Hazing at Texas Universities: A Comprehensive Guide for Needville, Texas Families Seeking Justice and Accountability

If you are a parent in Needville, Texas, sitting down to check your phone after a long day, the call you never want to receive comes through. Your child, a bright student you sent off to a Texas university with pride, is on the line—their voice shaky, confused, and scared. They mention being forced to do things that don’t sound right: late-night drives for fraternity brothers, humiliating tasks, or extreme workouts that left them hospitalized. The university’s response is slow and bureaucratic, and the fraternity’s national headquarters sends a form letter. You feel alone, angry, and powerless against a system designed to protect its own reputation.

You are not alone. Right now, in Harris County, our firm is fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country. We represent Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who suffered rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure after alleged brutal hazing by the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter. This active, $10 million lawsuit against UH, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, and 13 fraternity leaders proves that devastating hazing is not a relic of the past—it is a present and urgent danger on Texas campuses.

This guide is written specifically for parents and families in Needville, Fort Bend County, and across Texas whose children have been targeted by fraternities, sororities, Corps of Cadets programs, athletic teams, or other campus groups. We will explain what modern hazing truly looks like, the Texas laws designed to protect your child, and how the patterns seen in national tragedies connect directly to universities where Needville families send their students. Most importantly, we will detail the legal pathways to justice, accountability, and preventing this from happening to another family in our community.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for any medical emergency.
• Then call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We provide immediate legal guidance—that’s why we are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

In the first 48 hours, you must:

1. Get Medical Attention: Seek care immediately, even if injuries seem minor. Tell doctors the truth: “My child was hazed.”
2. Preserve Digital Evidence: Take screenshots of ALL group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), text messages, and social media posts. Do not let your child delete anything.
3. Document Physically: Photograph any injuries from multiple angles. Save any clothing, objects, or receipts related to the incident.
4. Write Everything Down: Record names, dates, locations, and what your child tells you while their memory is fresh.
5. Contact an Attorney: Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 before the evidence disappears and the cover-up begins. We will help you navigate the next critical steps.

What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

For families in Needville, the word “hazing” might conjure images of harmless pranks or rough initiations from decades past. The reality in 2025 is far more sinister, systematic, and digitally enabled. Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of joining or maintaining membership in a group. Under Texas law, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

Modern hazing tactics have evolved into three dangerous tiers:

1. Subtle Hazing (The Gateway): This establishes power imbalance and normalized coercion. It includes forced servitude (being on call 24/7 as a driver, cleaner, or errand-runner), social isolation from non-members, sleep deprivation via mandatory late-night “meetings,” and carrying humiliating “pledge items.” In the UH Pi Kappa Phi case, pledges were forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, sex toys, and other degrading items.

2. Harassment Hazing (The Abuse): This causes measurable emotional and physical distress. It involves verbal abuse and threats, forced consumption of unpalatable substances (like excessive milk or hot dogs until vomiting), extreme calisthenics (“smokings”), and public humiliation. At UH, Pi Kappa Phi pledges were allegedly sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding” and forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass.

3. Violent Hazing (The Catastrophe): This has a high potential for serious injury or death. It includes forced alcohol consumption (the leading cause of hazing deaths), physical beatings or paddling, dangerous “rituals” like blindfolded tackles, sexualized abuse, and exposure to extreme elements. The Nov. 3, 2025, workout allegedly forced on Leonel Bermudez—over 100 push-ups and 500 squats—directly led to his rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, a life-threatening condition.

This abuse does not just happen in fraternity houses. It occurs in sororities, the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, athletic teams, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, marching bands, and other campus organizations. The common threads are secrecy, power imbalance, and a warped sense of tradition.

The Texas Legal Framework: Criminal Penalties and Civil Liability

Texas takes hazing seriously in its legal code. For Needville families, understanding this framework is the first step toward holding offenders accountable. The primary authority is the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F.

Texas Hazing Law (Education Code § 37.151): Hazing is defined as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, directed against a student for the purpose of joining or maintaining membership in an organization, that endangers the student’s mental or physical health or safety.

Key Provisions for Needville Families:

• 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. Individuals who fail to report hazing or who retaliate against reporters also face criminal charges.
• No Consent Defense (§ 37.155): Crucially, it is not a defense that the student being hazed consented to the activity. Texas law recognizes that “consent” under peer pressure and coercion is meaningless.
• Organizational Liability (§ 37.153): The organization itself (fraternity, sorority, team) can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 if it authorized the hazing or if an officer knew about it and failed to report it.
• Immunity for Reporters (§ 37.154): A person who in good faith reports hazing is immune from civil or criminal liability. Many universities also have medical amnesty policies to encourage calling 911 without fear of underage drinking charges.

