The Complete Guide to Hazing Laws, Cases & Accountability for Baytown, Texas Families

Your child went away to college excited for new friends and experiences. Now, they’re coming home with unexplained injuries, a haunted look in their eyes, and a phone that buzzes constantly with demands. They’re exhausted, secretive, and afraid. You hear whispers about “pledge activities” or “team bonding,” but something feels deeply wrong. If you’re a parent in Baytown, Texas, watching your child endure the aftermath of hazing, you are not alone, and you are not powerless.

This comprehensive guide is written specifically for families in Baytown, Harris County, and across Southeast Texas. We will explain what modern hazing truly looks like, break down the Texas legal framework that protects your child, examine the national fraternity patterns affecting our local campuses, and detail exactly what steps you can take to seek justice and accountability. Right now, our firm is actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in the country right here in Harris County—the Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter lawsuit. This $10 million case, involving forced physical abuse that led to rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, is a stark, current example of what we fight against. We understand the unique concerns of Baytown families whose children attend the University of Houston, Texas A&M, UT Austin, and other Texas schools.

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:

1. Get Medical Attention: Even if your child insists they are “fine,” seek evaluation. Injuries like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) may not be immediately apparent.
2. Preserve Evidence BEFORE It’s Deleted: Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, texts), photograph injuries from multiple angles, and save any physical items involved.
3. Write Everything Down: Document who, what, when, and where while memories are fresh.
4. Do NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
   • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
   • Post details on public social media.
   • Allow your child to delete messages or “clean up” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears with alarming speed. We can help you preserve it and protect your child’s rights. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a confidential, no-obligation consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Texas

Gone are the days when hazing was merely a “harmless prank.” Today, it is a calculated, often digitally coordinated form of abuse that endangers lives. Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—on or off campus—directed against a student for the purpose of joining, affiliating with, or maintaining membership in a group, that endangers the student’s physical or mental health or safety. For Baytown families, this abuse could be happening just down the road at the University of Houston or hours away at another Texas campus.

The Modern Faces of Hazing

• Alcohol & Substance Hazing: The most common and deadly form. This includes forced consumption during “lineups,” “Big/Little” nights, or drinking games like “Bible study,” where wrong answers mandate drinking. The national Pi Kappa Phi case at Florida State and the Pi Kappa Alpha case at Bowling Green State that killed Stone Foltz followed this exact script.
• Physical Hazing: Beyond simple calisthenics. This involves extreme “workouts” or “smokings” designed to cause pain and exhaustion, paddling, beatings, sleep deprivation, and exposure to elements. In the active University of Houston case we are handling, Leonel Bermudez was forced through over 100 push-ups and 500 squats, leading to catastrophic muscle failure.
• Sexualized & Humiliating Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts (“roasted pig,” “elephant walk”), wearing degrading costumes, or acts with racist or sexist overtones. The 2023 Northwestern University football scandal revealed systemic sexualized hazing within an athletic program.
• Psychological & Digital Hazing: A 24/7 campaign of control. This includes verbal abuse, isolation, threats, and modern digital coercion: mandatory constant monitoring of group chats, geo-tracking via apps, and forced participation in humiliating social media “challenges.”

This abuse occurs not only in fraternities and sororities but also in athletic teams, Corps of Cadets programs, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, marching bands, and other campus organizations. The common threads are an imbalance of power, a culture of secrecy, and the exploitation of a young person’s desire to belong.

Texas Law & Liability Framework: What Baytown Families Need to Know

Texas has specific laws to combat hazing, and understanding them is your first step toward accountability. The Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F, provides the legal backbone for both criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits.

Texas Hazing Law (Education Code § 37.151)

The law defines hazing broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the physical or mental health of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership. Critically, consent is not a defense (§ 37.155). Even if your child “agreed,” the law recognizes the power dynamics and coercion at play.

Criminal vs. Civil Liability

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (e.g., Harris County District Attorney). Penalties range from a Class B misdemeanor to a State Jail Felony if the hazing causes serious bodily injury or death. Individuals can also be charged for failure to report hazing.
• Civil Lawsuits: Brought by victims and their families to seek financial compensation and institutional accountability. These cases focus on negligence, wrongful death, emotional distress, and negligent supervision. A criminal conviction is not required to file a civil suit. Our active lawsuit against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi is a civil action seeking damages for our client’s life-altering injuries.

Who Can Be Held Liable?

