The Anahuac Parent’s Guide to Texas Hazing: Understanding Fraternity, Sorority & Campus Abuse Injuries Near You

If you’re a parent in Anahuac, the quiet streets of Chambers County can feel a world away from the chaotic energy of a university campus. Yet the reality is that families right here in Anahuac, along the Trinity Bay, send their children to colleges across Texas every year. Your child might commute to the University of Houston, head to College Station for Texas A&M, attend UT Austin, or choose another campus with active Greek life, athletic programs, or Corps traditions. What happens when the pursuit of belonging turns dangerous? When “tradition” crosses into abuse? When your child comes home injured—or doesn’t come home at all?

This comprehensive guide is written specifically for Anahuac families who need to understand the real risks of hazing in 2025, the legal landscape in Texas, and what to do if your child has been harmed. We’ll cut through the myths and university public relations to give you the facts, the law, and the pathways to accountability.

Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

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

In the first 48 hours:

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

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours:
Evidence disappears fast (deleted group chats, destroyed paddles, coached witnesses). Universities move quickly to control the narrative. We can help preserve evidence and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for immediate consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like for Anahuac Families

For Anahuac parents who grew up hearing about “fraternity pranks” or “initiation rituals,” modern hazing may look dramatically different than you imagine. Today’s hazing isn’t just about silly pranks—it’s about power, control, and dangerous traditions that have evolved to avoid detection.

The Modern Definition of Hazing

Hazing is any forced, coerced, or strongly pressured action tied to joining, keeping membership, or gaining status in a group, where the behavior endangers physical or mental health, humiliates, or exploits. Crucially, “I agreed to it” does not automatically make it safe or legal when there is peer pressure and power imbalance. Texas law explicitly states that consent is not a defense to hazing.

Main Categories of Hazing in Today’s College Environment

Alcohol and Substance Hazing
This remains the most common—and most deadly—form of hazing. It includes forced or coerced drinking during “Big/Little” nights, “bid acceptance” parties, “family tree” drinking games, and chugging challenges. The Stone Foltz case at Bowling Green State University showed how a single bottle of alcohol consumed under pressure can be fatal.

Physical Hazing
This includes paddling, beatings, extreme calisthenics (“smokings” with hundreds of push-ups), sleep deprivation, food/water restriction, and exposure to extreme environments. The recent University of Houston Pi Kappa Phi case involved forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, followed by immediate sprints.

Sexualized and Humiliating Hazing
This includes forced nudity, simulated sexual acts (“roasted pig” positions, “elephant walk”), degrading costumes, and acts with racial or sexist overtones. The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets case involved cadets being bound between beds in humiliating positions.

Psychological Hazing
This involves verbal abuse, threats, isolation, manipulation, forced confessions, and public shaming. The digital age has amplified this through group chat harassment and social media humiliation.

Digital/Online Hazing
Today’s hazing lives on smartphones: GroupMe dares, Instagram story challenges, TikTok humiliation videos, Discord server harassment, and pressure to create compromising content. Members use disappearing messages (Snapchat, Instagram vanish mode) to avoid evidence.

Where Hazing Actually Happens in Texas

While fraternities and sororities receive most attention, hazing occurs across campus organizations:

• Fraternities and Sororities (IFC, Panhellenic, NPHC, multicultural)
• Corps of Cadets / ROTC / military-style groups (particularly at Texas A&M)
• Athletic teams (football, basketball, baseball, cheer, etc.)
• Spirit squads and tradition clubs (like Texas Cowboys at UT)
• Marching bands and performance groups
• Some service, cultural, and academic organizations

For Anahuac families, this means your child doesn’t need to join a fraternity to be at risk. Any organization with a power imbalance between new and established members can harbor hazing traditions.

Law & Liability Framework: Texas and Federal Laws That Protect Your Child

Texas Hazing Law Basics (Education Code Chapter 37)

Texas has specific anti-hazing provisions that govern cases involving Anahuac families and students across our state. The law defines hazing as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, directed against a student that:

1. Endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, AND
2. Occurs for the purpose of pledging, initiation into, affiliation with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members include students.

