The Definitive Texas Hazing Guide for Fairfield Families: Your Child’s Safety at UH, A&M, UT, and Beyond

If you are a parent in Fairfield, Texas, with a student at any college campus, this moment is every family’s worst fear. Your child calls home, their voice strained, deflecting questions about unexplained bruises or sudden exhaustion. They dismiss your concerns, saying it’s “just part of pledging” or “team bonding.” Maybe you’ve heard whispers about late-night “workouts,” forced drinking, or humiliating tasks. Deep down, you know something is wrong. What you don’t yet know is that you are not powerless, and you are not alone.

Right now, we are fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas. In November 2025, we filed a $10 million lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston (UH) student who suffered catastrophic injuries while pledging the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter. As detailed in the ABC13 coverage of the case, he was subjected to extreme physical hazing—forced through 100+ push-ups and 500 squats, sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and made to consume milk and hot dogs until vomiting, followed by immediate sprints. This abuse led to rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) and acute kidney failure. He passed brown urine, was hospitalized for four days, and faces the ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage. This isn’t an isolated incident; it’s a stark warning. This guide exists to provide the families of Freestone County—in Fairfield, Streetman, Oakwood, and across our community—with the knowledge, resources, and legal clarity needed to protect your child and hold accountable those who harm them.

This comprehensive resource explains what modern hazing truly looks like, details your rights under Texas and federal law, and connects the dots between national fraternity histories and incidents at universities where Fairfield students enroll, from the University of Houston to Texas A&M, UT Austin, and Baylor.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW or has suffered a serious injury:

• CALL 911 for any medical emergency.
• THEN CALL US: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ for a reason.

In the First 48 Hours – Critical Steps:

1. Seek Medical Care: Immediate medical documentation is non-negotiable, even if injuries seem minor.
2. Preserve Evidence: Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), social media posts, and texts. Take multiple photos of any injuries. Do not let your child delete anything.
3. Document Everything: Write down a detailed timeline of events with names, dates, locations, and what your child has told you.
4. DO NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
   • Sign any documents from the university or any insurance company.
   • Post details on public social media.
   • Allow the institution to control the narrative with promises of an “internal review.”

Our firm provides immediate, strategic guidance to protect your child’s health and legal rights. Evidence disappears quickly—deleted messages, coached witnesses, destroyed paddles. We work to preserve it. Time is not on your side. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a confidential, urgent consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Fairfield-Area Schools

For parents in Fairfield, Wortham, and Teague, the stereotype of hazing might be decades-old images of paddling or silly pranks. The reality in 2025 is far more sinister, psychologically complex, 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, maintaining membership in, or holding office in any organization.

It manifests in three escalating tiers:

Tier 1: Subtle Hazing – The “Gateway”
This establishes power imbalance and is often dismissed as “tradition.” It includes forced servitude (24/7 driving duties, cleaning rooms), social isolation from non-members, mandatory “study blocks” that interfere with class, and carrying humiliating “pledge items.” In the Bermudez case, this included the degrading “pledge fanny pack” rule, requiring pledges to carry condoms, sex toys, and nicotine devices at all times.

Tier 2: Harassment Hazing – Creating a Hostile Environment
This causes emotional or physical distress and includes sleep deprivation through all-night sessions, verbal abuse and “grilling,” food/water restriction, and forced physical exertion framed as “conditioning.” This was seen in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case with enforced dress codes, weekly interrogations, and cold-weather exposure in underwear.

Tier 3: Violent Hazing – High Potential for Death or Catastrophic Injury
This is what makes headlines and destroys lives. It encompasses:

• Forced Alcohol/Drug Consumption: “Big/Little” nights, “Bible study” drinking games, lineups. This is the #1 cause of hazing deaths nationally.
• Physical Beatings: Paddling, punching, “gladiator” fights.
• Dangerous Physical “Tests”: The extreme calisthenics that gave Leonel Bermudez rhabdomyolysis, blindfolded tackles, or being hog-tied (as another UH pledge was, according to reports).
• Sexualized Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts.
• Kidnapping & Restraint: Being taken to remote locations blindfolded.

Modern Evolution: The Digital Coercion Layer
Today’s hazing is amplified by technology. Pledges are tracked via location-sharing apps, harassed through 24/7 GroupMe chats, and forced to post humiliating content on TikTok or Instagram. Evidence is often recorded on phones but just as quickly deleted to avoid detection. As our video on using your phone to document evidence explains, knowing how to properly preserve this digital proof is critical.