A thorough investigation aims to identify every responsible entity, which often includes:

1. Individual Students: Those who planned, executed, or facilitated the abuse.
2. The Local Chapter: The fraternity, sorority, or team as an entity.
3. The National Organization: Headquarters that set policies, collect dues, and oversee chapters. Their knowledge of prior incidents is crucial.
4. The University: Schools like UH or Texas A&M can be liable for negligent supervision, failure to act on prior reports, or premises liability.
5. Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, property owners, or alcohol providers.

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

Federal law adds another layer of accountability. If hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, Title IX obligations are triggered. The Clery Act requires universities to report certain crimes. The Stop Campus Hazing Act of 2024 mandates increased transparency and public reporting of hazing incidents by federally funded schools, with full implementation by 2026.

National Hazing Case Patterns: A Playbook for Accountability

National tragedies have shaped the legal landscape. These cases are not just headlines; they establish legal precedents and patterns that directly influence claims for Baytown families.

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a bid-acceptance night of forced drinking. The delayed call for help, captured on chapter cameras, led to massive criminal charges and Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died of alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game. His death led to Louisiana’s felony hazing statute, the Max Gruver Act.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of alcohol during a “Big/Little” event. His family secured a $10 million settlement, with funds from both the national fraternity and the university.
• Andrew Coffey (Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Another “Big/Little” night fatality, leading to chapter closure and statewide reform.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. His family settled with over 20 defendants, highlighting the potential for lifelong care costs in non-fatal cases.

The pattern is clear: forced drinking rituals, delayed medical care, institutional knowledge of risks, and a culture of silence. These national stories prove that holding powerful organizations accountable is possible and necessary.

Texas Focus: Hazing at Universities Serving Baytown Families

Baytown parents often have children at multiple Texas institutions. Whether your student commutes to the University of Houston or lives on campus at Texas A&M, understanding the specific landscape is critical.

University of Houston (UH) – A Local Case Study in Crisis

For Baytown and Greater Houston families, UH is a primary campus. The university’s response to hazing is now under a microscope due to our firm’s active litigation.

Campus Snapshot: A large, diverse, urban university with a significant Greek system, including Interfraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and Multicultural Greek Council chapters.

The Leonel Bermudez Case – A Baytown-Area Nightmare: This ongoing lawsuit alleges horrific, systematic hazing of a transfer student by the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter in fall 2025. According to the complaint and media reports, Bermudez was subjected to:

• A degrading “pledge fanny pack” rule requiring him to carry condoms and a sex toy.
• Enforced dress codes, overnight driving duties, and weekly interrogations.
• Extreme physical abuse: sprints, bear crawls, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting.
• A November 3 “workout” of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats that directly led to rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. He was hospitalized for four days after passing brown urine.

The lawsuit names 17 defendants: the University of Houston, its Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters, the chapter housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. Following reports, Pi Kappa Phi nationals suspended the chapter on November 6, 2025, and members voted to surrender their charter on November 14. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing.” This case is a present-tense example of how we build a hazing lawsuit for Texas families.

Prior UH Incidents: UH has suspended chapters for hazing in the past, including a Pi Kappa Alpha chapter in 2016 after a pledge suffered a lacerated spleen.

For UH Families: Evidence collection often involves the UH Police Department and Houston Police Department. Civil suits are typically filed in Harris County district courts. Immediate reporting to the UH Dean of Students Office is a formal step, but consulting a lawyer ensures evidence is preserved before the university’s internal process begins.

Texas A&M University – Traditions and Risk

Campus Snapshot: A school defined by tradition, with a massive Greek system and the renowned Corps of Cadets. Hazing risks exist in both spheres.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Lawsuit (2021): Two pledges sued the local SAE chapter, alleging they were doused with a mixture including industrial-strength cleaner, raw eggs, and spit, causing severe chemical burns that required skin graft surgeries. They sought $1 million in damages. The university suspended the chapter.

Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Lawsuit (2023): A former cadet alleged he was subjected to degrading hazing, including being bound between beds in a simulated sexual position known as “roasted pig” with an apple in his mouth. He filed a lawsuit seeking over $1 million.

For Texas A&M Families: The combination of Greek life and Corps culture requires attorneys who understand both environments. Investigations may involve the Texas A&M University Police Department and the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office.

University of Texas at Austin – Transparency and Patterns

Campus Snapshot: UT Austin maintains one of the most transparent hazing reporting systems in the country via its public Hazing Violations page.

