Hazing in Texas: A Comprehensive Guide for Wolfe City Families

If you’re a parent in Wolfe City, Texas, just a short drive from Texas A&M University-Commerce, the image is all too familiar: your child, filled with excitement, heads off to the college you worked so hard to provide for. You trust the university to keep them safe while they pursue their future. Then the phone rings late at night, or your student comes home for a break a different person—withdrawn, injured, or terrified to talk about what’s happening in their new “brotherhood” or “sisterhood.” The fear sets in. Is this hazing?

Right now, our firm is fighting one of the most serious hazing lawsuits in Texas, representing Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. According to media reports, Bermudez was forced to perform extreme physical hazing—like 100+ push-ups and 500 squats—leading to rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney failure, and four days of hospitalization. This case, happening hours from Wolfe City in Harris County, shows the brutal reality of modern hazing and the institutional failures that enable it.

This guide is written specifically for parents and families in Wolfe City, Texas—in Hunt County and across our great state—who need to understand the hidden dangers within campus organizations. If your child attends Texas A&M University-Commerce, the University of North Texas, Texas A&M University, UT Austin, or any Texas campus, this information could be critical to their safety, recovery, and your family’s right to justice.

Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

If you believe your child is in immediate danger:

1. Call 911 for medical emergencies.
2. Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911) for immediate legal guidance.

In the first 48 hours:

• Get medical attention immediately, even if your child insists they are “fine.”
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted: screenshot all group chats, texts, and DMs; photograph injuries; save physical items.
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity or sorority directly.
  • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
  • Post details on public social media.
  • 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 us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.

What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025

Hazing is no longer just about harmless pranks or silly traditions. It is a calculated system of control, humiliation, and abuse designed to test “loyalty” through dangerous physical and psychological torment. For Wolfe City families, understanding these modern tactics is the first step in recognizing if your child is at risk.

A Modern Definition of Abuse

Texas law defines hazing broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with any organization. Crucially, your child’s “consent” is not a defense. The law recognizes the immense power imbalance and peer pressure that forces compliance.

The Evolving Tactics of Hazing

Today’s hazing has adapted to avoid detection, often disguised as “team building” or “bonding.” The major categories include:

1. Alcohol and Substance Hazing: The single most common cause of death in hazing incidents.

• Forced consumption games like “lineups,” “century clubs,” or “Big/Little” nights where pledges are given handles of liquor.
• The infamous “Bible study” where incorrect answers mean chugging alcohol.
• Coercion to consume unknown substances or dangerous amounts of drugs.

2. Physical and Violent Hazing: This goes far beyond calisthenics.

• “Smokings”: Extreme, punitive exercise sessions leading to conditions like rhabdomyolysis (as seen in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case).
• Paddling and beatings, particularly within certain traditions.
• Sleep and food deprivation over multiple days.
• Exposure to extreme elements, like being left outside in cold weather in minimal clothing.

3. Psychological and Humiliating Hazing: Designed to break down a person’s sense of self.

• Verbal abuse, screaming, and degradation sessions.
• Mandatory servitude: acting as a 24/7 chauffeur, cleaner, or personal assistant to older members.
• Social isolation from friends and family outside the group.
• Forced participation in sexually degrading acts or simulations.

4. Digital Hazing: The newest frontier, leaving a digital trail of evidence.

• 24/7 group chat monitoring with instant response demands (GroupMe, WhatsApp).
• Forced social media challenges or public humiliation on TikTok or Instagram.
• Geo-tracking via apps like “Find My Friends” to ensure compliance.
• “Disappearing” messages on Snapchat used to issue threats or assignments.

Where Hazing Happens

While fraternities and sororities are often the focus, hazing pervades many campus groups:

• Corps of Cadets and ROTC programs.
• Athletic teams (football, basketball, baseball, cheer).
• Spirit and tradition organizations (like Texas Cowboys or Aggie Bonfire legacy groups).
• Marching bands and performing arts groups.
• Academic and cultural clubs.