Hazing is not limited to fraternities. At Texas universities, it also occurs in sororities, athletic teams, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys or A&M Corps of Cadets, marching bands, and other campus organizations. If your child is being hurt or humiliated to belong, it is hazing.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: What Freestone County Families Must Know

Texas has a specific legal framework to combat hazing, primarily under Education Code Chapter 37, Subchapter F. Understanding this law is the first step toward accountability.

The Texas Definition of Hazing:
The law defines hazing broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, that endangers a student’s physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership. Key points for Fairfield parents:

• Location Doesn’t Matter: An incident at an off-campus Airbnb, a house in College Station, or a Houston park is still hazing.
• “Consent is NOT a Defense”: Texas law (Sec. 37.155) is explicit. A student’s “agreement” under peer pressure and fear of exclusion is legally irrelevant.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing can be a Class B misdemeanor, rising to a State Jail Felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death, like the kidney failure in the UH case.

Civil Liability: Who Can Be Held Accountable in a Lawsuit?
A civil lawsuit seeks financial compensation for damages and institutional accountability. Potentially liable parties include:

1. The Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, carried out, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: As a legal entity, it can be sued for creating a dangerous culture.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: They often have deep-pocketed insurance and can be liable for negligent supervision if they ignored patterns of misconduct. In the Bermudez lawsuit, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters is a named defendant.
4. The University (e.g., UH, Texas A&M, UT): Schools can be liable for negligent supervision, premises liability, or Title IX violations if they knew of risks and failed to act. The University of Houston and its Board of Regents are defendants in our ongoing UH case.
5. Third Parties: Property owners, bars that furnished alcohol, or security companies.

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

• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, schools have strict federal obligations to respond.
• The Clery Act: Requires universities to disclose campus crime statistics, which can include hazing-related assaults.
• The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): This new federal law will require colleges to publish more transparent hazing incident reports by 2026, increasing public accountability.

Navigating this web of criminal and civil law, and the defenses institutions will mount, requires an experienced legal team. Common defenses like “it was voluntary,” “it was off-campus,” or “it was a rogue chapter” are strategies we know how to defeat.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Blueprint for Texas Accountability

The tragic cases below are not just news stories; they are legal precedents that establish patterns of foreseeable harm. National fraternities operating at Texas schools have long histories of identical misconduct.

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injury after a forced drinking “bid acceptance” night. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. Result: Dozens of criminal charges, massive civil settlements, and Pennsylvania’s “Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.”
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died of alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game where wrong answers mandated drinking. Result: Criminal convictions and Louisiana’s “Max Gruver Act,” making hazing a felony.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Died after being forced to drink a bottle of liquor. Result: A $10 million settlement ($7M from the national fraternity, $3M from the university) and criminal convictions.
• Andrew Coffey (Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Died from acute alcohol poisoning during a “Big Brother” event. Result: Chapter closure, criminal hazing charges, and FSU suspending all Greek life.

The Pattern is Clear: Forced drinking rituals, delayed medical care, institutional knowledge of prior risks, and attempts to cover up. These national patterns directly inform our litigation strategy in Texas. When a Pi Kappa Phi chapter at UH engages in forced consumption and extreme workouts, the national organization cannot claim ignorance. This “pattern evidence” is crucial for proving negligence and securing justice for families in Freestone County.

A Texas University Focus: Where Fairfield Families Send Their Kids

Fairfield and Freestone County families have strong educational ties across Texas. Your children may attend community colleges, regional universities, or the state’s flagship institutions. Hazing is a risk wherever there are groups with power over new members. Here is what you need to know about major campuses.

University of Houston (UH) – A Stark, Current Example

UH is a large, diverse commuter and residential campus with active Greek life. Our firm’s active litigation against UH provides a direct window into the serious risks present.

• The Flagship Case: As detailed in the Click2Houston report on the UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing case, hazing occurred at the chapter house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park.
• Institutional Response: Following the incident, Pi Kappa Phi nationals suspended the Beta Nu chapter on Nov. 6, 2025, and members voted to surrender their charter on Nov. 14. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing” and promised cooperation with law enforcement. This demonstrates how litigation can force immediate institutional action.
• For Fairfield Families: If your student attends UH, understand that hazing is a present and severe danger. The university’s history includes other sanctions, such as a 2016 Pi Kappa Alpha case where a pledge suffered a lacerated spleen.