Documented Violations: The public log shows a pattern of recurring issues. For example:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): Sanctioned for hazing that included directing new members to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.
• Various spirit groups and other fraternities have faced probation for forced workouts, alcohol-related hazing, and punishment-based activities.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Assault Case (2024): An Australian exchange student sued the local SAE chapter after allegedly being assaulted at a party, suffering a dislocated leg, broken nose, and fractured tibia. The chapter was already under suspension for prior violations.

For UT Austin Families: UT’s public violation log is a powerful tool for establishing a chapter’s prior knowledge of misconduct. Jurisdiction typically involves the UT Police Department and Travis County courts.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

SMU, as a private university, has faced its own scandals, including the suspension of the Kappa Alpha Order chapter in 2017 for paddling and forced drinking.
Baylor has confronted hazing within its athletic programs, including a 2020 baseball team hazing incident that led to multiple player suspensions.

The common theme across all Texas campuses is that hazing persists despite policies, and accountability often requires external legal pressure.

Fraternities & Sororities: Connecting National Histories to Texas Chapters

When a chapter at UH or Texas A&M hazes, it is rarely an isolated incident. It is often a manifestation of a national pattern. Our investigative approach uses public records and legal discovery to trace these connections.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Data-Driven Accountability

To effectively represent Baytown families, we maintain an investigative database of Greek-life organizations across Texas. This includes analyzing public records like IRS filings (Form 990/B83) to identify the legal entities behind the letters.

A Snapshot of Texas Greek Organizations (From Public Records):

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc, EIN 46-2267515, Frisco, TX 75035.
• Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity Texas Eta, EIN 82-4398421, Richmond, TX 77406.
• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – Epsilon Kappa Chapter, EIN 74-6064445, Nederland, TX 77627.
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Beaumont Alumni Chapter, referenced in Cause IQ data for the Beaumont-Port Arthur metro.
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc, EIN 74-1380362, Fort Worth, TX 76147.

These entities—house corporations, alumni chapters, educational foundations—often hold insurance policies and assets. Identifying them is a critical first step in building a case that reaches all responsible parties.

National Patterns, Local Harm

The same national organizations involved in landmark deaths appear on Texas campuses. This history establishes “foreseeability”—the legal concept that the harm was predictable and preventable.

• Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ): Nationally involved in the Stone Foltz death. Has chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, and Baylor.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ): One of the most frequently sued fraternities nationwide, with a pattern of alcohol-related deaths and injuries. Faced major lawsuits at Texas A&M (chemical burns) and UT Austin (assault).
• Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ): Nationally involved in the Andrew Coffey death at FSU. The subject of our active UH lawsuit.
• Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ): Nationally involved in the Max Gruver death at LSU.

When a Texas chapter repeats these dangerous patterns, it strengthens the argument that the national organization failed in its duty to supervise, train, and enforce its own policies.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages for Baytown Families

Pursuing a hazing case is a complex, multi-faceted process that requires immediate and strategic action.

Critical Evidence Collection

The digital footprint is often the most compelling evidence. We focus on:

1. Digital Communications: Preserving group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp), text messages, Instagram/Snapchat DMs, and emails. We work with digital forensics experts to recover deleted data.
2. Photos & Videos: Content shot during events, social media posts, and security footage from houses or nearby businesses.
3. Internal Organization Documents: Pledge manuals, “tradition” books, meeting minutes, and communications between local and national officers.
4. University Records: Obtained through discovery or public records requests, these can reveal prior complaints, disciplinary history, and internal knowledge.
5. Medical Records: Documenting the direct physical and psychological harm is paramount. This includes ER reports, toxicology, psychological evaluations for PTSD, and long-term care plans.

Understanding Damages: What Can Be Recovered

The goal is to make the victim whole and hold defendants accountable. Recoverable damages include:

• Economic Damages: All past and future medical expenses, lost wages, lost educational opportunity (tuition, scholarships), and diminished future earning capacity.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, trauma, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (for families): Funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship, love, and guidance.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of particularly egregious or reckless conduct, damages intended to punish the defendant and deter future behavior.