Civil Lawsuits: The Path to Justice and Compensation
A criminal case, pursued by the state, aims to punish. A civil lawsuit, filed by the victim and their family, aims to provide compensation for damages and force institutional change. They can proceed simultaneously. In a civil hazing case, we can seek to hold multiple parties liable:

• The Individuals: The students who planned, executed, or concealed the hazing.
• The Local Chapter: The campus chapter as an entity.
• The National Organization: The fraternity or sorority headquarters that often has deep-pocketed insurance and a history of prior incidents.
• The University: The school may be liable for negligent supervision, deliberate indifference to a known risk, or Title IX violations if the hazing is sexualized.
• Third Parties: Property owners, landlords, or alcohol providers.

The recent Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit exemplifies this multi-defendant approach. The $10 million complaint names 17 defendants: 13 individual fraternity leaders, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu housing corporation, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, the University of Houston, and the UH System Board of Regents.

A National Pattern of Tragedy: Lessons for Texas Families

The horrific case at UH is not an anomaly. It is part of a documented, national pattern that provides a critical legal concept: foreseeability. When a national fraternity has seen deaths at other chapters, it cannot claim it was unaware of the risks its Texas chapters were creating. Here are the anchor cases that shape today’s hazing litigation:

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern:

• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): A pledge died after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. His family reached a $10 million settlement with the national fraternity and university.
• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): A pledge died from traumatic brain injuries after a night of forced drinking, with help delayed for hours. The case led to major criminal charges and Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): A pledge died during a “Bible study” drinking game, leading to the Max Gruver Act felony hazing statute in Louisiana.

The Physical & Ritualized Hazing Pattern:

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): A pledge died from head injuries during a blindfolded “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. The national fraternity was criminally convicted and banned from Pennsylvania.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): A pledge suffered permanent brain damage from forced drinking. His family settled with 22 defendants, illustrating the wide net of liability.

What This Means for Needville: These national precedents show that juries and courts will award significant compensation and hold organizations accountable. They prove that the arguments used by defense lawyers—”it was just partying,” “he agreed to it,” “we didn’t know”—are consistently rejected when faced with the facts of coerced, dangerous conduct.

Texas Universities Under the Microscope: Where Needville Students Go

Needville families in Fort Bend County send their children to a range of Texas universities, from local commuting schools to major flagship institutions. Each has its own Greek life ecosystem and history of hazing incidents. Holding these schools accountable requires understanding their specific environments.

University of Houston (UH): The Active Ground Zero

For Needville Families: Located just over 30 miles from Needville in central Houston, UH is a primary destination for local students and the site of our firm’s flagship hazing litigation.

• The Flagship Case – Leonel Bermudez: As detailed in the Click2Houston report on the UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing case, the alleged hazing of Mr. Bermudez in Fall 2025 was severe and systematic. It involved the “pledge fanny pack,” forced labor, overnight driving duties, and violent physical hazing at locations including the Pi Kappa Phi house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park. The result was rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney failure, and a four-day hospitalization. This case is active, with Attorney911 attorneys Ralph Manginello and Lupe Peña leading the fight.
• UH’s Greek Life Landscape: UH hosts a large and diverse Greek community through its Interfraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and Multicultural Greek Council. Fraternities named in the Bermudez lawsuit, like Pi Kappa Phi and others with national hazing histories, operate on this campus.
• What to Do if Hazed at UH: Report immediately to the UH Dean of Students Office and UH Police Department. Preserve all evidence from group chats. Given the current active litigation, the university is under intense scrutiny. Consult with a lawyer who understands the specific dynamics at UH and Harris County courts.

Texas A&M University: Tradition and Risk in the Corps

For Needville Families: As a premier Texas institution, A&M in College Station attracts students from across the state, including Needville. Its unique Corps of Cadets culture presents specific hazing risks alongside traditional Greek life.

• Corps of Cadets Litigation: In 2023, a lawsuit alleged a cadet was subjected to degrading hazing, including being bound in a “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth. A&M stated it addressed the matter internally, but the suit sought over $1 million in damages.
• Fraternity Hazing – Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): In a 2021 case, Texas A&M SAE pledges alleged they were doused with substances including industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. The chapter was suspended, and lawsuits followed.
• University Response: A&M handles hazing through its Student Conduct Office and strict Corps regulations. However, the combination of intense tradition, institutional pride, and off-campus activities can complicate reporting and investigation.

