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

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

We understand the panic and fear that grips a parent in Galena Park when they get that late-night call or notice their child returning home from college changed—bruised, emotionally withdrawn, or physically ill. The reality is that hazing remains a pervasive and dangerous problem on college campuses across Texas and the nation. Right now, in our own Harris County, we are fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country on behalf of a young man and his family.

In late 2025, we filed a $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit in Harris County on behalf of Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, its Beta Nu chapter, the chapter’s housing corporation, the UH System Board of Regents, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The allegations are severe and illustrate the extreme risks students face.

According to the lawsuit and media reports, Bermudez, a transfer student and pledge in the fall of 2025, was subjected to months of degrading and violent hazing. This included being forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 filled with humiliating items, enduring enforced dress codes and overnight driving duties, and suffering brutal physical abuse. He was sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass, and made to consume excessive amounts of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, followed by immediate sprints.

The most catastrophic event occurred on November 3, 2025, when he was forced through over 100 push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion. In the following days, his condition deteriorated until he was passing brown urine and could not stand without help. Rushed to the hospital, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis—a severe skeletal muscle breakdown—and acute kidney failure. He was hospitalized for four days and faces an ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage.

This case is not an outlier. It is a stark warning to every family in Galena Park, Harris County, and across Texas about what can happen behind the closed doors of fraternity houses, athletic dormitories, and Corps barracks. This guide exists to provide you with the knowledge, resources, and hope you need to navigate this crisis. We will explain what hazing looks like today, the laws that protect your child, the patterns of abuse at Texas universities, and the path to accountability.

Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for medical emergencies.
• Then call us at 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:

1. Get medical attention immediately, even if your child insists they are “fine.”
2. Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted: Screenshot group chats, texts, and DMs. Photograph injuries from multiple angles. Save physical items like clothing or objects used.
3. Write down everything while memories are fresh: who, what, when, and where.
4. DO NOT: Confront the fraternity/sorority, sign anything from the university or an insurance company, post details on public social media, or let your child delete messages.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. We can help preserve it and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

The Local Greek Ecosystem Surrounding Galena Park Families

Galena Park sits within the heart of the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area, a hub for higher education and Greek life. Our firm maintains a comprehensive Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public records, to understand the full landscape of organizations that Galena Park families may encounter.

The Houston metro area is home to 188 Greek-related organizations, according to Cause IQ data. These range from undergraduate fraternity and sorority chapters to alumni associations, honor societies, and housing corporations. When your child joins a group, they are not just joining a local club; they are connecting to a vast network of legally recognized entities, many with their own insurance policies and liability structures.

Public Records Directory: Fraternities, Sororities & Greek Organizations Serving Galena Park Families

To illustrate the scope, here are examples of Texas-registered Greek organizations (from IRS B83 filings) and metro-based groups that operate in and around the Houston area. This is a sample of the directory we maintain to investigate claims and identify all potentially liable parties.

Houston-Area & Statewide Greek Entities (IRS B83 Filings):

• Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity – EIN: 746064445 – Nederland, TX 77627 (IRS B83 filing)
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – EIN: 364091267 – Waco, TX 76710 (IRS B83 filing)
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc. – EIN: 462267515 – Frisco, TX 75035 (IRS B83 filing)
• Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter – EIN: 746084905 – Houston, TX 77204 (IRS B83 filing)
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc. (Theta Delta) – EIN: 475370943 – Houston, TX 77204 (IRS B83 filing)
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. – Sigma Gamma Chapter – EIN: 392352450 – Houston, TX 77254 (IRS B83 filing)
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – University of Houston Victoria – EIN: 900293167 – Victoria, TX 77901 (IRS B83 filing)
• Delta Phi Upsilon Fraternity Inc. (Grand Chapter) – EIN: 800209640 – Houston, TX 77248 (IRS B83 filing)

Houston Metro Greek Organizations (Cause IQ Data):

• Texas District of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – Houston, TX (Alumni/house corporation)
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Houston Alumnae – Houston, TX
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority – Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter – Houston, TX (Graduate chapter)
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – Beta Sigma Chapter – Houston, TX (Undergraduate chapter)
• Omega Psi Phi Fraternity – Theta Chi Chapter – Houston, TX (Graduate chapter)

This network matters because when hazing causes injury, responsibility may extend beyond the students in the room. House corporations, alumni boards, and national headquarters that oversee—and often insure—these activities can be held accountable. We use this data to ensure no responsible entity escapes notice.

Where Galena Park Families Send Their Children to College

Students from Galena Park and throughout Harris County attend a wide array of Texas universities, from local commuter schools to major residential campuses across the state. Understanding the Greek landscape at these schools is critical for parents.

