Hazing in Texas: A Comprehensive Legal Guide for Families in The Colony

When Tradition Turns Tragic: What Every The Colony Family Needs to Know

Imagine receiving a phone call no parent in The Colony ever wants to answer. Your child, who you dropped off at the University of North Texas just weeks ago, is now in an emergency room at Medical City Denton. He’s being treated for rhabdomyolysis—severe muscle breakdown—and acute kidney failure. His urine is brown. He tells you through tears about being forced through hundreds of push-ups and squats, about cold exposure drills, about being sprayed in the face with a hose “like waterboarding.” He shows you his “pledge fanny pack” containing condoms and humiliating items he was required to carry. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario. This is exactly what happened to Leonel Bermudez at the University of Houston’s Pi Kappa Phi fraternity in fall 2025—and his story is the tip of the iceberg in Texas Greek life.

Right now, families in The Colony, Lewisville, Denton, Flower Mound, and across North Texas are facing similar nightmares. Whether your student attends the University of North Texas just minutes away, Texas Woman’s University down the road, or has ventured further to the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M, or beyond, the reality is stark: hazing continues to injure and kill Texas students despite decades of “zero tolerance” policies.

This comprehensive guide is written specifically for The Colony families who need answers, clarity, and a path forward. We’ll explain what modern hazing really looks like in 2025, break down Texas hazing laws in plain English, connect national patterns to what’s happening at Texas universities, and show how experienced legal representation can make the difference between cover-up and 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 in The Colony’s Backyard

Beyond the Stereotypes: Modern Hazing Methods

For parents in The Colony who may remember fraternity life from decades ago, today’s hazing has evolved into something more dangerous, more psychologically complex, and better hidden. The “hell week” of paddling and forced drinking has been replaced with sophisticated coercion that leaves fewer visible marks but causes deeper harm.

Digital Hazing: The 24/7 Pressure Cooker
Today’s pledges don’t just face hazing at Thursday night meetings—they face it constantly through their smartphones. GroupMe, WhatsApp, Discord, and fraternity-specific apps create a 24/7 environment where:

• Pledges must respond instantly to messages at all hours (failure means punishment)
• Location-sharing apps track their movements (“Find My Friends” is often mandatory)
• Social media becomes a tool for public humiliation (forced TikTok challenges, Instagram dares)
• Sleep deprivation happens digitally (3 AM “check-ins,” overnight “study sessions” via Zoom)

Psychological Hazing: The Invisible Injuries
What doesn’t show up in emergency rooms but causes lasting damage:

• Gaslighting: “This is tradition” / “Everyone before you did it” / “If you can’t handle this, you don’t deserve to be here”
• Social isolation: Cutting off contact with non-members, requiring permission to see family
• Identity erosion: Forced to answer to demeaning nicknames, wear specific clothing, carry humiliating items (like the “pledge fanny packs” in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case)
• Coerced “consent”: Framing everything as “optional” while making clear refusal means social death

Physical Hazing: Still Deadly, Just Better Hidden
The physical abuse hasn’t disappeared—it’s moved off-campus and become more extreme:

• “Retreat” hazing: Moving violent activities to Airbnbs, hunting lodges, or remote properties (like the Pi Delta Psi case that killed Michael Deng in the Pocono Mountains)
• Disguised as “wellness”: Extreme workouts framed as “fitness challenges,” sleep deprivation as “team building”
• Chemical hazing: Industrial cleaners, raw eggs, and other substances poured on pledges (as in the Texas A&M SAE case that caused chemical burns requiring skin grafts)
• Fire/burn hazing: The San Diego State Phi Kappa Psi case where a pledge was set on fire during a “skit,” suffering third-degree burns over 16% of his body

Where Hazing Happens in Texas: It’s Not Just Fraternities

The Colony families should understand that hazing extends far beyond Greek letters:

Greek Life (All Councils):

• Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternities
• Panhellenic sororities
• National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC/D9) organizations
• Multicultural Greek Council groups

Corps of Cadets & Military Programs:

• Texas A&M Corps of Cadets (with its own documented hazing cases)
• ROTC programs at various campuses

Athletic Teams:

• Football, basketball, baseball programs
• Cheer and spirit squads
• Club and intramural sports

Spirit & Tradition Groups:

• Texas Cowboys (UT Austin)
• Similar organizations at other campuses
• Marching bands and performance groups

Academic & Service Organizations:

• Honor societies
• Professional fraternities
• Volunteer organizations

The common thread across all these groups? Power imbalance, tradition used to justify abuse, and systems that protect perpetrators over victims.

