Hazing Lawyers for Families in Nocona, Texas | University of Houston, Texas A&M, & Fraternity Abuse Lawsuits

If Your Child Was Hazed at a Texas University, You Are Not Alone. We Fight for Accountability.

For parents in Nocona, Montague County, and across North Texas, sending a child to college is a milestone filled with pride and hope. The last thing you expect is a frantic call or a hospital visit because your son or daughter was harmed while trying to join a campus organization. Hazing is not harmless tradition; it is abuse that can cause lifelong physical injuries, severe psychological trauma, and, tragically, death. At The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911), we are Legal Emergency Lawyers™, and we are leading the fight against dangerous hazing in Texas. Right now, we are actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in the country right here in our state—the $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston and the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter on behalf of Leonel Bermudez. If hazing has impacted your family, we are here to provide immediate, aggressive, and professional help.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for any medical emergency.
• Then call us immediately at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911).

In the first 48 hours, it is critical to:

1. Get Medical Attention: Even if your child insists they are “fine,” seek evaluation. Injuries like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) or internal trauma may not be immediately apparent.
2. Preserve Evidence: Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, texts), photograph injuries from multiple angles, and save any physical items. Evidence disappears quickly.
3. Write Everything Down: Document who, what, when, and where while memories are fresh.
4. Do NOT: Confront the fraternity/sorority, sign anything from the university or an insurance company, or post details on social media.

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, and we stand ready to help families in Nocona, Bowie, Saint Jo, and throughout Montague County. Call us for a free, confidential consultation.

The Hazing Reality in Texas: A Case Happening Right Now at UH

To understand the brutal reality of modern hazing, you need look no further than a lawsuit we are litigating right now in Harris County. This is not a historical case; it is active, ongoing proof of the systemic abuse happening on Texas campuses.

The Case of Leonel Bermudez vs. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi
In late 2025, we filed a $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who pledged the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter. The complaint details a campaign of humiliation and violence that nearly killed him.

The Hazing Conduct:

• Psychological Control: Pledges were forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, a sex toy, nicotine devices, and other degrading items.
• Forced Labor & Servitude: Enforced dress codes, hours-long “study” blocks, weekly interviews, and overnight chauffeuring duties for members.
• Extreme Physical Abuse: This included sprints, bear crawls, wheelbarrow races, and “save-your-brother” drills. Pledges were forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass, stripped to their underwear in cold weather, and sprayed in the face with a hose in a manner “similar to waterboarding.”
• Violent Rituals: Another pledge was allegedly hog-tied face-down on a table with an object in his mouth for over an hour. Bermudez was forced to consume excessive amounts of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, then immediately forced to do sprints.
• The Final Workout: On November 3, 2025, Bermudez was forced through over 100 push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion, leaving him unable to stand without help.

The Medical Catastrophe:
Days later, Bermudez’s condition deteriorated. He began passing brown urine—a classic sign of rhabdomyolysis. His mother rushed him to the hospital, where he was admitted for four days. Lab tests confirmed critically high creatine kinase levels, acute kidney failure, and rhabdomyolysis. He faces an ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage.

The Institutional Response:
The lawsuit names 17 defendants: the University of Houston, the UH System Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, the Beta Nu housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. After reports surfaced, Pi Kappa Phi national suspended the chapter on November 6, 2025. The chapter members voted to surrender their charter on November 14, shutting it down. UH called the alleged conduct “deeply disturbing” and promised disciplinary action and cooperation with law enforcement.

This case, covered by Click2Houston and ABC13, is the flagship example of what we do. We take on powerful universities and national fraternities to get answers, compensation, and accountability for families. This is the level of seriousness we bring to every hazing case.

The Texas Greek Ecosystem: A Network of Organizations Serving Nocona Families

When your child joins a fraternity or sorority at a Texas university, they are not just joining a campus club. They are entering a complex network of legally recognized organizations—house corporations, alumni chapters, educational foundations, and national headquarters—each with its own insurance, leadership, and potential liability. For parents in Nocona, understanding this network is the first step toward understanding where accountability truly lies.

Our firm maintains a Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public records like IRS filings and corporate databases. We track over 1,423 Greek-related organizations across 25 Texas metros to ensure we can identify every potentially liable entity in a case. Below is a snapshot of the kinds of organizations operating across Texas that may be connected to the chapters your child encounters.

Public Records Directory: Fraternity, Sorority & Greek Organizations in Texas

The following are real entities recorded in public filings. This directory illustrates the scale and structure of the Greek system that serves Texas students, including those from Nocona and Montague County.

