Hazing in Texas: A Guide for Northlake Families Seeking Accountability and Justice

We represent families in Northlake and across Denton County whose children have been hurt by fraternity, sorority, Corps, athletic team, or other campus organization hazing. Right now, in a Harris County courtroom, our firm is actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas—representing Leonel Bermudez in his $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, and 13 individual fraternity leaders after he suffered rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure from brutal hazing. If your child has been injured or humiliated in connection with campus organizations, you are not alone, and you have rights. This guide explains what hazing really looks like today, how Texas law protects victims, and what steps Northlake families can take to seek 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 your student insists they are “fine.”
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Screenshot group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), texts, and DMs immediately.
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles.
  • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects used in hazing).
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
  • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
  • Post details on public social media.
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney. Evidence disappears fast—deleted group chats, destroyed paddles, coached witnesses. Universities often move quickly to control the narrative. We can help you preserve evidence and protect your child’s rights from the start. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025

Hazing is not just “boys will be boys” or “harmless tradition.” It is a calculated pattern of coercion, humiliation, and abuse designed to assert power and create loyalty through suffering. For Northlake families, understanding the modern reality is critical, whether your child attends the University of North Texas in nearby Denton, Texas A&M in College Station, or any campus nationwide.

Beyond the Stereotypes: A Modern Taxonomy of Abuse

Hazing today falls into three escalating categories:

Tier 1: Subtle Hazing & Psychological Control
This creates power imbalance and sets the stage for worse abuse. It includes forced secrecy (“don’t tell your parents”), mandatory servitude (24/7 chauffeur duties, cleaning members’ rooms), social isolation, “optional” events that are socially mandatory, and constant digital monitoring via group chats.

Tier 2: Harassment Hazing
These acts cause emotional or physical distress. Examples include sleep deprivation with 3 AM wake-up calls, verbal abuse and “grilling” sessions, forced consumption of unpleasant substances (spoiled food, excessive milk, hot sauce), and extreme calisthenics framed as “workouts.”

Tier 3: Violent & Life-Threatening Hazing
This is what leads to hospitalization, lifelong injury, and death. It encompasses forced alcohol consumption (chugging, funneling, “Big/Little” drinking games), physical beatings and paddling, dangerous physical tests (“glass ceiling” tackles, blindfolded challenges), sexualized hazing (forced nudity, simulated acts), and exposure to extreme elements.

The Leonel Bermudez University of Houston Pi Kappa Phi case exemplifies this brutal progression. According to the Click2Houston report on UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing case, Bermudez was subjected to a “pledge fanny pack” humiliation rule, forced dress codes, and overnight chauffeuring (Tier 1). This escalated to harassment: cold-weather exposure in underwear, lying in vomit-soaked grass, and forced interviews (Tier 2). It culminated in violent hazing: being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, and a November 3 “workout” of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion (Tier 3). The result was catastrophic: rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney failure, brown urine, and a four-day hospitalization.

The Digital Hazing Evolution

Today’s hazing is documented and coordinated digitally. Evidence exists in:

• Group Chats: GroupMe, WhatsApp, Discord, and iMessage threads where hazing is planned, coordinated, and bragged about.
• Social Media: Instagram stories, Snapchat snaps, and TikTok videos showing degrading acts.
• Location Tracking: Demands for pledges to share live location via Find My Friends or Life360.
• Deleted Evidence: A core defense tactic—members are often coached to delete messages after events.

Preserving this digital evidence is the first critical step. Watch our video on using your phone to document a legal case for guidance.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: What Northlake Families Need to Know

Texas has specific laws governing hazing, and understanding them is the foundation for accountability.

The Texas Education Code: Chapter 37, Subchapter F

Definition (§37.151): Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership in an organization that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of that student. It can occur on or off campus.

Key Provisions for Families:

• Consent is NOT a Defense (§37.155): Even if your child “agreed,” it is not a legal defense. The law recognizes the power imbalance and coercion inherent in hazing.
• Criminal Penalties (§37.152): Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. It becomes a Class A misdemeanor if it causes bodily injury and a STATE JAIL FELONY if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Organizational Liability (§37.153): The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be fined up to $10,000 and lose university recognition.
• Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting (§37.154): Students who report hazing or call 911 in a medical emergency are generally protected from university discipline and criminal prosecution related to underage drinking that night.

Civil Liability: The Path to Justice and Compensation

A criminal case, brought by the state, seeks punishment. A civil lawsuit, which we file on behalf of victims and families, seeks compensation for damages and institutional accountability. They can proceed simultaneously.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Hazing Case?

1. Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, carried out, or supplied alcohol for the hazing.
2. Chapter Officers & Leaders: The president, pledgemaster, risk manager, and others who authorized or failed to stop the conduct.
3. The Local Chapter: As a legal entity, if it owns property or holds insurance.
4. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: For failing to adequately supervise, train, or intervene despite known patterns of hazing across their chapters.
5. The University: For negligent supervision, deliberate indifference to a known risk, or Title IX violations (if the hazing is sexualized).
6. Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, alcohol providers, or security companies.

The Federal Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and New National Laws

• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges receiving federal aid to publicly report hazing incidents and strengthen prevention programs by 2026.
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment, assault, or gender-based hostility, the university has specific legal duties to investigate and address it.
• Clery Act: Requires universities to disclose campus crime statistics, which can include hazing-related assaults.

Lessons from National Tragedies: Patterns That Repeat in Texas

The hazing that injured Leonel Bermudez at UH is not an isolated incident. It follows a national playbook. Understanding these patterns is crucial to proving that organizations knew or should have known the risks.

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern

• Stone Foltz, Bowling Green State (Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Pledge died after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. Outcome: $10 million settlement ($7M from national Pi Kappa Alpha, ~$3M from university).
• Max Gruver, LSU (Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died after a “Bible study” drinking game. Outcome: Criminal convictions; Louisiana passed the “Max Gruver Act” felony hazing law.
• Andrew Coffey, Florida State (Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Died after “Big Brother” night. Outcome: FSU suspended all Greek life; Pi Kappa Phi chapter closed.

The Physical Abuse & Cover-Up Pattern

• Timothy Piazza, Penn State (Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injury after falls during a bid night. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. Outcome: Dozens of criminal charges; Pennsylvania’s “Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.”
• Chun “Michael” Deng, Baruch College (Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from a blindfolded, weighted “glass ceiling” tackling ritual at a retreat. Outcome: National fraternity convicted of charges; banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.

The Severe Injury Pattern

• Danny Santulli, University of Missouri (Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from alcohol hazing. Requires 24/7 care for life. Outcome: Settlements with 22 defendants.
• Texas A&M Sigma Alpha Epsilon (2021): Pledges allegedly suffered severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts after substances, including industrial cleaner, were poured on them. Outcome: Chapter suspended; lawsuit filed.

The Takeaway for Northlake Families: These are not “rogue” incidents. They are predictable, repeated outcomes of specific, known hazing rituals. When the same rituals surface at a Texas school, it demonstrates foreseeability—a key element in proving negligence against national organizations and universities.

The Texas University Landscape: Where Northlake Students Go and the Risks They Face

Parents in Northlake, Denton County, send their children to a variety of Texas universities. Our deep investigation into the Greek ecosystem surrounding these schools informs every case we handle.

The Local Anchor: University of North Texas (UNT) & Texas Woman’s University (TWU)

For many Northlake families, college begins close to home in Denton at UNT or TWU. These campuses host active Greek communities with their own histories and risks, nested within the vast Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro Greek ecosystem, which our data shows contains over 500 Greek-related organizations.

A Snapshot of the DFW Greek Ecosystem from Public Records:
The following are examples of registered Greek organizations in the metro area, drawn from IRS and public filings. This demonstrates the complex web of entities—house corporations, alumni chapters, educational foundations—that operate behind the scenes:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity, EIN 74-2911848, Fort Worth, TX 76244 (IRS B83 / Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc, EIN 74-1380362, Fort Worth, TX 76147 (IRS B83 / Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Kappa Delta Sorority – Gamma Beta Chapter, Denton, TX (Cause IQ Metro Listing – Texas Woman’s University)
• Denton-Lewisville Guide Right Foundation, EIN 86-1205340, Flower Mound, TX 75028 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Lambda Lambda Chapter, EIN 52-1278573, Dallas, TX 75241 (IRS B83 Filing)

These entities often hold insurance, own property, and are critical targets in a thorough hazing investigation.

Where Else Northlake Families Send Their Students:
Beyond Denton, Northlake students commonly attend:

• Major State Universities: Texas A&M University (College Station), University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston.
• Private Universities: Southern Methodist University (Dallas), Baylor University (Waco), Texas Christian University (Fort Worth).
• Other Texas Schools: Texas State University (San Marcos), Texas Tech University (Lubbock).

Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine tracks the organizations connected to these campuses. For instance, the University of Houston is in a metro with 188 Greek organizations; Texas A&M is in a metro with 42. We use this data to identify every potentially liable entity from the start.

University-Specific Hazing Realities

Texas A&M University – College Station
The culture of tradition, including in the Corps of Cadets and large Greek system, can mask abuse. Notable incidents include the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chemical burns lawsuit and a 2023 Corps of Cadets lawsuit alleging a cadet was bound in a “roasted pig” position. A&M’s size and institutional pride can make internal reporting feel daunting for victims.