University of Texas at Austin (UT): Transparency and Repeated Violations

For Needville Families: UT Austin is another top-tier destination. It stands out for its relative transparency, publishing an online hazing violations log—a resource that can be crucial for building a civil case.

• Public Hazing Log: UT’s website lists organizations, violation dates, descriptions, and sanctions. This public record demonstrates pattern evidence. For example:
  • Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): Sanctioned for forcing new members to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.
  • Texas Wranglers (2022): A spirit group sanctioned for forced workouts and alcohol-related hazing.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon Incident (2024): An Australian exchange student allegedly assaulted at an SAE party suffered a dislocated leg, broken nose, and other injuries, leading to a lawsuit. The chapter was already on suspension for prior violations.
• Legal Strategy Advantage: This public log is a gift to investigators. It shows the university had prior knowledge of specific dangerous practices within organizations, strengthening claims of negligent supervision.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Baylor University

For Needville Families: These private, prestigious universities in Dallas and Waco also have active Greek systems with hazing histories.

• SMU: A 2017 incident involving Kappa Alpha Order led to chapter suspension after reports of paddling, forced drinking, and sleep deprivation. As a private institution, SMU has less public reporting but is still subject to Texas hazing law and federal statutes.
• Baylor: Beyond its Greek life, Baylor’s athletic programs have faced scrutiny. In 2020, 14 baseball players were suspended following a hazing investigation. Baylor’s history with institutional response to crisis adds complexity to any hazing claim.

The Organizations Behind the Letters: National Histories Meet Texas Chapters

When a hazing incident occurs at a Texas chapter, the national organization’s history becomes directly relevant. For Needville parents, understanding that your child’s local fraternity is part of a national brand with a documented pattern is critical. This is where our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine proves invaluable. We maintain a proprietary database tracking Greek organizations across Texas to identify all potentially liable entities.

Why National History Matters in Court:
If a national fraternity has settled multiple wrongful death lawsuits over “Big/Little” drinking nights, it cannot claim it was unforeseeable that a Texas chapter would engage in the same deadly practice. This pattern evidence is used to prove negligence and support claims for punitive damages.

A Sample of National Organizations with Documented Histories at Texas Schools:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (“Pike”): National history includes the Stone Foltz death at Bowling Green ($10M settlement). Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, Baylor.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): One of the deadliest fraternities nationally, with multiple alcohol-related deaths and the Texas A&M chemical burns case. Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU.
• Pi Kappa Phi: National history includes the Andrew Coffey death at Florida State. Now at the center of the active UH lawsuit we are litigating.
• Kappa Alpha Order: History of paddling and physical hazing, suspended at SMU in 2017 for such violations.

Public Records: The Greek Ecosystem Around Needville
Our research into public IRS and organizational data reveals the complex network of Greek entities in the Greater Houston area and across Texas. For example, here is a snapshot of organizations recorded in public filings that are connected to the campuses Needville families rely on:

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc (EIN: 462267515) – Frisco, TX 75035
• Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation (EIN: 371768785) – Missouri City, TX 77459
• Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter (EIN: 746084905) – Houston, TX 77204 (Linked to UH)
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc (EIN: 741380362) – Fort Worth, TX 76147
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Fort Worth Alumni Chapter (EIN: 752755600) – Fort Worth, TX 76101

These entities, often housing corporations or alumni foundations, can hold insurance policies and assets that are crucial for achieving full compensation in a lawsuit. We know how to find them.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

Building a successful hazing case requires an investigative approach that outpaces the defendant’s instinct to cover up. For Needville families, taking immediate and correct action is paramount.

The Evidence That Wins Cases:

1. Digital Communications: Screenshots of GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, and Discord chats are the modern smoking gun. They show planning, coercion, and boasting.
2. Photos & Videos: Media captured during events, even if shared as “jokes,” is powerful evidence. Our video on using your cellphone to document a legal case provides critical guidance.
3. Medical Records: Documentation linking injuries directly to the hazing is non-negotiable. For rhabdomyolysis (as in the UH case), ER records showing critically high creatine kinase levels are definitive.
4. University & National Records: Through discovery, we subpoena the university’s prior conduct files on the organization and the national headquarters’ incident reports, proving they knew of the risk.
5. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, and roommates are often essential to piecing together the full story.