Overcoming Institutional Defense Tactics

Universities and national fraternities have sophisticated defense playbooks. We counter their common arguments:

• “The Victim Consented”: Texas law explicitly states consent is not a defense to hazing. We demonstrate the coercive power imbalance.
• “It Was a Rogue Chapter”: We use national pattern evidence and prior incident reports to show the national organization knew or should have known of the risks.
• “It Happened Off-Campus”: Liability is not determined by zip code. If the organization sponsors, funds, or oversees the activity, duty exists.
• “We Have Anti-Hazing Policies”: We prove the policies were ineffective window-dressing by showing a lack of enforcement, training, or meaningful response to prior incidents.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Baytown Parents and Students

A Parent’s Action Guide

Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, or drastic weight changes.
• Secretive behavior, withdrawal from family and old friends.
• Constant, anxious phone use tied to group chats.
• Personality changes: new anxiety, depression, or irritability.
• Sudden academic or financial problems.

What to Do If You Suspect Hazing:

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: Get medical care immediately.
2. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot everything. Photograph injuries.
3. Document: Write down everything your child tells you, with dates and names.
4. Seek Legal Counsel Early: Contact us before reporting to the university or police. We can help you navigate the process to protect your child’s rights and preserve evidence.
5. Report Strategically: With legal guidance, you may report to campus authorities (Dean of Students) and/or local law enforcement.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case

1. Deleting Evidence:“Do not let your child “clean up” their phone. Deleted messages can be recovered, but their deletion can be used against you.
2. Confronting the Organization: This gives them a head start to destroy evidence, lawyer up, and coach witnesses.
3. Signing University Paperwork: Do not sign any waiver, release, or “resolution agreement” from the university without an attorney’s review.
4. Posting on Social Media: Public posts can be mined by defense attorneys for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses become uncooperative, and statutes of limitations apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can we sue the University of Houston or Texas A&M for hazing?
A: Yes. While public universities have certain immunity defenses, exceptions exist for gross negligence, deliberate indifference, and violations of laws like Title IX. Every case is fact-specific, which is why an immediate legal evaluation is crucial.

Q: Is hazing a felony in Texas?
A: It can be. Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death is a state jail felony under Texas law. Individual participants can also face misdemeanor charges.

Q: How long do we have to file a lawsuit?
A: In Texas, the statute of limitations for personal injury is generally two years from the date of injury. However, complex rules regarding discovery of the injury and tolling may apply. Do not delay.

Q: Will our case be public?
A: Many hazing cases settle confidentially before trial. We always prioritize our clients’ privacy and will fight for confidential settlement terms whenever possible.

Q: What if the hazing happened at an off-campus house?
A: Location does not negate liability. Universities and national organizations can still be responsible based on their sponsorship, funding, and control over the organization and its activities.

Why The Manginello Law Firm (Attorney911) for Your Baytown Hazing Case

When your family is in crisis, you need more than a lawyer; you need advocates who understand the institutions you’re up against and have the proven skill to hold them accountable. As Texas-based hazing litigation specialists, we serve families in Baytown, Harris County, and across the state.

Our Proven Capabilities for Hazing Cases:

• Active, High-Stakes Litigation: We are lead counsel in the $10 million Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit. We are not theorizing about hazing law; we are actively fighting one of the most severe cases in the country right now, in Harris County.
• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as a defense attorney for national insurance companies. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers evaluate claims, deploy delay tactics, and argue coverage exclusions. We use this insider knowledge to build stronger cases from day one.
• Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We have faced the deepest-pocketed institutional defendants and are not intimidated by national fraternities or university legal teams.
• Complex Investigative Depth: We utilize the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—mapping Greek organizations through public records—and a network of experts including digital forensics specialists, medical professionals, and economists to build unassailable cases.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Ralph Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil lawsuits, allowing us to effectively advise clients through all legal fronts.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña is fluent in Spanish. Se habla Español. We are committed to serving the diverse families of Baytown and Greater Houston.

We approach each case with empathy for the profound trauma your family has endured and a relentless commitment to uncovering the truth. Our goal is to secure the compensation your child needs to heal while forcing the institutional changes that will protect future students.

Call to Action for Baytown Families

If you suspect your child has been hazed at the University of Houston, Texas A&M, UT Austin, or any Texas campus, time is your most critical asset. Evidence vanishes, stories get coordinated, and institutions circle the wagons.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) today for a free, confidential, and no-obligation consultation. We will listen to your story, review the evidence you have, explain your legal options in clear terms, and help you decide the best path forward for your family. You are not in this alone.

Call us 24/7: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct Line: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com | For Spanish: lupe@atty911.com

Let us help you turn this crisis into accountability and begin the journey toward healing.

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. The outcome of any legal matter depends on the specific facts and circumstances. If you have a legal issue, please consult directly with an attorney.