Hazing at Texas Universities: A Comprehensive Legal Guide for Teague Parents & East Texas Families

If Your Child Was Hazed at a Texas Campus, You Are Not Alone

We understand that right now, you might be sitting in your home here in Teague or elsewhere in Freestone County, feeling overwhelmed, angry, and scared. That phone call no parent ever wants to receive—a call about your child being hurt at college—changes everything. Your mind races with questions: What actually happened? Who is responsible? Will my child be okay? What legal rights do we have?

For families in our tight-knit East Texas communities, sending a child off to a large university can already feel daunting. When that trust is shattered by hazing—a deliberate act of abuse disguised as “tradition” or “team building”—the feeling of betrayal cuts deep. The isolation can be profound, especially when facing powerful institutions like national fraternities, sororities, athletic programs, and the universities themselves.

This guide exists for you. We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLD, operating as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. We are Texas-based hazing litigation specialists, and we serve families across our state, including right here in Teague, Fairfield, Wortham, and throughout Freestone County.

We want you to know three things immediately:

1. What happened to your child is not their fault. Texas law explicitly states that a victim’s “consent” is not a defense to hazing. The power dynamics, peer pressure, and desire for belonging create a coercive environment where true, voluntary consent is impossible.
2. Universities and Greek organizations have playbooks for minimizing these incidents. They often move quickly to control the narrative, protect their reputations, and limit liability. Your family needs its own strategy.
3. You have legal options, and time is critical. Evidence disappears quickly—group chats are deleted, witnesses are coached, and the clock is ticking on legal deadlines.

This is not just a theoretical problem. Right now, in Houston, we are actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in the country, demonstrating exactly what it takes to hold powerful institutions accountable.

The Leonel Bermudez Case: A Stark Warning from Just Down the Road

In late 2025, we filed a $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez, a student at the University of Houston (UH). During his fall 2025 pledge period for the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter, Leonel was subjected to a campaign of humiliation, physical torture, and psychological abuse that nearly killed him.

The hazing occurred at multiple locations: the UH Pi Kappa Phi house, a residence on Culmore Drive, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park in Houston. The methods were systematic and cruel:

• Humiliation & Control: He was forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, a sex toy, nicotine devices, and other degrading items. He faced enforced dress codes, hours-long “study” blocks, weekly interrogations, and overnight driving duties.
• Physical Torture: The abuse included extreme workouts—sprints, bear crawls, wheelbarrow races, and “save-your-brother” drills. He was forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass, sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and threatened with actual waterboarding. In one ritual, he and others were forced to consume excessive amounts of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until they vomited, then immediately forced to sprint.
• The Breaking Point: On November 3, 2025, after being forced through a workout of over 100 push-ups and 500 squats, Leonel’s body began to shut down. He deteriorated over several days, unable to stand without help. His urine turned brown—a classic sign of severe muscle breakdown. His mother rushed him to the hospital, where he was admitted for four days.

The diagnosis was catastrophic: rhabdomyolysis (severe skeletal muscle breakdown) and acute kidney failure. Lab tests showed critically high creatine kinase levels, confirming the life-threatening condition. He faces an ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage and long-term physical and psychological harm.

Our lawsuit names a full universe of defendants, because accountability must be comprehensive: the University of Houston, the UH System Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders and members, including the chapter president, pledgemaster, and risk manager.

The institutional response tells its own story: After reports surfaced, Pi Kappa Phi HQ suspended the Beta Nu chapter on November 6, 2025. On November 14, chapter members voted to surrender their charter, effectively shutting it down. UH called the alleged conduct “deeply disturbing” and promised disciplinary action and cooperation with law enforcement. This case is ongoing, and we are fighting for Leonel’s recovery and for systemic change. You can read the detailed media coverage in the Click2Houston report on UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing case and the ABC13 coverage of Leonel Bermudez’s UH hazing lawsuit.

Why are we telling you about a Houston case? Because the same national fraternities and sororities present at UH have chapters across Texas, including at the schools where Teague and Freestone County students attend. The same dangerous “traditions,” the same institutional cover-ups, and the same legal battles happen everywhere. Our fight in Houston proves our commitment, our capability, and our understanding of the exact tactics you may be up against.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If you believe your child is in danger or has been seriously injured RIGHT NOW:

1. Call 911 for any medical emergency. Do not delay.
2. Then call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We are Legal Emergency Lawyers™, and we provide immediate guidance 24/7.
3. Preserve Evidence IMMEDIATELY: Before anything else, help your child:
   • Screenshot all related group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram DMs). Do not delete anything.
   • Photograph any visible injuries from multiple angles.
   • Save any physical items (torn clothing, paddles, bottles, etc.).
   • Write down everything they remember—names, dates, times, locations—while it’s fresh.
4. DO NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
   • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” their phone.
   • Sign any documents from the university or an insurance company.
   • Post details about the incident on public social media.