Damages: What Can Be Recovered
In a civil lawsuit, we seek to make the victim whole and hold defendants accountable through several types of damages:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (past and future), lost wages, costs of ongoing therapy, and diminished future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, trauma, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship for the family.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of particularly egregious or reckless conduct, damages intended to punish the defendant and deter future behavior.

Practical Guides for Needville Parents, Students, and Witnesses

For Parents: A Step-by-Step Action Plan

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: Get your child medical care immediately. Follow up with a mental health professional.
2. Become an Evidence Archivist: Help your child preserve ALL digital evidence. Do not delete anything.
3. Document Systematically: Create a timeline with names, dates, locations, and descriptions.
4. Seek Legal Counsel Early: Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 before reporting to the university. We can help you navigate the process to protect your child’s rights and preserve claims. Universities often have internal agendas.
5. Understand the Timeline: Be aware of the statute of limitations. Watch our video on Texas statutes of limitations to understand the urgency.

For Students: Your Safety and Rights

• You Have the Right to Be Safe: No tradition is worth your life or health.
• “Consent” is Not a Defense in Texas: You cannot legally agree to be hazed.
• How to Report Safely: You can report to the Dean of Students, campus police, or anonymously through national hotlines. Texas law offers immunity for good-faith reporters.
• Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots of everything. If you are injured, take photos. Tell the doctor exactly what happened.

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case

We have seen families inadvertently destroy their own claims. Learn from these common errors:

• Deleting Digital Evidence: This is the single worst mistake. It looks like a cover-up and destroys the case.
• Confronting the Fraternity Directly: This triggers their defense lawyers and leads to evidence destruction.
• Signing University Settlement Offers Without a Lawyer: These offers are almost always inadequate and may waive your right to sue.
• Posting on Social Media: Defense investigators monitor everything. Inconsistencies can be used against you.
• Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses become uncooperative, and the legal clock runs out.

For a deeper explanation, watch our video on client mistakes that can ruin your injury case.

Why Choose The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911 for Your Hazing Case

When your Needville family faces the trauma of hazing, you need more than a generic personal injury attorney. You need a firm with proven experience taking on powerful institutions and the specific insight to dismantle hazing defense strategies. That is precisely what we offer.

Our Proven Litigation Credentials:

• Active, High-Stakes Hazing Litigation: We are not theorists. We are currently leading the Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit—a multi-million dollar, multi-defendant case that is making headlines. We are in the fight right now.
• Insider Knowledge of Insurance Defense: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as a defense lawyer for a national insurance firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers undervalue claims, deny coverage, and employ delay tactics. We know their playbook because we used to run it.
• Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants: Founding partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets of national fraternities or university legal teams.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil lawsuits. We can effectively advise clients navigating both systems.
• The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: We combine legal skill with investigative muscle. We maintain a proprietary database of Greek organizations across Texas, allowing us to quickly identify all potentially liable entities—from the local chapter to the national housing corporation—that others might miss.

Our Commitment to Needville Families:
We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. We understand the community values of Fort Bend County and the fears that arise when a child is hurt away from home. Our approach is built on three pillars:

1. Thorough Investigation: We leave no stone unturned, using digital forensics, expert networks, and public records to build an unassailable case.
2. Unwavering Advocacy: We fight for full accountability, not just quick settlements. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial, which is what forces serious settlement offers.
3. Compassionate Support: We guide you through every step, treating your family with the respect and transparency you deserve during an unimaginably difficult time.

We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case. Learn more in our video, how do contingency fees work?

Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation

If hazing has impacted your family, you do not have to navigate this crisis alone. The institutions involved will have lawyers protecting their interests from day one. You deserve the same level of advocacy fighting for your child.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm today for a free, confidential case evaluation. We will listen to your story, explain your legal options under Texas law, and outline the path forward. Time is of the essence—evidence disappears quickly.

Call us 24/7 at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also reach us directly at (713) 528-9070 or via email at ralph@atty911.com.

Se habla Español. For Spanish-speaking families, please contact Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com.

Visit our website to learn more about our firm and our attorneys: https://attorney911.com.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

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

• Click2Houston (KPRC 2) Investigation: 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) Coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/

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 a Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Attorney911 Main Website & Contact:

• https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and law. If you have been affected by hazing, please contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a confidential consultation regarding your specific situation.