Key Points for Anahuac Parents:

• Can happen on or off campus (location doesn’t matter)
• Can be mental or physical harm
• Intent: Doesn’t have to be malicious; “reckless” is enough (knew the risk and did it anyway)
• “Consent is not a defense”: Even if your child agreed, it’s still hazing under Texas law

Criminal Penalties in Texas

• Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing that doesn’t cause serious injury (up to 180 days jail, fine up to $2,000)
• Class A Misdemeanor: If hazing causes injury that requires medical treatment
• State Jail Felony: If hazing causes serious bodily injury or death

Also criminal: Failing to report hazing (if you’re a member or officer and you knew about it) and retaliating against someone who reports hazing.

Criminal vs Civil Cases: What Anahuac Families Need to Know

Criminal Cases:

• Brought by the state (prosecutor)
• Aim: punishment (jail, fines, probation)
• Typical hazing-related charges: hazing offenses, furnishing alcohol to minors, assault, battery, manslaughter in fatal cases

Civil Cases:

• Brought by victims or surviving families
• Aim: monetary compensation and accountability
• Focus on: negligence, wrongful death, negligent supervision, premises liability, emotional distress

Both types can run side-by-side, and a criminal conviction is not required to pursue a civil case. Many Anahuac families pursue civil cases to recover medical expenses, compensate for pain and suffering, and hold institutions accountable even when criminal charges aren’t filed.

Federal Overlay: Stop Campus Hazing Act, Title IX, Clery

Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024)
Requires colleges that receive federal aid to report hazing incidents more transparently, strengthen hazing education and prevention, and maintain public hazing data (phased in by around 2026).

Title IX / Clery
When hazing involves sexual harassment, sexual assault, or gender-based hostility, Title IX obligations can be triggered. Clery requires reporting certain crimes and maintaining safety statistics; hazing incidents often overlap with those categories.

Who Can Be Liable in a Civil Hazing Lawsuit

Individual Students
The ones who planned, supplied the alcohol, carried out the acts, or helped cover them up.

Local Chapter / Organization
The fraternity/sorority or club itself (if it’s a legal entity). Individuals acting as officers or “pledge educators” can be key.

National Fraternity/Sorority
Headquarters that set policies, receive dues, and supervise chapters. Liability can hinge on what they knew or should have known from prior incidents.

University or Governing Board
The school or regents may be sued under certain negligence or civil-rights theories. Key questions: prior warnings, policy enforcement, deliberate indifference.

Third Parties
Landlords/owners of houses or event spaces, bars or alcohol providers (under dram shop theories), security companies or event organizers.

The Leonel Bermudez Case: University of Houston Pi Kappa Phi – A Texas Case Study

Right now, in Houston just an hour from Anahuac, we’re fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas. The Leonel Bermudez University of Houston Pi Kappa Phi case represents exactly what Anahuac families need to understand about modern hazing.

What Happened: A Texas Student’s Nightmare

In fall 2025, Leonel Bermudez, a transfer student at the University of Houston, accepted a bid to join the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter. What followed was months of systematic abuse:

The “Pledge Fanny Pack” Humiliation
Pledges were required to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, a sex toy, nicotine devices, and other humiliating items. Failure to comply triggered punishment and expulsion threats.

Forced Labor and Control
Enforced dress codes, hours-long “study/work” blocks, weekly interviews, overnight chauffeuring duties, and constant errands for older members.

Physical Abuse at Multiple Locations
Hazing occurred at the UH Pi Kappa Phi house, a Culmore Drive residence owned by a former member, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park. Activities included:

• Sprints, bear crawls, wheelbarrow races, “save-your-brother” drills
• Cold-weather exposure in underwear
• Lying in vomit-soaked grass
• Being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding”
• Forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, peppercorns until vomiting, then repeated sprints
• The Nov 3 workout: 100+ push-ups, 500 squats, creed recitation under threat of expulsion

Another Pledge Hog-Tied
On October 13, another pledge was hog-tied face-down on a table with an object in his mouth for over an hour while members prepared for a meeting.

