type of data we use to trace responsibility:

• Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc, EIN 13-3048786, 3007 Earl Rudder Fwy S, College Station, TX 77845. (IRS B83 Filing)
• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, EIN 74-6064445, 1855 Highway 69 N, Nederland, TX 77627. (IRS B83 Filing)
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc, EIN 46-2267515, 10601 Big Horn Trl, Frisco, TX 75035. (IRS B83 Filing) This is the housing corp for the UH chapter involved in the Bermudez case.
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, EIN 36-4091267, 1101 Melrose Dr, Waco, TX 76710. (IRS B83 Filing)
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc, EIN 74-1380362, PO Box 470061, Fort Worth, TX 76147. (IRS B83 Filing)
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, EIN 90-0293166, 114 Henderson Hall 4233 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843. (IRS B83 Filing)
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Beaumont Alumnae, Beaumont, TX. (Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity – Tau Deuteron Chapter, Waco, TX (Baylor University). (Cause IQ Metro Listing)

This is a fractional snapshot. Each of these entities may hold insurance, own property, or exercise control that is crucial to a hazing injury claim.

6. Where Bloomburg & Cass County Families Send Their Kids: Campus-Specific Risks

Our children from East Texas spread out across the state’s university system. Understanding the specific landscape at each major campus is critical.

Texas A&M University

For Bloomburg Families: Many students from our region are drawn to the tradition and opportunity at Texas A&M in College Station. The Corps of Cadets and a massive Greek system present specific risks.

Documented Incidents & Patterns:

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case (2021): Pledges alleged they were covered in substances including industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin graft surgeries. A lawsuit sought $1 million.
• Corps of Cadets Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged degrading hazing including being bound in a “roasted pig” position. The case sought over $1 million.
• Aggie Bonfire Legacy: The 1999 collapse, while not hazing, remains a stark lesson in the dangers of unsupervised, high-risk tradition.

Key Takeaway: The combination of a powerful Greek system and the intense, tradition-bound Corps culture requires extreme vigilance from parents.

University of Texas at Austin

Transparency as a Tool: UT Austin maintains a public “Hazing Violations” page, which we use to establish patterns of knowledge in litigation.

Recent Sanctions (Examples from UT Log):

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members directed to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics. Sanction: Probation and mandatory education.
• Texas Wranglers (Spirit Group): Sanctioned for forced workouts and alcohol-related hazing.

Key Takeaway: Even at a university with relative transparency, violations recur. A public log is a gift to investigators proving an organization’s “notice” of problems.

University of Houston

Ground Zero for Active Litigation: As detailed in Section 4, the ongoing Bermudez case against Pi Kappa Phi is the most severe recent example. Historical incidents include a 2016 Pi Kappa Alpha case where a pledge suffered a lacerated spleen.

Key Takeaway: Urban, commuter campuses are not immune. Hazing occurs in chapter houses, off-campus apartments, and parks around the city.

Baylor University & Southern Methodist University (SMU)

As private institutions, Baylor and SMU have their own disciplinary processes but are equally subject to Texas hazing law and federal statutes.

• Baylor: Has faced hazing allegations within its baseball program, resulting in player suspensions.
• SMU: Has suspended chapters, like Kappa Alpha Order in 2017 for paddling and forced drinking.

Key Takeaway: A university’s private or religious status does not absolve it of legal duty. Their internal processes are often designed to protect the institution, not your child.

Regional & Local Campuses

Students also attend schools like Texas A&M University-Texarkana and others across the region. The hazing risk exists wherever there are student organizations seeking to establish hierarchy through initiation.

7. National Histories, Local Injuries: The Fraternity & Sorority Pattern

The fraternity that hazes a student in College Station is often part of a national organization with a documented history of the same abuse elsewhere. This “pattern evidence” is legally powerful.

• Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ): Responsible for the death of Stone Foltz at Bowling Green State (2021), leading to a $10 million+ settlement. Forced drinking during “Big/Little” events is a deadly, repeated script.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ): One of the most frequently cited nationals for hazing deaths and injuries, including the Texas A&M chemical burns case.
• Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ): Responsible for the death of Max Gruver at LSU (2017), leading to Louisiana’s felony hazing “Max Gruver Act.”
• Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ): Responsible for the death of Andrew Coffey at Florida State (2017) and is the national defendant in our active UH Bermudez case.

Why This Matters for Your Case: When we sue a national organization, we can subpoena their internal records to show they knew about a pattern of “Big/Little” drinking, forced workouts, or paddling at other chapters. This proves foreseeability—they knew this could happen again—and shatters their defense of being “blindsided” by a “rogue chapter.”

8. Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

When a family from Bloomburg comes to us, we deploy a methodical, evidence-first strategy honed from decades of complex litigation, including the BP Texas City explosion cases.