Texas A&M University – Corps Culture and Greek Life

Many Central Texas students gravitate to A&M. Its unique Corps of Cadets culture and powerful Greek system present specific hazing risks.

• Corps of Cadets Hazing: 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. The university stated it handled the matter internally.
• Fraternity Hazing – Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns: In a recent case, A&M SAE pledges alleged they were doused with industrial-strength cleaner and other substances, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. The chapter was suspended, and a lawsuit was filed.
• Action for Aggie Parents: The combination of tradition-heavy environments requires vigilant attention to your student’s physical and mental well-being.

University of Texas at Austin – Transparency and Repeated Violations

UT Austin maintains a public online log of hazing violations, offering a degree of transparency.

• Documented Patterns: The log shows repeated sanctions against groups like Pi Kappa Alpha (for forced milk consumption and calisthenics), Texas Wranglers, and others for forced drinking, physical abuse, and sleep deprivation.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon Incidents: UT’s SAE chapter has faced serious allegations, including a 2024 lawsuit by an exchange student who alleged assault resulting in a broken nose, dislocated leg, and fractured tibia at a chapter event.
• Key Takeaway: The public record at UT can be a powerful tool in litigation, proving a chapter’s or national organization’s prior knowledge of misconduct.

Baylor University & Southern Methodist University (SMU)

These private institutions have their own significant histories.

• Baylor: Beyond its well-publicized past scandals, Baylor’s athletic programs have faced hazing allegations, including a 2020 suspension of 14 baseball players following a hazing investigation.
• SMU: As a school with a prominent Greek scene, SMU has had chapters suspended for hazing, including Kappa Alpha Order in 2017 for paddling, forced drinking, and sleep deprivation.

For Parents of Commuter Students or Those at Regional Campuses:
Hazing is not exclusive to large universities. It can occur in any student organization at any Texas college or university. The principles of law and liability remain the same.

The Fraternity & Sorority Ecosystem: National Histories, Local Danger

The organizations on Texas campuses are chapters of national brands with documented, deadly patterns. This isn’t guilt by association; it’s evidence of foreseeability. A national headquarters that has paid multi-million dollar settlements for alcohol hazing deaths cannot claim shock when a Texas chapter engages in the same conduct.

Using our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—built from IRS public filings, university data, and national registries—we map the vast network of Greek organizations across the state. For Fairfield families, this means we don’t start from scratch; we already understand the structure of the entities that may be responsible.

A Snapshot of the Texas Greek Ecosystem from Public Records:
Our investigative database tracks over 1,400 Greek-related entities across Texas. For example, public IRS B83 filings show registered organizations like:

• Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc, EIN 46-3267515, Frisco, TX 75035
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon – Texas Sigma Incorporated, EIN 88-2755427, San Marcos, TX 78666
• Kappa Sigma – Mu Gamma Chapter Inc, EIN 27-3662583, Lufkin, TX 75904
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc (Theta Delta Chapter), EIN 47-5370943, Houston, TX 77204

This is a fraction of the data we maintain. When we take a case, we identify every potentially liable entity: the undergraduate chapter, its housing corporation, its alumni board, its national headquarters, and its insurer. This comprehensive approach is how we build maximum leverage for families in Fairfield and across Texas.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Damages, and Our Strategic Approach

If hazing has injured your child, building a powerful case requires immediate, meticulous action and strategic expertise.

Critical Evidence Categories We Pursue:

1. Digital Evidence: Deleted GroupMe chats, Snapchat videos, Instagram DMs, text messages. We work with digital forensics experts to recover what has been erased.
2. Internal Organization Documents: Pledge manuals, “big book” rituals, risk management reports, and emails between chapter officers and nationals.
3. University Records: Prior conduct violations for the same group, Clery Act reports, and internal investigation files obtained through discovery or public records requests.
4. Medical Evidence: ER records, toxicology reports, diagnoses of rhabdomyolysis (like in the UH case), PTSD, or other long-term injuries.
5. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, roommates, and bystanders.

Understanding Damages: What Recovery Can Address
A lawsuit seeks to make your family whole and hold institutions accountable. Recoverable damages include:

• Economic Damages: All past and future medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost tuition from withdrawing, and loss of future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, severe emotional distress, trauma, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In the ultimate tragedy, families can seek funeral costs, loss of companionship, and emotional suffering.