Major Local & Regional Universities:

• University of Houston (UH) – Houston, Harris County. A major public research university with a large, active Greek community.
• University of Houston-Clear Lake – Houston, Harris County.
• University of Houston-Downtown – Houston, Harris County.
• Texas Southern University – Houston, Harris County.
• Houston Christian University – Houston, Harris County.
• Rice University – Houston, Harris County.
• San Jacinto College – Harris County.
• Lee College – Baytown, Harris County.

Major Statewide University Hubs (Common Destinations for Texas Students):

• Texas A&M University – College Station, Brazos County.
• University of Texas at Austin – Austin, Travis County.
• Baylor University – Waco, McLennan County.
• Texas State University – San Marcos, Hays County.
• Texas Tech University – Lubbock, Lubbock County.
• University of North Texas – Denton, Denton County.
• Southern Methodist University (SMU) – Dallas, Dallas County.

The fraternities and sororities at these schools are often chapters of the same national organizations. A pattern of hazing at a Pi Kappa Phi chapter at UH is connected to the same national history as a Pi Kappa Phi chapter at Texas A&M or UT Austin. This national pattern is key to building a case.

Hazing in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

Hazing is not just about “boys will be boys” or harmless pranks. Modern hazing is a calculated series of acts designed to assert power, create loyalty through trauma, and maintain secrecy. It evolves to avoid detection, often moving off-campus or into digital spaces.

What Hazing Really Looks Like Today:

1. Digital Control & Coercion: 24/7 monitoring via group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp), demands for immediate response at all hours, forced sharing of location data, and social media humiliation.
2. “Voluntary” But Mandatory Acts: Activities framed as “optional” but with severe social or membership consequences for those who decline.
3. Extreme Physical “Workouts”: Punitive calisthenics called “smokings” that lead to conditions like rhabdomyolysis (as in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case), often disguised as fitness training.
4. Forced Consumption: Coerced ingestion of alcohol, large quantities of food, hot sauces, or non-food substances until vomiting.
5. Psychological Terror: Sleep deprivation, isolation, verbal abuse, threats of expulsion from the group, and simulated acts of violence like waterboarding.
6. Sexualized Humiliation: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, and degrading costumes or roles.

If your child is being subjected to any activity that endangers their physical or mental health for the purpose of joining or maintaining status in a group, it is hazing. Under Texas law, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

Texas Law & Liability: The Legal Framework for Galena Park Families

Texas has specific statutes that criminalize hazing and provide avenues for civil justice. These laws apply whether the hazing occurred in a fraternity house near UH, a Corps dorm at Texas A&M, or an off-campus apartment in Austin.

Texas Education Code, Chapter 37 (Hazing):

• Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation, admission, affiliation, or maintenance of membership in any organization.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. It becomes a Class A misdemeanor if the hazing causes bodily injury and a state jail felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Consent is NOT a Defense: Texas law explicitly states that the victim’s consent to the hazing activity is not a defense to prosecution.
• Immunity for Reporters: Individuals who report hazing in good faith to school officials or law enforcement are immune from civil or criminal liability.
• Organization Liability: An organization that commits hazing can be fined up to $10,000 and lose its official recognition.

Civil Liability & Lawsuits:
A criminal case is brought by the state to punish wrongdoing. A civil lawsuit, which we handle, is brought by the victim and their family to recover damages and hold all responsible parties accountable. In a civil hazing case, we can sue:

• The individual students who planned, executed, or concealed the hazing.
• The local chapter as an entity.
• The national fraternity or sorority headquarters for negligent supervision and failing to prevent known, foreseeable dangers.
• The university for negligent oversight, particularly if it knew or should have known about a pattern of misconduct.
• Housing corporations and property owners where the hazing occurred.

Federal Laws That Apply:

• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, schools have a duty to investigate and address it.
• The Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain crimes, including assaults that may occur during hazing.
• The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires increased transparency and reporting of hazing incidents by colleges receiving federal aid.

For Galena Park families, this means justice may be pursued in Harris County courts or in the county where the university is located. Our experience in federal and state courts across Texas ensures we can navigate this complex web.

National Hazing Patterns: A Playbook Texas Chapters Too Often Follow

The tragic case at UH did not occur in a vacuum. National fraternities have long, documented histories of hazing incidents that follow eerily similar scripts. This pattern evidence is powerful in court, as it shows national organizations were on notice of the risks their chapters were creating.

• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): At Bowling Green State University (2021), pledge Stone Foltz died after being forced to drink an entire bottle of alcohol. His family secured a $10 million settlement.
• Beta Theta Pi: At Penn State (2017), Timothy Piazza died after a night of forced drinking and falls, captured on chapter cameras. The case led to Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
• Phi Delta Theta: At LSU (2017), Max Gruver died during a “Bible study” drinking game, leading to Louisiana’s felony hazing statute, the Max Gruver Act.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): Has faced numerous lawsuits, including a Texas A&M case where pledges suffered severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts.
• Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI): At the University of Missouri (2021), pledge Danny Santulli suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking.