University of Texas at Austin
UT maintains a relatively transparent public hazing violations log. Recent entries show sanctions for groups like Pi Kappa Alpha (2023, for forced milk consumption and calisthenics) and various spirit groups. This public record is a double-edged sword—it shows recurring problems but also provides families with evidence of a known pattern.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University
As private institutions, disciplinary processes can be less transparent. SMU has seen chapter suspensions like the Kappa Alpha Order in 2017 for paddling and forced drinking. Baylor has faced hazing scandals within its baseball program. The “private school” label does not diminish legal liability.

The Common Thread: Every university, public or private, has a legal duty to take reasonable steps to protect students from foreseeable harm—including known hazing risks within recognized student organizations.

Fraternities & Sororities: The National Brands Behind the Local Chapters

When hazing occurs at a Texas chapter, the national headquarters is almost always a key player. Their historical patterns of misconduct create legal liability.

How National Histories Build Your Case: “Foreseeability”

In law, “foreseeability” asks whether a reasonable person or organization should have anticipated the harm. When a national fraternity has seen deaths and serious injuries from the same rituals at other chapters, they cannot claim the Texas incident was unforeseeable.

Cross-Validated National Brands in Texas:
Our data cross-references IRS filings with metro organization lists. For example, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority appears in IRS records with chapters in Waco and Commerce, and also in Cause IQ listings for Houston and Beaumont chapters. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi appears in IRS records tied to multiple Texas campuses. This overlap shows how national brands permeate the state.

National Organizations with Documented Hazing Patterns:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ): Stone Foltz death (Bowling Green); history of alcohol hazing.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ): Multiple deaths nationwide; chemical burns case at Texas A&M; traumatic brain injury lawsuit at Alabama.
• Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ): Andrew Coffey death (Florida State); the active, flagship Bermudez case at UH.
• Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ): Max Gruver death (LSU).
• Phi Gamma Delta (ΦΓΔ): Danny Santulli catastrophic brain injury (Missouri).

When we take a case, we immediately subpoena the national organization’s records for prior incident reports, risk management warnings, and internal communications about the specific chapter. This “pattern and practice” evidence is devastating to their defense.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and What We Do for Northlake Families

Filing a hazing lawsuit is a complex, institutional fight. You are not up against a few college students; you are up against national organizations with deep-pocketed insurers and experienced defense firms. Our approach is built on 25+ years of complex litigation, including taking on billion-dollar corporations in the BP Texas City explosion litigation.

Our Investigative Process: The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine in Action

1. Immediate Evidence Preservation: We guide you to secure digital evidence—screenshots of group chats, social media posts, location data—before it vanishes. This is where Mr. Lupe Peña’s background as a former insurance defense attorney is invaluable; he knows exactly how insurers will try to claim evidence was altered or insufficient.
2. Complainant & Witness Interviews: We speak with your child, other pledges, former members, roommates, and anyone with knowledge, often uncovering crucial details the university missed.
3. Public Records & Data Analysis: We deploy our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine. This means pulling the IRS B83 records, Cause IQ metro data, and campus rosters to map the entire organizational structure behind the chapter. We identify every possible defendant: the local chapter corporation, the alumni housing board, the national headquarters, and related foundations.
4. Strategic Discovery: We subpoena records from the national fraternity/sorority, seeking their entire history with the chapter: prior complaints, warnings, risk management visits, and evidence that they knew problems existed. We also pursue university records through discovery and public information requests.
5. Expert Collaboration: We work with a network of experts: emergency medicine physicians to explain injuries like rhabdomyolysis, psychologists to document PTSD, digital forensics specialists to recover deleted messages, and economists to calculate lifelong impacts.

Understanding Damages: What Can Be Recovered

A civil lawsuit seeks to make the victim and family whole and to punish egregious conduct. Recoverable damages include:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (ER, hospitalization, therapy), future medical care, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional suffering, mental anguish, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of gross negligence or intentional conduct, courts can award additional damages to punish the defendant and deter future behavior. The deliberate, brutal nature of hazing often supports such claims.

In wrongful death cases, families can recover funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and damages for grief, loss of companionship, and emotional suffering.

Crucial Point: Under Texas’ contingency fee model, you pay no attorney fees unless we recover money for you. Learn more in our video on how contingency fees work.