Our Firm’s Strategic Advantages for Texas Families:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as an insurance defense lawyer for national firms. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers undervalue claims, fight coverage, and use delay tactics. We know their playbook.
• Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death Experience: We have recovered multi-million dollar results for clients with life-altering injuries. We know how to work with economists and life-care planners to fully value a case.
• Complex Institutional Litigation: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by billion-dollar institutions, national fraternities, or university legal teams.
• Criminal Defense Insight: Mr. Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil lawsuits, allowing us to advise clients on both fronts.
• The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Our proprietary data analysis ensures we leave no liable entity uninvestigated.

Practical Action Guides for Fairfield Parents & Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and Steps

Red Flags: Unexplained injuries, drastic weight change, extreme fatigue, sudden secrecy, withdrawal from family/friends, constant anxious phone checking, fear of missing “mandatory” events, requests for money for unexplained fines or alcohol.
What to Do:

1. Talk Calmly: Ask open-ended questions. “I’m worried about you. Is anything happening that feels unsafe or degrading?”
2. Prioritize Safety: Remove them from immediate danger. Seek medical care.
3. Preserve Evidence: Help them screenshot everything. Photograph injuries.
4. Consult an Attorney Early: Before reporting to the university, speak with us. Universities often prioritize damage control over victim protection. We can help you navigate the process strategically. Learn more about common client mistakes to avoid.

For Students: Your Rights and Safety

• You CANNOT “consent” to hazing under Texas law. Your participation under pressure is not a legal defense for them.
• You have the right to leave and report. Good-faith reporters often have legal immunity.
• Preserve Evidence Secretly: Screenshot, screen-record, and back up files to a cloud account your parents can access.
• Your safety comes before loyalty. If someone is hurt, call 911 immediately.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case

1. Deleting Digital Evidence: This is the #1 mistake. It looks like a cover-up and destroys your case.
2. Confronting the Organization Directly: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Accepting a Quick University “Resolution”: Universities may offer minimal sanctions in exchange for your silence, waiving your right to sue.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence vanishes, witnesses graduate, and statutes of limitations expire. Understand your Texas filing deadlines.

Why Fairfield Families Choose Attorney911 for Hazing Cases

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, operating statewide as Attorney911: Legal Emergency Lawyers™. While our offices are in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we serve hazing victims and their families across Texas, including throughout Freestone County in Fairfield, Streetman, and Teague.

We are not just personal injury lawyers. We are institutional accountability litigators with a specific, proven focus on the unique complexities of hazing cases. Our ongoing $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi is not a past victory we talk about—it is a current battle we are fighting right now. This gives us unparalleled, up-to-the-minute insight into the tactics used by universities and national fraternities.

Our promise to you is grounded in expertise:
7. We Listen Without Judgment: Your first consultation is confidential and focused on understanding what happened.
8. We Investigate Aggressively: We use our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine and network of experts to uncover the full truth.
9. We Fight for Full Accountability: We seek compensation that covers all your damages and forces institutional change to protect future students.
10. You Pay Nothing Unless We Win: We work on a contingency fee basis. Learn how this works.

Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, speaks fluent Spanish. Se habla Español.

Contact Us for a Free, Confidential Consultation

If hazing has impacted your family, do not face this alone. The institutions involved have teams of lawyers. You deserve the same level of advocacy.

Call us 24/7 for an immediate case evaluation: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911).

You can also reach us directly at:

• Ralph Manginello: (713) 443-4781 | ralph@atty911.com
• Mr. Lupe Peña: lupe@atty911.com
• Main Office: (713) 528-9070
• Website: https://attorney911.com

We serve the entire state of Texas. Whether your child was hazed at UH, Texas A&M, UT, a community college, or any campus nationwide, we have the expertise to help. For Fairfield families, we are your dedicated legal resource for justice, accountability, and preventing future harm.

Legal Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or form an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. We encourage you to seek professional legal counsel for advice on your individual situation. The information is current as of late 2025.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources:

• Learn more about our firm: https://attorney911.com
• Watch our evidence preservation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Understand statutes of limitation in Texas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Avoid common case mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How contingency fees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc
• Click2Houston UH Hazing Case 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 Coverage of UH Hazing Lawsuit: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/