Medical Catastrophe: Rhabdomyolysis and Kidney Failure

After the November 3 workout, Bermudez’s condition deteriorated. He developed rhabdomyolysis (severe skeletal muscle breakdown) and acute kidney failure. He passed brown urine, could not stand without help, and was hospitalized for four days. Lab tests showed critically high creatine kinase (CK) levels, confirming the diagnoses. He faces ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage and long-term physical/psychological harm.

Institutional Response and Legal Action

Defendants Include:

• University of Houston
• UH System Board of Regents
• Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters
• The Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu housing corporation
• 13 individual fraternity leaders/members (chapter president, pledgemaster, sorority relations chair, risk manager, and others)

Institutional Actions:

• Nov 6, 2025: Pi Kappa Phi HQ suspends the Beta Nu chapter
• Nov 14, 2025: Chapter members vote to surrender their charter; chapter is shut down
• UH labels the alleged conduct “deeply disturbing”, promises disciplinary measures up to expulsion and cooperation with law enforcement, and credits Pi Kappa Phi HQ for decisive action

Media Coverage:
This case has been covered extensively by Texas media, including Click2Houston’s report on the UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing case and ABC13’s coverage of the $10 million lawsuit.

Why This Matters for Anahuac Families

This case demonstrates several critical points for Chambers County parents:

1. Hazing happens at major Texas universities just an hour from Anahuac
2. Injuries can be catastrophic and life-altering
3. Multiple entities can be held accountable – not just the students involved
4. Evidence preservation is critical – digital evidence made this case
5. Experienced legal representation matters against powerful institutions

National Hazing Case Patterns: What History Tells Us About Risk

Alcohol Poisoning & Death Pattern

Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017)
Bid-acceptance event with heavy drinking. Severe falls captured on chapter cameras; hours delayed before medical help. Dozens of criminal charges against fraternity members; civil litigation; new Pennsylvania anti-hazing law named after him.

Andrew Coffey – Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi (2017)
Big/little event; pledge given a handle of liquor; drank to dangerous levels; died. Criminal hazing charges against members; FSU temporarily suspended Greek life.

Max Gruver – LSU, Phi Delta Theta (2017)
“Bible study” drinking game; forced to drink when answering questions incorrectly. Death led to felony hazing law in Louisiana (Max Gruver Act).

Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State University, Pi Kappa Alpha (2021)
Pledge night; forced to drink nearly a bottle of whiskey; died from alcohol poisoning. Multiple criminal convictions; BGSU agreed to nearly $3 million settlement with the family.

Physical & Ritualized Hazing Pattern

Chun “Michael” Deng – Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi (2013)
Pledge at a fraternity retreat subjected to a violent blindfolded “glass ceiling” ritual. Suffered fatal head injuries; help was delayed. Multiple members convicted; fraternity banned from Pennsylvania.

Athletic Program Hazing & Abuse

Northwestern University football (2023–2025)
Former players alleged sexualized, racist hazing within the football program. Multiple lawsuits against the university, staff; head coach fired and later settled confidentially.

What These Cases Mean for Anahuac Families

Common threads: forced drinking, humiliation, violence, delayed medical care, cover-ups. Reforms and multi-million-dollar settlements often follow only after tragedy and litigation. Texas families facing hazing are not alone and are operating in a landscape shaped by these national lessons.

Texas Focus: Where Anahuac Students Attend College

Anahuac families send students to universities across Texas. Here’s what you need to know about hazing at major institutions.

University of Houston (UH) – Houston, TX

Distance from Anahuac: Approximately 60 miles (1 hour drive)
Relevance to Anahuac Families: Many Chambers County students commute to UH or live on campus

Campus & Culture Snapshot
Large urban campus with active Greek life including fraternities, sororities, and multiple student organizations. The recent Pi Kappa Phi case demonstrates serious hazing risks.

Official Hazing Policy & Reporting Channels
UH prohibits hazing on or off campus. Reporting channels include the Dean of Students, conduct offices, and campus police. UH posts hazing statements and some disciplinary information online.