Texas Hazing Law: The Legal Framework for Wolfe City Families

For families in Wolfe City, Texas law governs your rights and the potential criminal and civil consequences for those who harm your child. Understanding this framework is essential.

Texas Education Code Chapter 37: The Anti-Hazing Statute

Texas has specific laws criminalizing hazing. The key provisions include:

• §37.151 Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers mental or physical health for the purpose of initiation or affiliation. This applies on or off campus.
• §37.152 Penalties: Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. It becomes a state jail felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death. Individuals can also be charged for failing to report hazing.
• §37.155 Consent NOT a Defense: This is critical. Even if your child “went along with it,” the law does not accept this as a valid excuse due to the inherent coercion.
• §37.153 Organizational Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 per violation.

Criminal vs. Civil Liability: Two Paths to Accountability

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (DA’s office) to punish wrongdoing with jail time, fines, and probation. A criminal conviction can help a civil case but is not required to seek justice.
• Civil Lawsuits: Brought by victims and their families to recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and to hold all responsible parties accountable—from the individual who swung the paddle to the national headquarters that turned a blind eye. This is where experienced civil litigation attorneys like ours make a profound difference.

The Federal Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and New National Laws

• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges receiving federal aid to report hazing incidents more transparently and strengthen prevention programs. This will increase public data by 2026.
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based hostility, the university has specific, mandatory obligations to investigate and address it.
• Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain campus crime statistics, which can include hazing-related assaults, burglaries, or alcohol crimes.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Case?

A thorough investigation identifies every entity that failed in its duty:

1. The Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned and carried out the abuse.
2. The Local Chapter: As a legal entity, it can be sued for creating a dangerous environment.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority: Often the deepest pocket, nationals can be liable for negligent supervision, failure to enforce their own policies, and for patterns of known misconduct across their chapters.
4. The University: Schools can be liable for negligent supervision, deliberate indifference to known risks, and premises liability, especially if hazing occurs in university-owned housing.
5. Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, alumni advisors, and even security companies may share liability.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Script Repeats Itself

The tragic stories below are not isolated incidents. They form a clear, repeating pattern that national fraternities and universities have seen for decades. For Wolfe City parents, these cases show what we are up against—and what is possible when families fight back.

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a bid-acceptance night of forced drinking. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. The case led to 18 criminal convictions and Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died from alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game. His family’s fight led to Louisiana’s Max Gruver Act, creating felony hazing charges.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of alcohol during a “Big/Little” event. His death resulted in a $10 million settlement ($7M from the national fraternity, ~$3M from the university) and criminal convictions.

The Physical Torture Pattern

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from head injuries during a blindfolded, violent “glass ceiling” ritual at a fraternity retreat. The national fraternity was criminally convicted of assault and manslaughter—a landmark case for organizational liability.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered catastrophic, permanent brain damage from forced drinking. His family settled with 22 defendants, revealing the web of liability in a single case.

The Institutional Cover-Up Pattern

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Allegations of widespread sexualized and racist hazing led to multiple lawsuits, the firing of the head coach, and a confidential settlement. It proved hazing is not limited to Greek life.

What This Means for Texas Families: These national tragedies created legal roadmaps. They established that nationals and universities can be held liable, that juries award significant compensation, and that “consent” arguments fail. The same fraternities involved in these cases—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta—have active chapters on Texas campuses.

Texas Universities in Focus: Where Wolfe City Families Send Their Kids

Wolfe City is part of a proud Texas community that sends its students to universities across the state. Understanding the specific landscape, policies, and histories of these schools is critical.

For Wolfe City & Hunt County: Texas A&M University-Commerce

As the closest university to Wolfe City, TAMU-Commerce serves many Hunt County families. Greek life is present on campus through the Department of Student Engagement.