Practical Guides for Parents, Students, and Witnesses

For Northlake Parents: A Step-by-Step Action Plan

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: Get medical care immediately. Injuries like compartment syndrome or rhabdomyolysis can be fatal if untreated.
2. Become an Evidence Archivist: Your child’s phone is a crime scene. Help them screenshot EVERYTHING—group chats, texts, social media posts, photos. Do not delete anything.
3. Document Conversations: Write down everything your child tells you, with dates and names.
4. Seek Legal Counsel BEFORE Reporting: While reporting to the university is important, once you report, the institution’s legal team takes over. Consult with us first to understand your rights and develop a strategy. We can often help you report in a way that protects your child’s interests.
5. Understand the University’s Role: The Dean of Students’ primary duty is to the institution. Do not assume they are your advocate. Be polite but document all interactions.
6. Know the Deadline: Texas has a statute of limitations for personal injury claims. Do not wait. Watch our video on Texas statutes of limitations and contact us to preserve your rights.

For Students: Is This Hazing? What Are My Rights?

• The Test: Are you being forced, coerced, or pressured to do something dangerous, degrading, or illegal to join or stay in a group? If yes, it’s hazing.
• Your Rights: You have the right to be safe. You have the right to leave. You have the right to report without fear of retaliation under Texas law. “Consent” is not a defense for them.
• Exiting Safely: Your safety comes first. If you need to leave a dangerous situation, call 911 or a trusted friend. You do not owe an explanation to your abusers.
• Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots, photos of injuries, and save any physical objects. This is your leverage for accountability.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Hazing Case

We see families make these errors with devastating consequences:

• Deleting Evidence: “Cleaning up” group chats or social media looks like a cover-up and destroys your case.
• Confronting the Fraternity Directly: This triggers their defense protocol, leading to evidence destruction and witness coaching.
• Signing University Resolution Agreements: Universities may offer a quick, confidential resolution that waives your right to sue for far less than your case is worth.
• Posting on Social Media: Defense investigators monitor everything. Inconsistencies between posts and formal statements will be used against you.
• Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses graduate and become unreachable, and the statute of limitations can expire.

Learn more about these pitfalls in our video on client mistakes that can ruin your injury case.

Why Attorney911 for Your Northlake Hazing Case

When your family is facing the trauma of hazing, you need more than a lawyer; you need advocates who understand the institutional battlefield, the psychology of cover-ups, and the Texas legal landscape inside and out.

Our Unique Advantages in Hazing Litigation

1. Active, High-Stakes Texas Hazing Experience: We are currently leading the Leonel Bermudez vs. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit. This isn’t historical experience; we are in the fight right now against a major Texas university and national fraternity. We know the current defense tactics, judges, and strategies.
2. Insider Insurance Knowledge: Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him) spent years as an insurance defense attorney for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny coverage, undervalue claims, and drag out cases. We use their own playbook against them.
3. Proven Institutional Litigation Credentials: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We have faced billion-dollar defendants with unlimited legal budgets and won. National fraternities and universities do not intimidate us.
4. The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: We don’t start from scratch. We maintain a proprietary database of over 1,400 Greek organizations in Texas, built from IRS filings, campus records, and metro data. We know how to find the hidden entities that hold insurance and liability.
5. Dual Civil & Criminal Capability: Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the criminal side of hazing investigations. We can effectively advise clients navigating both civil and potential criminal proceedings.
6. A Commitment to Your Family: We are a Texas firm, founded by Texans, serving Texas families. Mr. Peña is a third-generation Texan fluent in Spanish. We understand the values and concerns of Northlake and Denton County families.

Your Next Step: A Confidential, No-Obligation Consultation

If hazing has impacted your family, you deserve answers, accountability, and justice. The path forward begins with a conversation.

In your free consultation, we will:

• Listen to your story with empathy and without judgment.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain the legal landscape and your family’s options in plain English.
• Discuss the investigative process and what to expect.
• Answer all your questions about timelines, costs, and potential outcomes.
• There is no pressure to hire us. We will give you the information you need to make the best decision for your family.

Time is of the essence. Evidence fades, memories blur, and organizations close ranks. Protect your child’s future and your family’s right to justice.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911 Today

Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com
Se habla Español: Mr. Lupe Peña provides full services in Spanish.

We serve hazing victims and their families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. If your child was hazed at UNT, TWU, Texas A&M, UT, UH, SMU, Baylor, or any other campus, call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. We are ready to help.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

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

• Click2Houston (KPRC 2): 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 (KTRK): https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• Hoodline: 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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Attorney911 Main Website: https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer

This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC.

Hazing laws, university policies, and legal precedents can change. The information in this guide is current as of late 2025 but may not reflect the most recent developments. Every hazing case is unique, and outcomes depend on the specific facts, evidence, applicable law, and many other factors.

If you or your child has been affected by hazing, we strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified Texas attorney who can review your specific situation, explain your legal rights, and advise you on the best course of action for your family.

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