Hazing on Texas Campuses: A Complete Guide for Kemah Families and Legal Victims

For parents in Kemah, Galveston County, and across the Texas Gulf Coast, the college experience represents a proud milestone. Yet, beneath the surface of campus traditions and Greek letters lies a dark reality: hazing that can turn a dream into a medical and legal nightmare. Right now, we are representing Leonel Bermudez in a $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston and the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter—a case that underscores the severe, life-altering injuries hidden behind closed fraternity doors.

This guide is written for families in Kemah, League City, Clear Lake, and surrounding communities who need to understand the true scope of hazing in 2025. We will explain Texas law, detail what is happening at universities where your children may attend, and outline the legal pathways to accountability when institutions fail to protect students.

If This Just Happened: Immediate Crisis Response for Kemah Families

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for any medical emergency.
• Then call us immediately: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ for a reason.
• In the first 48 hours:
  • Get medical attention immediately. Injuries like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) can be fatal if untreated.
  • Preserve digital evidence BEFORE it’s deleted: Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), photograph injuries from multiple angles, and save any physical items.
  • Write down everything your child tells you: names, dates, locations, specific acts.
  • DO NOT: Confront the fraternity/sorority, sign anything from the university or an insurance adjuster, or post details on social media.

The Flagship Case: Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi

To understand the stakes for Texas families, look at the case we are actively litigating. Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student, pledged the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter in fall 2025. What followed was not brotherhood but systematic abuse.

The Hazing Conduct: Bermudez was subjected to a degrading “pledge fanny pack” rule, forced dress codes, and overnight driving duties. The physical hazing included extreme workouts at Yellowstone Boulevard Park, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting. In early November, he was forced through 100+ push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion.

The Medical Catastrophe: This abuse led to rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. Bermudez passed brown urine, could not stand, and was hospitalized for four days with critically high creatine kinase levels. He faces an ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage.

The Institutional Response: Following media reports by Click2Houston and ABC13, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters suspended the chapter on November 6, 2025. Members voted to surrender their charter on November 14. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing.” Our lawsuit names 13 individual fraternity leaders, the national fraternity, its housing corporation, UH, and the UH System Board of Regents.

This case is not an outlier; it is a template. The same national organizations, the same institutional failures, and the same catastrophic injuries threaten students from Kemah at campuses across Texas.

Hazing in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

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. For Kemah families, understanding its modern forms is critical:

• Digital Coercion: 24/7 group chat monitoring, geo-tracking demands, social media humiliation, and deleted “evidence” on apps like Snapchat.
• Disguised Abuse: “Mandatory study hours” that are sleep deprivation, “wellness challenges” that are extreme physical exhaustion, “team building” that is psychological torment.
• Violent Traditions: Forced alcohol consumption (the leading cause of hazing deaths), physical beatings, paddling, exposure to extreme elements, and sexualized humiliation.

Consent is not a defense under Texas law. The power imbalance between pledges and members, coupled with the fear of social exclusion, creates coercion that the law recognizes.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: What Kemah Parents Must Know

Texas Education Code Chapter 37, Subchapter F, provides the legal framework.

Criminal Penalties (Texas Education Code § 37.152):

• Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing that does not cause serious injury.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.

Civil Liability: This is where families secure accountability and compensation for medical bills, trauma, and future care. Potentially liable parties include:

1. Individual Members who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter as an organization.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters that often had prior knowledge of similar conduct at other chapters.
4. The University for negligent supervision or deliberate indifference to a known risk.
5. Property Owners & Third Parties (e.g., Airbnb hosts, alcohol providers).

The Critical Texas Statute: § 37.155 states that the victim’s consent is NOT a defense to hazing. This directly counteracts the common excuse that “they wanted to be part of the group.”

The Greek Ecosystem Serving Kemah and Gulf Coast Families

Kemah families often send students to major universities within commuting distance or across the state. The Greek life at these schools is supported by a complex network of legally registered organizations. We maintain a Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine built from public records to track these entities. This is not an accusation, but a demonstration of the investigatory depth we bring to every case.

Public Records Directory: Fraternities, Sororities & Greek Organizations Connected to Texas Campuses

The following are examples of Texas-registered organizations (from IRS B83 filings and Cause IQ data) that operate in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area and statewide, representing the kind of entities we investigate in hazing cases.

In the Greater Houston Metro (188+ Greek Organizations):

• Texas District of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – Houston, TX (Alumni/house corporation)
• Alpha Phi Omega – Bayou City Alumni – Houston, TX
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Houston Alumnae – Houston, TX (Graduate chapter)
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – Beta Sigma Chapter – Houston, TX (Undergrad chapter)
• Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation – EIN 371768785, Missouri City, TX 77459
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc. – EIN 462267515, Frisco, TX 75035

Statewide University & Alumni Entities (Examples):

• Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc. – EIN 133048786, College Station, TX 77845 (Texas A&M)
• Building Corporation of Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi – EIN 746047117, Austin, TX 78705 (UT Austin)
• Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter – EIN 746084905, Houston, TX 77204 (UH)
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. – Sigma Gamma Chapter – EIN 392352450, Houston, TX 77254
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – EIN 900293166, College Station, TX 77843 (Texas A&M University)

This database of over 1,423 Greek-related organizations across 25 Texas metros allows us to immediately identify all potentially liable entities behind a chapter’s letters—a critical advantage for families.