Selected Documented Incidents

• 2016 Pi Kappa Alpha case: Pledges allegedly deprived of sufficient food, water, and sleep; one student suffered a lacerated spleen
• 2025 Pi Kappa Phi case: Leonel Bermudez rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure case detailed above

How a UH Hazing Case Might Proceed
Involved agencies may include UHPD and/or Houston Police Department. Civil suits might be filed in Harris County courts. Potential defendants include individual students, the chapter, national fraternity, university, and property owners.

Texas A&M University – College Station, TX

Distance from Anahuac: Approximately 140 miles (2.5 hour drive)
Relevance to Anahuac Families: Traditional destination for Texas students seeking Greek life and Corps experience

Campus & Culture Snapshot
Large campus with strong Greek life and Corps of Cadets tradition. Known for traditional events that can sometimes cross into hazing.

Selected Documented Incidents

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon lawsuit (2021): Pledges alleged being covered in substances including industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin graft surgeries
• Corps of Cadets lawsuit (2023): Cadet alleged degrading hazing including simulated sexual acts and being bound between beds in “roasted pig” position

How Texas A&M Handles Hazing
Through Student Conduct and Corps regulations. Civil cases may focus on both Greek life and Corps traditions.

University of Texas at Austin (UT) – Austin, TX

Distance from Anahuac: Approximately 180 miles (3 hour drive)
Relevance to Anahuac Families: Premier Texas university attracting students statewide

Campus & Culture Snapshot
Flagship UT campus with extensive Greek life, spirit organizations, and athletic programs. UT maintains a public hazing violations page showing transparency.

UT’s Public Hazing Violations Page
Lists organizations, dates, conduct, and sanctions. Example entries:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members directed to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics; chapter placed on probation
• Various spirit organizations sanctioned for forced workouts and alcohol-related hazing

How UT Cases Proceed
May involve UTPD and Austin PD. Prior violations on UT’s public log can strongly support civil suits by showing patterns and knowledge.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) – Dallas, TX

Distance from Anahuac: Approximately 260 miles (4 hour drive)
Relevance to Anahuac Families: Private university option with strong Greek presence

Campus & Culture Snapshot
Private, affluent campus with strong Greek presence. SMU maintains hazing prevention efforts including anonymous reporting systems.

Selected Documented Incidents

• Kappa Alpha Order incident (2017): New members reportedly paddled, forced to drink alcohol, deprived of sleep; chapter suspended

Baylor University – Waco, TX

Distance from Anahuac: Approximately 200 miles (3.5 hour drive)
Relevance to Anahuac Families: Private Christian university option

Campus & Culture Snapshot
Private religious university with Greek life and athletic programs. Baylor has faced scrutiny over handling of misconduct cases.

Selected Documented Incidents

• Baylor baseball hazing (2020): 14 players suspended following hazing investigation

Public Records: Fraternities, Sororities & Greek Organizations Serving Anahuac Families

As part of our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, we maintain directories of Greek organizations operating in Texas. For Anahuac families, understanding this ecosystem is crucial because these organizations may hold insurance coverage and legal responsibility if your child is injured.

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metro Area (Including Anahuac Region)

The Houston metro area contains 188 Greek-related organizations according to Cause IQ data. These include undergraduate chapters, alumni associations, housing corporations, and honor societies. Examples from public records include:

Texas District of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity
Houston, TX (Alumni/house corporation) – IRS EIN: 746064445
This is the same national organization involved in the Stone Foltz death at Bowling Green and multiple Texas incidents.