Time is your enemy in these cases. Evidence vanishes within days. Call us now at 1-888-ATTY-911 to protect your child’s rights and begin building the truth.

The Texas Greek Ecosystem: What Every Teague Parent Needs to Know

When you send your child to a Texas university, they are entering a complex web of organizations with significant legal and financial footprints. This isn’t just about “a few bad apples” in a club; it’s about structured organizations, many with national affiliations, insurance policies, and property holdings. For families in Teague, Fairfield, and Freestone County, understanding this landscape is the first step to holding it accountable.

Where Teague & East Texas Families Send Their Kids: Campus Connections

Students from our area attend a diverse range of Texas institutions, from local colleges to major state universities. Based on proximity and common enrollment patterns, here are campuses highly relevant to our community:

• Regional & Nearby Campuses:

  • Navarro College (Corsicana, Ellis County) – A common choice for associate degrees and transfers.
  • Texas A&M University-Commerce (Commerce, Hunt County) – A growing regional university with Greek life.
  • University of Texas at Tyler (Tyler, Smith County) – A key university for East Texas.
  • Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County) – A major hub for East Texas with active Greek life.
  • Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, Walker County) – Another large regional university with a significant Greek presence.
  • Trinity Valley Community College (Athens, Henderson County) – A local two-year institution.

• Major Statewide University Hubs: These are the large, flagship universities where many Texas students, including those from Freestone County, aspire to attend. They have the most extensive and entrenched Greek systems:

  • University of Houston (UH)
  • Texas A&M University (College Station)
  • University of Texas at Austin (UT)
  • Baylor University (Waco)
  • Southern Methodist University (SMU) (Dallas)
  • Texas Tech University (Lubbock)
  • Texas State University (San Marcos)

At each of these schools, fraternities and sororities are not just social clubs. They are often supported by a network of legally registered entities that own property, manage money, and carry insurance.

Public Records Directory: The Organizations Behind the Scenes

As part of our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, we maintain and analyze public data on Greek-life organizations across the state. This isn’t speculation; it’s based on IRS filings, corporate records, and other public documents. This intelligence allows us to immediately identify the full range of potentially liable parties in a hazing case—far beyond just the student members.

Here is a snapshot of the kinds of organizations we track, relevant to the campuses Teague families are connected to. These are real entities with legal identities:

1. House Corporations & Alumni Chapters (IRS B83 Data – Sample):

• Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation, EIN 37-1768785, Missouri City, TX 77459 (IRS B83 filing)
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc., EIN 46-2267515, Frisco, TX 75035 (IRS B83 filing)
• Kappa Sigma – Mu Gamma Chapter Inc., EIN 27-3662583, Lufkin, TX 75904 (IRS B83 filing)
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc. (Theta Delta), EIN 47-5370943, Houston, TX 77204 (IRS B83 filing)
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (University of Texas at Tyler), EIN 35-2335400, Tyler, TX 75799 (IRS B83 filing)
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated – Sigma Gamma Chapter, EIN 39-2352450, Houston, TX 77254 (IRS B83 filing)
• Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter, EIN 74-6084905, Houston, TX 77204 (IRS B83 filing)
• Texas Rho Chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, EIN 74-1942292, Waco, TX 76706 (IRS B83 filing)

2. Metro-Level Greek Presence (Cause IQ Data – Dallas/Fort Worth & Houston Areas): The broader metro areas adjacent to our region contain hundreds of Greek organizations. For example, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro has over 500 Greek-related entities, and the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro has nearly 200. These include:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity, Fort Worth, TX (Cause IQ metro listing)
• Texas District of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Houston, TX (Cause IQ metro listing)
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Houston Alumnae, Houston, TX (Cause IQ metro listing)

3. Cross-Validated National Brands: Our data shows how major national brands operate through multiple entity types across Texas. For example, the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority appears in IRS data in Waco and Commerce, and in Cause IQ data with chapters in Houston and Beaumont. Pi Kappa Alpha appears in IRS filings in Nederland and in Cause IQ’s Houston metro list. This overlap proves we can track specific national organizations across the state through their various legal vehicles.