Texas Hazing Law: What The Colony Families Need to Know

Texas Education Code Chapter 37: Your Legal Foundation

Texas has one of the clearer anti-hazing statutes in the country, and understanding it is crucial for The Colony families. Here’s what Texas Education Code Chapter 37, Subchapter F says in plain English:

Definition (Sec. 37.151): Hazing means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—whether on or off campus—that:

• Endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student
• AND occurs for purposes of pledging, initiation, affiliation, holding office, or maintaining membership in any student organization

Key Points for The Colony Families:

1. Location doesn’t matter: Hazing at an off-campus Airbnb in Denton or a retreat in Oklahoma is still hazing under Texas law
2. Mental or physical harm both count: PTSD, anxiety, and humiliation are legally recognized harms alongside broken bones and alcohol poisoning
3. “Reckless” is enough: They don’t have to intend harm—just be reckless about known risks
4. “Consent is NOT a defense” (Sec. 37.155): Even if your child “agreed,” it’s still hazing under Texas law

Criminal Penalties (Sec. 37.152)

• Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine)
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing causing injury requiring medical treatment
• State Jail Felony: Hazing causing serious bodily injury or death (this is what applies in cases like the UH Pi Kappa Phi rhabdomyolysis case)

Additional Crimes: Failing to report hazing if you’re a member/officer, retaliating against reporters—both misdemeanors.

Organizational Liability (Sec. 37.153)

This is crucial for families: The organization itself can be prosecuted if:

• The organization authorized or encouraged the hazing
• OR an officer/member acting officially knew about it and failed to report

Penalties include fines up to $10,000 per violation and university expulsion of the organization.

Good-Faith Reporting Immunity (Sec. 37.154)

Texas law protects those who report hazing in good faith. Many universities (including UNT and TWU) have amnesty policies for students who call 911 in alcohol emergencies, even if they were drinking underage.

How Texas Compares to Other States

Texas has strong hazing laws but not the strongest:

• Pennsylvania (Timothy J. Piazza Law): More automatic felonies, enhanced penalties
• Louisiana (Max Gruver Act): Serious prison time for felony hazing
• Ohio (Collin’s Law): Felony when drugs/alcohol cause physical harm
• Florida (Chad Meredith Law): Criminalized hazing after drowning death

Texas falls in the middle—good criminal provisions but room for stronger reforms.

Federal Overlay: What Applies in Texas Too

Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024):

• Requires colleges receiving federal aid to publicly report hazing incidents
• Phased in by 2026—meaning more transparency coming
• Applies to all Texas public universities and most privates

Title IX:

• When hazing involves sexual harassment or assault
• Creates additional reporting obligations for universities
• Can provide additional legal avenues for victims

Clery Act:

• Requires crime reporting including hazing-related assaults
• Many universities underreport—something we investigate in hazing cases

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Mapping the Greek Ecosystem Serving The Colony Families

Public Records: Fraternities, Sororities & Greek Organizations Connected to The Colony

One of our unique advantages at Attorney911 is our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—a comprehensive database of every Greek organization registered in Texas. This isn’t theoretical; it’s concrete public records data that shows exactly who’s behind the organizations that may affect your family.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area: Your Local Greek Landscape

The Colony sits within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro, which according to Cause IQ data contains 510 Greek-related organizations. These aren’t just undergraduate chapters—they include alumni associations, housing corporations, honor societies, and educational foundations that all play roles in the Greek ecosystem.