A Sample of Texas-Registered Greek Organizations (From IRS B83 Filings):

• Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc, EIN 133048786, College Station, TX 77845
• Gamma Phi Beta Sorority Inc, EIN 161675890, The Woodlands, TX 77382 (Zeta Rho HCB)
• Sigma Phi Lambda Inc, EIN 201237505, Corinth, TX 76210 (Beta Chapter)
• Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, EIN 262025321, Denton, TX 76201 (Mu Gamma 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
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc, EIN 475370943, Houston, TX 77204 (Theta Delta Chapter)
• Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter, EIN 746084905, Houston, TX 77204
• Kappa Sigma Fraternity, EIN 756067776, Fort Worth, TX 76109 (Theta Chapter)
• Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, EIN 900927378, San Antonio, TX 78249 (Texas Xi Chapter)

Examples from the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metro (188+ Organizations):

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity, Fort Worth, TX
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation, Fort Worth, TX
• Delta Tau Delta Fraternity – Gamma Iota Chapter, Austin, TX

Cross-Validated National Brands Operating in Texas:
Organizations like Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi appear in both IRS data and metro registries, showing how national brands permeate the state through undergraduate chapters, alumni groups, and honor societies.

Why This Matters for Your Case:
When hazing occurs, liability rarely stops with the 19-year-old who handed out the alcohol. The house corporation that owns the property, the alumni board that advises the chapter, and the national headquarters that collects dues and sets policy may all share responsibility. Our investigative advantage is that we start with this data—we already know how to find the organizations behind the letters.

Where Nocona Families Send Their Kids: Texas Campuses & Greek Life

Students from Nocona High School and surrounding Montague County attend a variety of Texas colleges and universities, many with active and historically problematic Greek systems. Whether your child commutes to a nearby school or lives on campus at a major university, they may encounter Greek life.

Regional Universities Near Nocona:

• Midwestern State University (Wichita Falls, Wichita County)
• University of North Texas (Denton, Denton County)
• Texas Woman’s University (Denton, Denton County)
• Tarleton State University (Stephenville, Erath County)

Major Texas Universities with Significant Greek Life:
These are the powerhouse schools where thousands of Texas families, including those from Nocona, send their children. They also have documented histories of hazing incidents.

• University of Houston (UH) (Houston, Harris County)
• Texas A&M University (College Station, Brazos County)
• University of Texas at Austin (UT) (Austin, Travis County)
• Southern Methodist University (SMU) (Dallas, Dallas County)
• Baylor University (Waco, McLennan County)
• Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Lubbock County)
• Texas State University (San Marcos, Hays County)

Each of these campuses hosts dozens of fraternity and sorority chapters governed by Interfraternity Councils (IFC), Panhellenic Councils, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). The traditions and social pressure within these groups can create environments where hazing flourishes unless actively and aggressively suppressed by the university and national organizations.

Texas Hazing Law & Your Family’s Rights in Nocona

Texas has specific laws designed to combat hazing and protect students. Understanding these laws is crucial for families in Nocona seeking justice.

Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F – The Anti-Hazing Statute:

• Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student for the purpose of pledging, initiation, or affiliation with an organization that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of the student. This applies on or off campus.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. It becomes a Class A misdemeanor if it causes injury and a state jail felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Consent is NOT a Defense: Texas law (Sec. 37.155) explicitly states that the victim’s consent to the hazing activity is not a defense to prosecution. This legal principle is vital—it recognizes the power imbalance and coercion inherent in hazing.
• Immunity for Reporters: Individuals who in good faith report hazing are immune from civil or criminal liability.
• Organizational Liability: The organization itself can be fined up to $10,000 per violation if it authorized or knew of the hazing and failed to report it.

Civil Liability & Lawsuits:
A criminal case, handled by the state, aims to punish wrongdoing. A civil lawsuit, which we file on behalf of victims, aims to secure compensation for damages and hold all responsible parties accountable. These can include:

• Individual Members who participated.
• Chapter Officers who planned or failed to stop the activities.
• The Local Chapter as an entity.
• The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters for negligent supervision and failure to enforce their own policies.
• The University for negligent oversight and failure to protect students.
• Property Owners & Housing Corporations.

Federal Laws That Apply:

• The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges to improve hazing transparency and reporting.
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, federal Title IX procedures and liabilities may apply.
• The Clery Act: Requires universities to disclose campus crime statistics, which can include hazing-related assaults.

Building a Powerful Hazing Case: The Attorney911 Advantage

Fighting a hazing case against a university or a national fraternity is not like a standard car accident claim. These are institutional fights against opponents with deep pockets, experienced defense lawyers, and a strong desire to protect their reputation. Our firm is built for this kind of complex litigation.