Why does this directory matter to you? If your child is hazed by a chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Chi, or any other organization, there is almost always a housing corporation, an alumni association, or a national headquarters that holds assets, insurance, and ultimate responsibility. When university officials say, “The chapter is student-run,” they are ignoring this backbone of financial and legal structure. Our job is to investigate and identify every entity in the chain of responsibility, ensuring no one hides behind corporate veils.

Texas Hazing Law Explained in Plain English for Freestone County Families

The legal framework governing hazing in Texas is primarily found in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F. It is stronger than many parents realize.

What Texas Law Says:

• Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership in any organization.
• “Consent is NOT a Defense”: Texas Education Code § 37.155 is crystal clear. It does not matter if your child “agreed” to participate. The law recognizes the power imbalance and coercion inherent in these situations.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing is a crime.
  • Class B Misdemeanor: For hazing that does not cause serious injury.
  • Class A Misdemeanor: If the hazing causes injury requiring medical treatment.
  • State Jail Felony: If the hazing causes serious bodily injury or death. This is the charge that can apply in cases like Leonel Bermudez’s, involving rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure.
• Organizational Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or team itself can be fined up to $10,000 per violation and lose its university recognition.
• Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting: Individuals who report hazing in good faith to authorities are protected from civil or criminal liability for their own minor involvement (like underage drinking). This law is meant to encourage people to call for help.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Two Paths to Justice

It’s crucial to understand the difference:

• Criminal Case: Brought by the State of Texas (e.g., Freestone County District Attorney, Harris County DA, or campus police). The goal is punishment—fines, probation, or jail time for the individuals who committed the acts. This process can be slow and may not provide your family with compensation for medical bills, trauma, or future care.
• Civil Lawsuit: Brought by your family, with attorneys like us. The goal is to hold all responsible parties—individuals, the local chapter, the national organization, and sometimes the university—financially accountable. This is how we recover damages for:
  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Psychological trauma (PTSD, anxiety, depression)
  • Lost educational opportunities
  • Wrongful death damages, in the most tragic cases

These two paths can run simultaneously. A lack of criminal charges does not prevent a civil case, and vice versa.

How We Build a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy & Our Unique Edge

Building a winning hazing case requires an investigative approach that treats it like the complex institutional failure it is. This is where our firm’s specific experience makes the difference.

1. Evidence Collection & Digital Forensics: The “smoking gun” in modern hazing cases is almost always digital. We move swiftly to preserve evidence before it’s deleted:

• Group Chats: We secure full records from GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, and fraternity-specific apps. These chats often contain planning, boasting, and discussions of cover-ups.
• Social Media: Photos and videos posted on Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok can be critical evidence of the acts and who participated.
• University Records: Through legal discovery, we obtain the organization’s prior conduct history, any complaints filed against them, and internal university communications about the incident.
• National Fraternity Records: We subpoena files from the national headquarters to uncover prior warnings, pattern of similar incidents at other chapters, and their knowledge of risky “traditions.”

We have a detailed video guide on this critical first step: Our video on using your phone to document evidence.

2. Identifying All Liable Parties: Using our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, we don’t just sue the obvious students. We trace liability to:

• The individual members who planned and carried out the hazing.
• The local chapter as an entity.
• The national fraternity/sorority headquarters that failed to supervise and enforce its own policies.
• The housing corporation or alumni board that owns the property and facilitates the organization.
• The university, if its negligence in supervision, or its deliberate indifference to known risks, contributed to the harm.

3. Our Firm’s Competitive Advantages in Hazing Litigation:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as a defense attorney for national insurance companies. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny claims, undervalue injuries, and drag out cases. We know their playbook because we used to help write it. You can learn more about Mr. Peña’s background at https://attorney911.com/attorneys/lupe-pena/.
• Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants: Founding attorney Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff’s lawyers involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets and aggressive defense teams of national fraternities and major universities. We’ve faced them before.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the criminal process that may run parallel to your civil case. We can effectively advise clients and navigate interactions with law enforcement.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña is fluent in Spanish (Se habla Español), ensuring all families in our diverse Texas communities feel heard and represented.

Our approach is thorough, aggressive, and data-driven. We fight for maximum accountability to help your family recover and to force the systemic changes needed to protect the next student from Teague.