• Recent History & Culture: Like many regional campuses, Greek life at Commerce is a mix of social, service, and multicultural organizations. The risks of hazing exist wherever a power imbalance and secrecy are present.
• Hazing Policy: TAMU-Commerce adheres to the Texas A&M University System’s strict anti-hazing policy (S.A.M. 08.03), which prohibits hazing as defined by Texas law and mandates reporting.
• Jurisdiction for Cases: A hazing incident at TAMU-Commerce would involve multiple jurisdictions: university police (TAMUC PD), the Commerce Police Department for off-campus incidents, and potentially the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office. Civil lawsuits could be filed in Hunt County courts.
• Action for Parents: If your child at TAMU-Commerce is being hazed, report immediately to the Office of Student Conduct and TAMUC PD. Preserve all digital evidence. Understand that even at a smaller campus, national fraternity policies and insurance come into play.

Major Texas Universities for Wolfe City Students

Many Wolfe City students also attend larger universities across Texas. Each has its own Greek ecosystem and history of incidents.

University of Houston (UH)

• Relevance to Wolfe City: As a major urban research university, UH attracts students from all over Texas. The Leonel Bermudez vs. UH Pi Kappa Phi case is the flagship example of severe hazing at a Texas school.
• The Flagship Case Detail: In late 2025, Leonel Bermudez sued UH and Pi Kappa Phi after pledging allegedly included a degrading “pledge fanny pack,” forced consumption of milk and hot dogs until vomiting, being sprayed with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and extreme workouts that caused rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. The chapter was suspended and then voted to surrender its charter. Media coverage from Click2Houston and ABC13 detailed the abuse. Our firm represents Bermudez in this active, $10 million lawsuit.
• Action for Parents: UHPD and Houston Police may have jurisdiction. The UH Office of Dean of Students handles reports. This case proves that even when a chapter is swiftly shut down, the legal fight for victim compensation and institutional accountability is just beginning.

Texas A&M University (College Station)

• Recent Incidents: Texas A&M has seen serious cases, including a Sigma Alpha Epsilon lawsuit where pledges alleged being doused with industrial cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. The Corps of Cadets has also faced lawsuits over alleged ritualized hazing.
• The Data Context: The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine shows a dense network of Greek organizations in the Bryan-College Station metro. For example, public IRS records list entities like the Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc (EIN: 133048786) in College Station and the Eta Alpha House Corporation of Kappa Delta Sorority (EIN: 742930349).
• Action for Parents: Reporting goes through the Student Conduct Office. Both university police (UPD) and College Station PD may be involved. The university’s size and tradition can complicate investigations, making experienced legal counsel vital.

University of Texas at Austin

• Transparency Example: UT Austin maintains a public Hazing Violations webpage, listing sanctioned organizations—a relative rarity in higher education.
• Sample Violations: The log includes cases like Pi Kappa Alpha (2023) for directing new members to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics, resulting in probation. Other spirit groups and fraternities have been cited for forced workouts and alcohol hazing.
• The Data Context: The Austin-Round Rock metro has over 150 Greek organizations per our data. IRS records show entities like the Chi Omega Fraternity house corporation (EIN: 740555581) and Building Corporation of Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi (EIN: 746047117), both in Austin.
• Action for Parents: Use UT’s public database to check an organization’s history. Reports go to the Office of the Dean of Students. UTPD and Austin PD handle criminal aspects.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

• Private School Context: As private institutions, SMU and Baylor have less public reporting but are still bound by Texas criminal law and federal statutes.
• Incident History: SMU’s Kappa Alpha Order chapter was suspended for paddling and forced drinking. Baylor’s baseball team faced suspensions for hazing in 2020. These incidents highlight that hazing crosses all types of campuses.
• Action for Parents: Reporting channels are internal (Student Affairs/Conduct). Civil lawsuits against private universities face different legal hurdles than public ones, emphasizing the need for specialized counsel.