The Evidence Pyramid (What Wins Cases)

1. Digital Forensics (The Most Critical): Deleted GroupMe chats, Snapchats, Instagram DMs, and text messages. We work with experts to recover what was erased.
2. Physical & Medical Evidence: ER records diagnosing rhabdomyolysis, toxicology reports, photos of injuries, paddles or props used.
3. Institutional Records: Obtained via subpoena—the national fraternity’s prior incident reports, the university’s conduct files on the chapter, risk management manuals.
4. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, roommates, neighbors who heard or saw something.

The Damages: What Is at Stake

Hazing causes profound, lifelong harm. Compensation seeks to address:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (ER, hospitalization, surgery, future kidney care), lost wages, cost of therapy, diminished future earning capacity.
• Non-Economic Damages: Physical pain, emotional trauma (PTSD, anxiety, depression), humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (If Applicable): Funeral costs, loss of companionship, grief suffered by parents and siblings.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of egregious, reckless conduct, to punish the defendants and deter future behavior.

Our Strategic Advantages for Texas Families

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as an insurance defense lawyer for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers strategize to deny or minimize claims. Learn about Mr. Peña’s background.
• Complex Institutional Litigation: Founder Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by billion-dollar organizations or their legal teams. Learn about Ralph’s experience.
• Texas-Hardened Data Engine: We don’t just take your word for it. We use our directory and investigative resources to map the entire liable ecosystem behind the Greek letters.

9. Practical Guides & FAQs for Bloomburg Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and First Steps

Is your child being hazed? Look for:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, sleeping all the time.
• Sudden secrecy about their organization’s activities.
• Personality changes: increased anxiety, withdrawal, depression.
• Constant, anxious phone checking for group chat messages.
• Requests for unusual amounts of money (for “fines,” alcohol, gifts).

What to do if you suspect hazing:

1. Talk calmly and supportively. Say, “I’m worried about you. My only job is to keep you safe.”
2. Listen and document. Write down names, dates, and details.
3. Secure medical and mental health care.
4. Contact us before reporting. We can advise on how to report to the university or police in a way that protects evidence and your child’s position.

For Students: Your Rights and Safety

• You have the right to leave and say NO at any time. True brotherhood/sisterhood is not built on abuse.
• Texas Law protects “Good Faith” Reporters. You generally cannot be prosecuted for hazing if you are calling 911 or seeking medical help for someone in an emergency.
• Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots. Save texts. Take photos. Tell a trusted friend outside the group.

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case

We see families make these errors in panic:

• Letting your child delete texts/chats. This destroys the case. Watch our video on client mistakes.
• Confronting the fraternity directly. This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
• Signing a quick settlement with the university. These are often for pennies on the dollar and waive your right to sue others.
• Waiting too long. Texas has a statute of limitations. Learn about the deadlines here.

FAQs for East Texas Families

Q: We live in Bloomburg. Can you really help if the hazing happened in College Station or Houston?
A: Absolutely. We are a Texas firm with offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, admitted to practice statewide and in federal courts. We serve families across Texas. Geography does not limit our ability to investigate, file suit, or secure justice for your family.

Q: Can we sue the university? They say they have “immunity.”
A: Public universities have sovereign immunity, but it is not absolute. Exceptions exist for gross negligence, violations of constitutional rights, and claims under statutes like Title IX. Furthermore, individual employees can be sued in their personal capacity. We navigate these complex barriers regularly.

Q: How much does it cost to hire you?
A: We handle hazing injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay no upfront attorneys’ fees. We only get paid if we successfully recover money for you. See how contingency fees work.

Q: My child “agreed” to some of it. Does that matter?
A: Under Texas Education Code § 37.155, consent is NOT a defense to hazing. The law recognizes the coercive power of peer pressure and the imbalance of power between pledges and active members.

10. Your Next Step: Contact The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911

If this guide has resonated with you because you fear or know that hazing has impacted your child, you are not alone. The isolation and confusion you feel are what these organizations count on. Don’t let them.

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, operating as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. We bring a unique combination of insider insurance knowledge, complex litigation experience, and a data-driven investigative approach to hazing cases that few firms in Texas can match.

We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. In that conversation, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Explain the legal landscape and your options in plain English.
• Discuss the investigation process and what we can do immediately to preserve evidence.
• Answer your questions about timelines, costs, and what to expect.
• There is no pressure. Our goal is to inform and empower you.

Call us today at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also reach us directly at (713) 528-9070 or via email at ralph@atty911.com.

Se habla Español. Contact Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com for consultation in Spanish.

From the tight-knit community of the Town of Bloomburg to the largest campuses in Texas, we are here to fight for the safety, dignity, and future of your child. Let us help you turn this crisis into a pursuit of accountability and prevention.

Visit our website at https://attorney911.com to learn more about our firm and our commitment to Texas families.

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. Each case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. If you have a legal issue, please consult with a licensed attorney directly. Attorney911 / The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC is responsible for this content. Principal office in Houston, Texas.