Alpha Phi Omega – Bayou City Alumni
Houston, TX – Service fraternity alumni chapter

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Houston Alumnae
Houston, TX – Graduate chapter of national sorority

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – Beta Sigma Chapter
Houston, TX – Undergraduate chapter at Texas Southern University or UH

Texas-Registered Greek Organizations (IRS B83 Backbone)

Texas has 125+ registered Greek organizations with IRS tax-exempt status. These entities often hold insurance policies and property. Examples include:

KAPPA SIGMA – MU CAMMA CHAPTER INC
EIN: 133048786 | 3007 EARL RUDDER FWY S, COLLEGE STATION, TX 77845-6681
IRS B83 public filing – Texas A&M chapter housing corporation

GAMMA PHI BETA SORORITY INC
EIN: 161675890 | 115 WILD WICK WAY, THE WOODLANDS, TX 77382-1822
IRS B83 public filing – Zeta Rho house corporation

BETA NU PI KAPPA PHI FRATERNITY HOUSING CORPORATION INC
EIN: 462267515 | 10601 BIG HORN TRL, FRISCO, TX 75035-6629
IRS B83 public filing – Same national organization as UH case

ALPHA SIGMA PHI FRATERNITY INC
EIN: 475370943 | 5019 CALHOUN RD, HOUSTON, TX 77204-7005
IRS B83 public filing – Theta Delta chapter at UH

Why This Directory Matters for Anahuac Families

These public records show that Greek organizations are formal entities with:

• Tax-exempt status (EIN numbers)
• Legal addresses in Texas
• Insurance policies that may cover hazing claims
• Assets and property that can be targeted in lawsuits

When your child is hazed, we don’t start from zero. We already know how to identify the organizations behind the letters, find their insurance coverage, and hold them accountable.

Fraternities & Sororities: Campus-Specific + National Histories

Why National Histories Matter for Anahuac Cases

Many fraternities/sororities on Texas campuses are part of national organizations with documented hazing histories. When a Texas chapter repeats the same script that got another chapter shut down or sued in another state, that shows foreseeability and supports negligence arguments against national entities.

Organization Mapping: National Patterns in Texas Chapters

Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ / Pike)

• National history: Stone Foltz death (BGSU), David Bogenberger death (Northern Illinois)
• Texas presence: Chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin, SMU, Baylor
• Pattern: “Big/Little” alcohol hazing nights

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ / SAE)

• National history: Multiple hazing deaths nationwide; traumatic brain injury case (Alabama); chemical burns case (Texas A&M)
• Texas presence: Chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin, SMU
• Pattern: Physical abuse and forced drinking

Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ)

• National history: Max Gruver death (LSU)
• Texas presence: Chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin, Baylor
• Pattern: “Bible study” drinking games

Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ)

• National history: Andrew Coffey death (Florida State)
• Texas presence: Chapter at UH (now closed), other Texas campuses
• Pattern: Big Brother nights with excessive alcohol

How National Histories Support Legal Claims

Patterns across states and campuses show that certain organizations had repeated warnings. Courts consider whether national orgs:

• Meaningfully enforced anti-hazing policies
• Responded to prior incidents aggressively enough
• Implemented genuine prevention measures

This affects settlement leverage, insurance coverage disputes, and potential for punitive damages.

Building a Case: Evidence, Damages, Strategy for Anahuac Families

Critical Evidence in Modern Hazing Cases

Digital Communications (Most Important)

• GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord messages
• Instagram DMs, Snapchat, TikTok content
• Digital forensics can recover deleted messages
• Our video on using your phone to document evidence explains best practices

Photos & Videos

• Content filmed during events
• Security camera or doorbell footage
• Injury documentation over time

Internal Organization Documents

• Pledge manuals, initiation scripts
• Emails/texts about “traditions”
• National policies and training materials

University Records

• Prior conduct files, probation/suspensions
• Incident reports to campus police
• Clery reports and disclosures

Medical and Psychological Records

• Emergency room and hospitalization records
• Toxicology reports
• Psychological evaluations (PTSD, depression)

Witness Testimony

• Other pledges, members, roommates, RAs
• Former members who quit or were expelled

Damages in Hazing Cases

Medical Bills & Future Care
Immediate care (ER, ICU), surgeries, ongoing treatment, long-term care for brain injuries or organ damage.

Lost Earnings / Educational Impact
Missed semesters, setbacks entering workforce, reduced earning capacity if injuries are permanent.

Non-Economic Damages
Physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, trauma, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life.

Wrongful Death Damages (For Families)
Funeral and burial costs, loss of companionship and support, emotional harm to parents and siblings.