The Greek Ecosystem: National Histories Meet Local Chapters

The fraternity or sorority your child is pledging is not an island. It is part of a national organization with a history, a risk management policy, and, often, a trail of prior incidents. This history is pivotal in a lawsuit.

Why National Histories Matter in Court

In litigation, we use “pattern evidence” to prove an organization knew or should have known its chapters were at high risk for certain conduct. For example:

• If a Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at a Texas school forces dangerous drinking, the national headquarters’ knowledge of the Stone Foltz death at Bowling Green shows they were aware of this deadly pattern but failed to prevent it locally.
• If a Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter engages in violent hazing, the national’s history of multiple chapter suspensions and lawsuits across the country demonstrates foreseeability.

This pattern evidence is used to overcome defenses like “this was a rogue chapter” or “we didn’t know.”

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Mapping the Landscape

Our firm maintains a proprietary data engine built from public records to understand the full scope of Greek organizational liability in Texas. For families in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area, which encompasses Hunt County, this data reveals a vast network.

Snapshot of Greek Organizations in the DFW Metro (Per Public IRS & Cause IQ Data):
The DFW metro contains over 500 Greek-related entities. These are not just undergraduate chapters; they include housing corporations, alumni associations, and educational foundations—all of which can hold insurance or assets. Examples from public records include:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity (EIN: 742911848) in Fort Worth, TX 76244
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc (EIN: 741380362) in Fort Worth, TX 76147
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Lambda Lambda Chapter (EIN: 521278573) in Dallas, TX 75241
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. – Phi Psi Zeta Chapter (EIN: 611562040) in Lewisville, TX 75029

These entities, recorded in IRS B83 filings, form the backbone of the financial and legal structure behind the Greek letters your child sees on campus. When we investigate a case, we use this data to identify every potentially liable organization, ensuring no entity escapes accountability.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

If your family is facing this crisis, knowing how a case is built can empower you and help you avoid critical mistakes. Our approach is methodical, aggressive, and rooted in our experience with complex institutional defendants.

Phase 1: Evidence Preservation & Investigation

The digital age has transformed hazing evidence. We act swiftly to secure:

• Digital Forensics: Recovery of deleted group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp), social media posts, text messages, and geolocation data.
• Internal Documents: Subpoenaing the chapter’s and national’s records for prior incident reports, member education materials, and risk management communications.
• University Files: Using public records requests and discovery to obtain conduct histories, Clery reports, and internal emails about the organization in question.
• Expert Testimony: Collaborating with medical experts to document injuries, psychologists to evaluate trauma (PTSD, anxiety), and economists to calculate lifelong impacts.

Phase 2: Identifying All Liable Parties

Using data like our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, we map the complete organizational chart:

1. Individual members and officers.
2. The local chapter corporation.
3. The chapter’s housing corporation (a separate legal entity).
4. The national fraternity/sorority headquarters and its insurer.
5. The university and its board of regents.
6. Third-party property owners or vendors.

Phase 3: Calculating Damages

Hazing causes profound and lasting harm. Compensation in a civil lawsuit addresses:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (ER, hospitalization, surgery, ongoing therapy), lost wages, and costs of disrupted education.
• Non-Economic Damages: Physical pain, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and psychological trauma (PTSD, depression).
• Future Damages: Long-term medical care, diminished earning capacity, and lifelong therapy needs.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In the unimaginable event of a death, families can seek compensation for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and emotional anguish.

Our video on how contingency fees work explains our commitment to access to justice: you pay no fee unless we win.

Practical Guide for Wolfe City Parents & Students

For Parents: Warning Signs & Immediate Steps

Red Flags:

• Unexplained injuries, burns, or bruises.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, or sudden weight change.
• Secrecy about organization activities; fear when their phone buzzes.
• Personality changes: withdrawal, anxiety, depression, or defensiveness.
• Financial strain from unexplained “fines” or purchases for older members.