When a Texas chapter repeats these same dangerous “traditions,” the national organization cannot plausibly claim it was an unforeseeable, rogue incident. This history strengthens claims for punitive damages and strengthens our leverage in negotiations.

Building a Case with Attorney911’s Data Engine & Litigation Experience

When you come to us, you are not starting from zero. We combine deep investigative resources with proven litigation strategy tailored to hazing cases.

Our Investigative Advantage:

1. The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: We use our proprietary database of over 1,423 Greek organizations across Texas to immediately identify every entity behind a chapter—national HQ, housing corp, alumni groups—and their insurance carriers.
2. Digital Forensics: We work with experts to recover deleted group chats, social media posts, and messages that chapters try to destroy.
3. National Pattern Evidence: We subpoena national fraternity records to expose prior incidents, inadequate training, and lax enforcement of anti-hazing policies.
4. University Records: We use public records requests and discovery to obtain a school’s prior disciplinary files on a chapter, proving institutional knowledge.

Our Litigation Strengths:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as an insurance defense attorney for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers evaluate claims, fight coverage, and attempt to minimize payouts. This insider knowledge is invaluable. You can learn more about Mr. Peña’s background at https://attorney911.com/attorneys/lupe-pena/.
• Experience Against Giant Institutions: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas lawyers involved in the complex BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets and legal teams of national fraternities or major universities. Learn more about Ralph’s experience at https://attorney911.com/attorneys/ralph-manginello/.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Understanding: Ralph is a member of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA). We understand how criminal hazing investigations interact with civil cases and can advise clients on both fronts.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña is fluent in Spanish, ensuring we can serve all Texas families with comfort and clarity.

We fight to recover comprehensive damages for our clients, including:

• All past and future medical expenses.
• Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity.
• Physical pain and suffering.
• Emotional trauma, PTSD, and psychological counseling.
• In wrongful death cases, funeral costs and loss of companionship for the family.

We work on a contingency fee basis: you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case. Watch our video explaining how contingency fees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc.

Practical Steps for Galena Park Parents & Students

For Parents: If You Suspect Hazing

1. Listen and Document: Have a calm, non-confrontational conversation. Write down everything your child says, with dates and names.
2. Seek Medical Care: Have a doctor evaluate any injuries or psychological distress. Tell the physician the context was hazing so it is documented.
3. Secure Evidence: Help your child safely screenshot all relevant group chats, texts, and social media posts. Photograph injuries. Preserve physical evidence.
4. Report Strategically: You can report to the university’s Dean of Students and campus police. However, be aware that schools often have an institutional interest in controlling the narrative. We can guide you on when and how to report.
5. Consult a Lawyer Early: Before making formal statements or signing anything with the university, talk to us. Evidence disappears quickly, and early legal guidance is crucial. Watch our video on common client mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY.

For Students: If You Are Being Hazed

• Your Safety Comes First: If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Texas law provides protections for those who seek emergency help in good faith.
• You Have the Right to Say No: You can de-pledge or quit at any time. True brotherhood or sisterhood is not built on abuse.
• Preserve Evidence Secretly: If safe, take screenshots, photos, or voice memos. Save everything to a cloud account or email it to a trusted person.
• Talk to Someone: Confide in a parent, a trusted professor, a campus counselor, or an attorney. You do not have to carry this alone.

Critical Mistakes to Avoid:

• DO NOT delete text messages, photos, or group chats.
• DO NOT confront the chapter yourself; it can trigger evidence destruction.
• DO NOT sign any documents from the university or an insurance adjuster without an attorney’s review.
• DO NOT discuss the case on public social media.
• DO NOT wait. Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, but memories fade and evidence vanishes much faster. Learn about statutes of limitations here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c.

Why Galena Park Families Choose Attorney911

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, operating as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. While our offices are in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we serve hazing victims and their families across Texas, including right here in Galena Park and Harris County.

We are not a high-volume personal injury mill. We are a specialized complex litigation firm that chooses to take on difficult, institutional cases—like fighting the University of Houston and a national fraternity in the Bermudez case. We bring a level of preparation, resources, and tenacity that matches our opponents.

We understand the profound emotional and physical toll hazing takes on young victims and their families. Our mission is to secure the justice and compensation you deserve while forcing the systemic changes needed to protect the next generation of students.

If your child has been hazed at any Texas university—whether it’s UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin, Baylor, SMU, or any other campus—we are here to listen, investigate, and fight for you.

Contact us today for a free, completely confidential case evaluation. We will explain your legal options without pressure. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911), visit our website at https://attorney911.com, or email Ralph Manginello directly at ralph@atty911.com.

Hablamos Español. Contacte a Lupe Peña a lupe@atty911.com para una consulta confidencial en español.

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 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. For legal advice regarding your specific situation, please contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a consultation.