Punitive Damages
When defendants show reckless disregard or intentional misconduct. Texas has caps but allows them in appropriate cases.

Role of Different Defendants and Insurance Coverage

National fraternities and universities often have insurance policies that may come into play. Insurers sometimes argue hazing or intentional acts are excluded. Experienced hazing lawyers identify all potential coverage sources and navigate disputes about exclusions.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Anahuac Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs & Response

Warning Signs Your Child May Be Being Hazed

• Unexplained bruises, burns, cuts, or injuries
• Extreme fatigue, exhaustion beyond normal college stress
• Sudden secrecy about organization activities (“I can’t talk about it”)
• Personality changes: anxiety, depression, irritability
• Constant phone use for group chat monitoring
• Receiving calls/texts at all hours demanding immediate response

How to Talk to Your Child

• Ask open questions, avoid judgmental language
• “How are things going with [organization]? Are you enjoying it?”
• “Have they been respectful of your time for classes and sleep?”
• “Is there anything that makes you uncomfortable?”

If Your Child is Hurt

• Get them medical care immediately
• Document everything (photos of injuries, texts, what they tell you)
• Save names, dates, locations
• Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours

For Students: Self-Assessment & Safety

Is This Hazing? Decision Guide

• Am I being forced or pressured to do something I don’t want to do?
• Would I do this if I had a real choice (no social consequences)?
• Is this activity dangerous, degrading, or illegal?
• Would the university or my parents approve if they knew exactly what was happening?

How to Exit Safely

• You have the legal right to leave at any time
• Tell someone outside the org first (parent, RA, friend)
• Send an email/text to chapter leadership: “I am resigning effective immediately”
• Do NOT go to “one last meeting” where they might pressure you
• If you fear retaliation, report that fear to Dean of Students and campus police

Critical Mistakes That Can Destroy Your Case

1. Letting your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence
   Looks like a cover-up; can be obstruction of justice; makes case nearly impossible

2. Confronting the fraternity/sorority directly
   They immediately lawyer up, destroy evidence, coach witnesses

3. Signing university “release” or “resolution” forms
   You may waive your right to sue; settlements are often far below case value

4. Posting details on social media before talking to a lawyer
   Defense attorneys screenshot everything; inconsistencies hurt credibility

5. Waiting “to see how the university handles it”
   Evidence disappears, witnesses graduate, statute of limitations runs

6. Talking to insurance adjusters without a lawyer
   Recorded statements are used against you; early settlements are lowball

Watch our video on client mistakes that can ruin your injury case for more guidance.

Short FAQ for Anahuac Families

“Can I sue a university for hazing in Texas?”
Yes, under certain circumstances. Public universities (UH, Texas A&M, UT) have some sovereign immunity protections, but exceptions exist for gross negligence, Title IX violations, and when suing individuals. Private universities (SMU, Baylor) have fewer immunity protections. Every case depends on specific facts.

“Is hazing a felony in Texas?”
It can be. Texas law classifies hazing as a Class B misdemeanor by default, but it becomes a state jail felony if the hazing causes serious bodily injury or death.

“Can my child bring a case if they ‘agreed’ to the initiation?”
Yes. Texas Education Code § 37.155 explicitly states that consent is not a defense to hazing. Courts recognize that “consent” under peer pressure and power imbalance is not true voluntary consent.

“How long do we have to file a hazing lawsuit?”
Generally 2 years from the date of injury or death in Texas, but the “discovery rule” may extend this if the harm wasn’t immediately known. Our video on Texas statutes of limitations explains timing considerations.

“What if the hazing happened off-campus or at a private house?”
Location doesn’t eliminate liability. Universities and national fraternities can still be liable based on sponsorship, control, knowledge, and foreseeability.

“Will this be confidential, or will my child’s name be in the news?”
Most hazing cases settle confidentially before trial. You can request sealed court records and confidential settlement terms. We prioritize your family’s privacy.