Examples from Public Records (IRS B83 Filings):

1. Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity (EIN: 742911848)

   • Fort Worth, TX 76244
   • IRS B83 filing + Cause IQ metro listing
   • Fraternity foundation and chapter operations

2. Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc (EIN: 741380362)

   • Fort Worth, TX 76147-0061
   • Educational/housing foundation supporting Kappa Sigma chapters

3. Kappa Delta Sorority – Gamma Beta Chapter (Cause IQ listing)

   • Denton, TX
   • Chapter at Texas Woman’s University serving The Colony area

4. Denton-Lewisville Guide Right Foundation (EIN: 861205340)

   • Flower Mound, TX 75028
   • Kappa Alpha Psi-related educational foundation

5. Frisco TX Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Inc (EIN: 920575785)

   • Frisco, TX 75034
   • Alumni chapter serving North Texas including The Colony

Why This Directory Matters for The Colony Families:
When hazing occurs, liability doesn’t stop with the undergraduate students. There’s often a chain of organizations—housing corporations that own the houses, alumni associations that fund them, national headquarters that set policies—that all share responsibility. Our directory helps identify every potentially liable entity immediately.

Where The Colony Families Send Their Students: Campus Connections

Local/North Texas Campuses:

• University of North Texas (Denton, TX) – Many The Colony students attend
• Texas Woman’s University (Denton, TX) – Major university minutes from The Colony
• Collin College (various locations) – Common transfer path to universities
• University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, TX) – Growing Greek life
• Texas A&M University-Commerce (Commerce, TX) – Regional option

Major Texas Destinations for The Colony Students:

1. University of Texas at Austin – Flagship campus with extensive Greek life
2. Texas A&M University – Corps of Cadets and major Greek system
3. University of Houston – Where the Pi Kappa Phi case occurred
4. Baylor University – Private university with significant Greek presence
5. Southern Methodist University – Dallas-based with strong Greek traditions
6. Texas Tech University – Lubbock campus with active Greek life
7. Texas State University – San Marcos with growing Greek community

The Reality: The Colony families often have students at multiple universities simultaneously—one at UNT, another at UT Austin, perhaps a third at A&M. Each campus has its own Greek ecosystem with different organizations, different patterns of hazing, and different institutional responses.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Scripts Being Repeated in Texas

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern: From Pennsylvania to Texas

Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017)

• Bid acceptance night with forced drinking games
• Piazza fell multiple times, suffering fatal head injuries
• Fraternity members delayed calling 911 for 12 hours
• Result: 18 members charged with 1,000+ criminal counts; Pennsylvania passed Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law

Why This Matters for The Colony: The same “bid acceptance night” script plays out at Texas campuses every fall. The delayed medical response pattern is exactly what we see in Texas cases—students afraid to call 911 because they’ll “get the chapter shut down.”

Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha (2021)

• Pledge forced to drink entire bottle of alcohol during “Big/Little” night
• Died from alcohol poisoning
• Result: $10 million settlement ($7M from Pi Kappa Alpha national, ~$3M from BGSU)

Why This Matters for The Colony: Pi Kappa Alpha has chapters at UT Austin, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and other Texas schools. The same national organization, the same patterns.

The Physical Hazing Pattern: Rituals That Kill

Chun “Michael” Deng – Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi (2013)

• “Glass ceiling” ritual: blindfolded, weighted with backpack, repeatedly tackled
• Suffered fatal traumatic brain injury
• Members delayed calling 911, tried to hide evidence
• Result: National fraternity convicted of aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter; banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years

Why This Matters for The Colony: Shows that off-campus retreats (common in Texas) can be deadlier than on-campus events, and that national organizations can face criminal conviction, not just civil liability.

The Athletic Hazing Pattern: Beyond Greek Life

Northwestern University Football (2023-2025)

• Allegations of sexualized, racist hazing within football program
• Multiple lawsuits against university and coaches
• Result: Head coach Pat Fitzgerald fired; confidential settlements

**Why This Matters for The