Where Kemah Families Send Their Kids: Campus Hazing Realities

University of Houston (UH)

For many Kemah and Clear Lake students, UH is a primary destination. The recent Pi Kappa Phi case reveals systemic issues. UH’s Greek life includes Interfraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic, and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations. Beyond Pi Kappa Phi, other chapters have faced discipline. For Kemah families: Evidence collection often involves coordinating with Houston Police Department and UHPD jurisdictions. Immediate action is crucial as digital evidence from group chats disappears rapidly.

Texas A&M University at Galveston & Texas A&M College Station

With Texas A&M at Galveston in our backyard and College Station a common choice, A&M’s hazing history is highly relevant. This includes:

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case: Pledges allegedly doused with industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe burns requiring skin grafts.
• Corps of Cadets Lawsuit: Allegations of simulated sexual acts and binding of cadets.
• Kappa Sigma Rhabdomyolysis Litigation: Ongoing cases involving extreme physical hazing leading to the same muscle-destroying injury as in the UH case.

Other Major Texas Universities

• University of Texas at Austin: Maintains a public hazing violations log. Organizations like Pi Kappa Alpha have been sanctioned for forced consumption and strenuous calisthenics.
• Southern Methodist University (SMU): As a private university with affluent students, hazing cases often involve intense negotiations with institutional insurers.
• Baylor University: Has faced hazing scandals within its athletic programs, underscoring that abuse extends beyond Greek life.

National Patterns, Local Injuries: Why Fraternity Histories Matter

When a chapter at UH or Texas A&M hazes, it is rarely an isolated incident. National fraternities have documented, tragic patterns:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): Stone Foltz death at Bowling Green ($10M settlement); widespread alcohol hazing.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): Multiple deaths and injuries nationally; known for “chapter in trouble” patterns.
• Phi Delta Theta: Max Gruver death at LSU led to Louisiana’s felony hazing law.
• Pi Kappa Phi: Andrew Coffey death at Florida State.

In litigation, we use these national histories to prove foreseeability. If a national headquarters knew its chapters repeatedly engaged in forced drinking but failed to implement effective oversight, that failure supports claims of negligence and gross negligence.

Building a Hazing Case: The Attorney911 Advantage

Facing a university and a national fraternity is daunting. Their insurers and defense firms have unlimited resources. Our approach, proven in cases like the BP Texas City explosion litigation, levels the playing field.

1. Evidence Preservation & Investigation:
We act with urgency to secure evidence before it vanishes. This includes:

• Digital Forensics: Recovering deleted group chats, social media posts, and location data.
• Institutional Discovery: Subpoenaing national fraternity files for prior incident reports and risk management failures.
• University Records: Obtaining prior conduct violations for the chapter through public records requests.
• Expert Network: Working with medical experts, toxicologists, economists, and life-care planners to document the full extent of harm, as seen in the Bermudez case with rhabdomyolysis diagnosis.

2. Our Competitive Strengths for Kemah Families:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as an insurance defense attorney for a national firm. He knows how fraternity and university insurers undervalue claims, use delay tactics, and fight coverage. Learn about his background.
• Complex Institutional Litigation: Managing partner Ralph Manginello has taken on billion-dollar defendants. His federal court experience and HCCLA criminal defense background mean we understand both the civil and criminal landscapes of a hazing case. Learn about his experience.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish, ensuring Kemah’s Hispanic families receive clear, compassionate counsel.
• Contingency Fee Basis: We invest in your case upfront. You pay no attorney fees unless we win. See how contingency fees work.

Practical Steps for Kemah Parents and Students

For Parents:

1. Listen & Document: If your child confides in you, write down dates, times, and details. Screenshot any evidence they show you.
2. Prioritize Health: Seek medical and psychological care immediately. Tell the doctor the injuries are hazing-related.
3. Consult a Lawyer Before Reporting: While reporting to the university is important, understand that the school’s primary interest may be limiting its own liability. We can guide you on how to navigate this process.
4. Avoid Critical Mistakes: Do not delete evidence, confront the fraternity, or give a statement to an insurance adjuster. Watch our video on client mistakes that can ruin a case.

For Students/Victims:

1. Get to Safety & Seek Medical Care: Your health is paramount. Texas has good-faith reporter protections for those who call 911 in an emergency.
2. Preserve Everything: Do not delete texts, chats, or photos. Take screenshots. Learn how to use your phone to document evidence.
3. Know Your Rights: You cannot be punished for refusing to participate in hazing. “Consent” is not a legal defense for your abusers.

Your Legal Emergency Team: Contact Attorney911 Today

If hazing has injured your child, you are not alone. From our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we serve families throughout Texas, including Kemah, Galveston County, and the entire Gulf Coast region. We combine the investigative power of our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine with over 25 years of courtroom experience fighting powerful institutions.

We offer a free, confidential consultation to review your situation, explain your rights under Texas law, and discuss the path forward. We handle cases on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ now: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Website: https://attorney911.com

Se habla Español. Contact Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com for assistance in Spanish.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the UH Pi Kappa Phi Case:

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

Attorney911 Website: https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique. Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC for a consultation on your specific situation.