Why Attorney911 for Anahuac Hazing Cases

When your family faces a hazing case, you need more than a general personal injury lawyer. You need attorneys who understand how powerful institutions fight back—and how to win anyway. From our Texas offices, we serve families throughout our state, including Anahuac and Chambers County.

Our Unique Qualifications for Hazing Cases

Insurance Insider Advantage (Lupe Peña)
Mr. Peña spent years as an insurance defense attorney at a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies value (and undervalue) hazing claims, their delay tactics, coverage exclusion arguments, and settlement strategies. We know their playbook because we used to run it.

Complex Litigation Against Massive Institutions (Ralph Manginello)
One of the few Texas firms involved in BP Texas City explosion litigation. Federal court experience (U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas). Not intimidated by national fraternities, universities, or their defense teams. We’ve taken on billion-dollar corporations and won.

Multi-Million Dollar Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury Experience
Proven track record in complex wrongful death cases with economist collaboration. Experience valuing lifetime care needs (brain injury, permanent disability cases). We don’t settle cheap—we build cases that force accountability.

Criminal + Civil Hazing Expertise
Ralph’s membership in Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand how criminal hazing charges interact with civil litigation. We can advise witnesses and former members with dual exposure.

Investigative Depth
Network of experts: medical, digital forensics, economists, psychologists. Experience obtaining hidden evidence (group chats, chapter records, university files). We investigate like your child’s life depends on it—because it does.

Spanish-Language Services
Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish. Servicios legales en español disponibles para familias hispanas.

How We Investigate Hazing Cases

1. Immediate evidence preservation before deletion
2. Digital forensics to recover deleted messages and social media content
3. Public records requests for university discipline files
4. Discovery demands to national fraternities for prior incident reports
5. Expert consultation with medical professionals, psychologists, economists
6. Witness interviews with other pledges, former members, bystanders
7. Insurance coverage analysis to identify all potential policies

Our Approach to Hazing Cases

We know this is one of the hardest things a family can face. Our job is to get you answers, hold the right people accountable, and help prevent this from happening to another family. This isn’t about bravado or quick settlements—it’s about thorough investigation and real accountability.

Contact Attorney911 for a Confidential Anahuac Consultation

If you or your child experienced hazing at any Texas campus—whether at UH just an hour away, Texas A&M, UT Austin, or any other university—we want to hear from you. Families in Anahuac, Chambers County, and throughout the surrounding region have the right to answers and accountability.

What to Expect in Your Free Consultation

• We’ll listen to your story without judgment
• Review any evidence you have (photos, texts, medical records)
• Explain your legal options: criminal report, civil lawsuit, both, or neither
• Discuss realistic timelines and what to expect
• Answer your questions about costs (contingency fee – we don’t get paid unless we win)
• No pressure to hire us on the spot – take time to decide
• Everything you tell us is confidential

Contact Information

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 (Ralph Manginello), lupe@atty911.com (Lupe Peña)

Spanish Services: Hablamos Español – Contact Mr. Peña at lupe@atty911.com for consultation in Spanish

Clear Expectations

Reading this article does not create an attorney–client relationship. Every case is unique, and we cannot guarantee specific outcomes. An experienced attorney can review your specific facts, explain your rights under Texas law, and help you understand your options.

Whether you’re in Anahuac or anywhere across Texas, if hazing has impacted your family, you don’t have to face this alone. The institutions involved have lawyers protecting their interests. Your family deserves the same level of representation.

Call us today at 1-888-ATTY-911. We’re here to help.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

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

Click2Houston (KPRC 2) report: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/11/21/only-on-2-lawsuit-alleges-severe-hazing-at-university-of-houstons-pi-kappa-phi-chapter-fraternity/

ABC13 Eyewitness News coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/

Hoodline summary of the $10M lawsuit: https://hoodline.com/2025/11/university-of-houston-and-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity-face-10m-lawsuit-over-alleged-hazing-and-abuse/

Attorney911 Educational YouTube Videos

Using your cellphone to document evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs

Texas statutes of limitations explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c

Client mistakes that can ruin your injury case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY

How contingency fees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Attorney911 Main Website

Homepage and contact information: 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
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