Practical Steps for Teague Parents & Students

A Guide for Parents: Recognizing the Signs & Taking Action

Warning Signs Your Child May Be Being Hazed:

• Physical: Unexplained injuries (bruises, burns, limping), extreme exhaustion, sudden weight change, signs of alcohol poisoning.
• Behavioral: Becoming secretive or defensive about organization activities, withdrawing from family and old friends, intense anxiety about missing “mandatory” events, personality shifts like depression or anger.
• Academic: Grades plummeting, missing classes, losing scholarships.
• Digital: Being glued to their phone for group chats, appearing stressed by notifications, deleting message histories.

What to Do If You Suspect Hazing:

1. Talk Calmly & Listen. Use open-ended questions: “I’ve noticed you seem really stressed about the fraternity. Is there anything going on that worries you?”
2. Prioritize Safety & Medical Care. If there is any immediate danger or injury, get medical help first.
3. Preserve Evidence. Gently encourage them to screenshot messages and take photos of injuries. Do this together.
4. Contact an Attorney BEFORE Reporting. Once you report to the university, their legal team takes over. Having your own counsel ensures your family’s interests are protected from the start. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.
5. Understand the University’s Role. The Dean of Students’ primary duty is to the institution. Their “internal investigation” is not designed to maximize justice or compensation for your family.

A Guide for Students: Your Rights & How to Exit Safely

• Trust Your Gut. If an activity feels dangerous, degrading, or wrong, it probably is. You have the right to say no.
• Know the Law. In Texas, you cannot get in trouble for reporting hazing in a genuine emergency, even if you were drinking underage. The law protects “good faith” reporters to save lives.
• How to Leave Safely: You can quit at any time. Send a clear, written message (text/email) to the chapter president: “I resign my membership/pledgeship, effective immediately.” Do not attend “one last meeting.”
• Seek Support. Talk to a trusted family member, a counselor at the university health center, or call the National Anti-Hazing Hotline at 1-888-NOT-HAZE.

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Hazing Case

We have seen well-intentioned families unintentionally damage their own legal claims. Please avoid these errors:

1. Letting Your Child Delete Messages. The instinct to “make it go away” is strong, but deleted evidence looks like a cover-up and destroys your case.
2. Confronting the Fraternity Directly. This gives them a head start to lawyer up, destroy evidence, and coordinate a unified story against you.
3. Signing University Settlement Papers Quickly. Universities may offer a quick, low-dollar settlement in exchange for a full release of liability. Do not sign anything without an attorney’s review.
4. Posting Details on Social Media. Defense attorneys monitor everything. Public posts can be taken out of context and used to attack your credibility.
5. Waiting Too Long. Texas has a statute of limitations—a strict deadline to file a lawsuit. For personal injury from hazing, it’s generally two years from the date of injury, but the clock starts ticking the moment the hazing occurs. Do not wait for the university to finish its “investigation.” Learn more in Our video on Texas statutes of limitations.

Contact Attorney911: Teague’s Connection to Texas Hazing Litigation Specialists

If hazing has impacted your family in Teague, Freestone County, or anywhere in Texas, you do not have to navigate this crisis alone. The path to accountability is complex, but you have a right to pursue it.

At The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911, we combine the heart of advocates who understand your pain with the strategic mind of litigators who know how to win. We are not a high-volume settlement mill. We take on a limited number of serious injury and wrongful death cases, and we invest the resources necessary to build them properly.

We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. In this meeting, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Review any evidence you have.
• Explain the legal landscape and your family’s options in plain English.
• Discuss our investigative approach and how we would proceed.
• Answer all your questions about the process, timelines, and costs.

We work on a contingency fee basis for civil hazing cases. This means you pay no upfront fees. Our fees come only from a percentage of the recovery we secure for you. If we do not win, you do not pay our attorney’s fees.

You have the right to answers, to accountability, and to justice. Let us help you fight for it.

Call The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911 today at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also visit our website at https://attorney911.com or email Ralph Manginello directly at ralph@atty911.com.

Se habla Español. For Spanish-language services, please ask for Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources:

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

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

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

• Using your phone 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 & Attorney Profiles:

• Main Website: https://attorney911.com
• Ralph Manginello Profile: https://attorney911.com/attorneys/ralph-manginello/
• Lupe Peña Profile: https://attorney911.com/attorneys/lupe-pena/

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLD / Attorney911 can be reached at 1-888-ATTY-911.