1. Evidence Collection in the Digital Age:
Hazing today is planned and documented on phones. Our strategy prioritizes digital evidence before it vanishes.

• Group Chats: We secure screenshots and use digital forensics to recover deleted messages from GroupMe, WhatsApp, Discord, and SMS.
• Social Media: Preserving posts, stories, and DMs from Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok that may show the hazing or discussions about it.
• Internal Documents: We subpoena chapter “pledge manuals,” national risk management policies, and university disciplinary records to prove pattern and knowledge.
• Medical Evidence: We work with medical experts to document the full extent of injuries, from rhabdomyolysis to PTSD, and project future care needs.

2. Our Unique Litigation Strengths:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as an insurance defense lawyer for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers evaluate claims, deploy delay tactics, and fight coverage. We know their playbook because we used to run it.
• Experience Against Giants: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by billion-dollar defendants or their legal teams. We’ve faced them before.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand both sides of a hazing case. We can effectively advise clients when criminal charges are also pending and navigate the interaction between the two legal tracks.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish, ensuring we can serve all Texas families with comfort and clarity.

3. Recoverable Damages in a Hazing Case:
Our goal is to secure full compensation for the harm done, which can include:

• All medical expenses (past and future), including long-term therapy and care.
• Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity if injuries affect the victim’s career.
• Pain and suffering, including physical pain and emotional trauma (PTSD, anxiety, depression).
• Punitive damages in cases of particularly egregious or reckless conduct.

If You Suspect Hazing: A Practical Guide for Nocona Parents & Students

For Parents – Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, or drastic weight changes.
• Sudden secrecy about organization activities.
• Personality changes: withdrawal, anxiety, depression, or defensiveness.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Requests for large sums of money with vague explanations.

For Students – Is This Hazing?
If you are being pressured, coerced, or threatened in any way to perform an act to join or stay in a group—especially if that act is dangerous, degrading, or secret—it is hazing. “Consent” under peer pressure is not real consent in the eyes of Texas law.

Critical Steps to Take Immediately:

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: Get to a safe place and seek medical attention if needed.
2. Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots of everything. Photograph injuries. Do NOT delete anything.
3. Write It Down: Document names, dates, locations, and what happened.
4. Report It: You can report to campus police, the Dean of Students, or local law enforcement. Texas law offers protections for good-faith reporters.
5. Call an Attorney: Before giving formal statements to the university or insurance adjusters, talk to a lawyer who can protect your rights. Watch our video on using your phone to document evidence.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case:

• Deleting evidence (texts, photos, group chats).
• Confronting the fraternity/sorority directly, which can trigger evidence destruction.
• Signing any documents from the university or an insurance company without legal advice.
• Posting details about the incident on social media.
• Waiting too long. Texas has statutes of limitations. Learn more in our video on Texas statutes of limitations.

Why Families in Nocona Choose Attorney911 for Hazing Cases

We are not a generic personal injury firm. We are Texas-based complex litigation specialists who apply a unique set of skills to hazing cases.

We Get Immediate Results: We are currently in the midst of active, high-stakes hazing litigation against the University of Houston and a national fraternity. We know what it takes to build these cases now.

We Speak Your Language: Mr. Lupe Peña provides full Spanish-language legal services (Se habla Español).

You Pay Nothing Unless We Win: We work on a contingency fee basis. We cover all case costs upfront, and our fee comes only from the recovery we secure for you. See how contingency fees work.

We Protect the Injured and Fight for the Rights of Defendants: Our dual expertise across plaintiff and defense work gives us a strategic advantage in navigating complex cases.

Contact Attorney911 for a Free, Confidential Hazing Case Consultation

If your child has been injured or traumatized by hazing at any Texas college or university—whether it’s at a school near Nocona like Midwestern State or at a major campus like UH or Texas A&M—you have legal options. The organizations behind these groups are counting on silence and fear.

We offer a confidential, no-obligation consultation to listen to your story, review any evidence you have, and explain your family’s rights and potential paths forward. We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont.

Call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ Today:
1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com

Let us help you get answers, secure accountability, and fight to ensure no other family in Nocona or across Texas has to endure what yours has.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources:

• Attorney911 Main Website & Contact: https://attorney911.com
• Click2Houston coverage of UH Pi Kappa Phi case: 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 Leonel Bermudez lawsuit: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• Video: Using Your Cellphone to Document a Legal Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Video: Texas Statutes of Limitations Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Video: How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.