What to Do Now:

1. Talk Calmly: Ask open-ended questions. “I’m worried about you. Is anything happening that makes you feel unsafe or humiliated?”
2. Seek Medical Care: If there is any injury or sign of alcohol poisoning, go to the ER. Tell the doctor it may be hazing-related.
3. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot EVERYTHING—group chats, texts, social media posts. Photograph injuries.
4. Document: Write down a timeline of what you’ve been told, with names and dates.
5. Call a Lawyer Before Reporting: Once you involve the university or police, the organization will circle the wagons. Get legal advice first. We can guide you on how to report strategically.

For Students: Your Safety & Rights

• You Have the Right to Leave: No matter what they’ve told you, you can quit anytime. Your safety is paramount.
• “Consent” is Not a Defense: Texas law protects you even if you felt pressured to go along.
• How to Report Safely: You can report anonymously through university hotlines or the National Anti-Hazing Hotline (1-888-NOT-HAZE). For medical emergencies, call 911; Texas law often provides amnesty for those seeking help.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm Your Case

1. Deleting Evidence: It may feel embarrassing, but deleted messages look like a cover-up. Save everything.
2. Confronting the Organization: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching. Let your attorney handle communication.
3. Signing University Paperwork: Do not sign any “resolution” or “release” forms from the school without an attorney’s review.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys monitor everything. Inconsistencies can be used against you.
5. Waiting Too Long: Texas has a statute of limitations. Evidence fades, witnesses graduate. Act quickly. Watch our video on statutes of limitations.

Why Attorney911 is the Right Firm for Wolfe City Hazing Cases

When your family is confronting a fraternity, sorority, or university, you need more than a lawyer; you need a team with the specific experience, resources, and tenacity to win against powerful, well-funded institutions. That’s why we are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, known as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

Our Unmatched Qualifications for Hazing Litigation

1. Insurance Insider Knowledge – Mr. Lupe Peña:
Mr. Peña spent years as an insurance defense attorney at a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies operate—how they value claims low, use delay tactics, and argue coverage exclusions. We know their playbook because we used to run it. This insider perspective is invaluable in maximizing your recovery.

2. Complex Institutional Litigation Experience – Ralph Manginello:
Ralph is one of the few Texas attorneys who worked on the BP Texas City explosion litigation, taking on a billion-dollar corporation. He has federal court experience (U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas) and is a member of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA). We are not intimidated by national fraternities or university legal teams. We’ve faced Goliaths before.

3. A Data-Driven Investigative Engine:
We don’t start from scratch. We use our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—built from thousands of public IRS, university, and organizational records—to immediately identify every liable entity behind a chapter. We know how to trace the money, the insurance, and the responsibility.

4. Empathetic, Victim-Centered Advocacy:
We are parents. We are Texans. We understand the shock, fear, and anger you feel. Our mission is not just to secure compensation but to force the institutional reforms that will prevent this from happening to another family. We fight for answers, accountability, and closure.

We Serve Wolfe City and All of Texas

From our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we represent families across Texas, including those in Wolfe City, Hunt County, and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth region. Whether your child was hazed at Texas A&M-Commerce, UNT, UT, Texas A&M, or any other campus, we have the knowledge and reach to help.

Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation

If you suspect your child has been hazed, time is your most important asset and your biggest enemy. Evidence disappears quickly. Organizations close ranks. The university begins its own process.

We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation to every family in Wolfe City and across Texas. In this meeting, we will:

• Listen compassionately to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Outline our investigative process and strategy.
• Answer all your questions about the legal process, timelines, and costs.

We work on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. Our goal is to provide you with clarity, support, and a powerful path forward.

Don’t face this alone. You have the right to answers and accountability.

Call The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911 today:
Phone: 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

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the Leonel Bermudez / 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 that can ruin a case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How contingency fees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Main Website:

• Contact Attorney911: 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 need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.