Texas Hazing & Fraternity Abuse Lawsuits: A Comprehensive Guide for Everman Families

If you are a parent in Everman, Texas, your worst nightmare may be receiving a call that your child has been hurt at college. Not in a car accident or from an illness, but from a deliberate, degrading, and dangerous ritual inflicted by the very group they hoped would become their community. Right now, in our own state, we are fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country on behalf of a young man named Leonel Bermudez, a pledge at the University of Houston’s Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter. His story is a stark, modern warning for every family in Tarrant County.

This guide is written directly for you—parents and families in Everman, South Fort Worth, and across Tarrant County. We will explain what hazing truly looks like in 2025, how Texas law holds organizations accountable, and what the devastating national patterns of fraternity and sorority abuse mean for students at schools like the University of Houston, Texas A&M, UT Austin, SMU, and Baylor. Our goal is to equip you with knowledge, outline your legal rights, and explain how our firm, The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911, uses deep investigative resources and litigation experience to fight for families like yours.

If This Just Happened: Immediate Steps for Everman Families

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for any medical emergency.
• Then call us: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We are Legal Emergency Lawyers™ for a reason.

In the first 48 hours, you must:

1. Get Medical Attention: Even if your child insists they are “fine,” symptoms of conditions like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) or internal injuries can be delayed. Go to the ER.
2. Preserve Digital Evidence: This is critical. Help your child take screenshots of ALL group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), text messages, and social media DMs related to the incident. Do this before messages are deleted.
3. Document Physically: Photograph any visible injuries from multiple angles. Save any clothing or items involved.
4. Write Everything Down: While memories are fresh, write a detailed account of what happened, including dates, times, locations, and names of everyone involved.
5. Do NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or its members.
   • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
   • Allow your child to delete anything or “clean up” their phone.
   • Post details on public social media.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney immediately. Evidence disappears within days—group chats are purged, witnesses are coached, and institutions move to control the narrative. We can help you secure evidence and protect your child’s rights from the start. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like on Texas Campuses

For families in Everman, the old stereotypes of hazing—simple pranks or roughhousing—are dangerously outdated. Modern hazing is a calculated spectrum of abuse designed to assert control, often disguised as “tradition” or “team building.” It happens in fraternities, sororities, athletic teams, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, and military-style organizations like the Corps of Cadets.

Hazing is legally defined in Texas as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of initiation or affiliation with a group. Crucially, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense. The power dynamics and fear of exclusion mean true consent is impossible.

The methods fall into three escalating categories:

1. Subtle Hazing: Behaviors that emphasize power imbalance. This includes forced servitude (being an on-call driver, cleaning brothers’ rooms), social isolation, being assigned a derogatory nickname, or mandatory events that interfere with academics. Digitally, it manifests as 24/7 group chat monitoring, required location sharing, and social media policing.

2. Harassment Hazing: Acts that cause emotional or physical distress. This includes:

• Sleep deprivation via late-night “meetings” or 3 AM wake-up calls.
• Verbal abuse: Yelling, screaming, and degradation.
• Forced consumption of unpalatable foods (spoiled milk, excessive amounts of hot dogs, raw onions).
• “Smokings” or extreme calisthenics framed as “conditioning.”

3. Violent Hazing: Activities with a high potential for severe injury or death. This is what we see in the most catastrophic cases:

• Forced/Coerced Alcohol Consumption: “Big/Little” nights, “lineup” drinking games, “Bible study” where wrong answers mean drinking. This is the leading cause of hazing deaths nationwide.
• Physical Beatings: Paddling, punching, kicking.
• Dangerous Physical “Tests”: Bear crawls, wheelbarrow races, and extreme workouts until collapse.
• Sexualized Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts.
• Kidnapping & Restraint: Being tied up, transported blindfolded, or held against one’s will.

The Leonel Bermudez case at the University of Houston is a tragic textbook example. According to the lawsuit we filed, his hazing included carrying a degrading “pledge fanny pack,” being hog-tied, forced to overeat until vomiting, sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and subjected to extreme workouts of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats. This culminated in rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, requiring four days of hospitalization. This is not ancient history; this is happening now at a major Texas public university.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: A Framework for Everman Families

Texas has specific laws to combat hazing, primarily found in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F. Understanding this framework is the first step toward accountability.

The Criminal Law (What the State Can Do):

• Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine).
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Organizations can be fined up to $10,000 per violation, and universities can revoke their recognition.

The Civil Law (What Your Family Can Do):
A criminal case, led by a district attorney, seeks punishment. A civil lawsuit, which we file on behalf of victims, seeks compensation for damages and institutional accountability. They can proceed simultaneously. In a civil case, we can hold a wide range of parties liable:

• The Individuals: The members who planned, carried out, or covered up the hazing.
• The Local Chapter: The fraternity or sorority chapter as an entity.
• The National Organization: The fraternity/sorority headquarters that sets policies, collects dues, and supervises chapters. Their national history of incidents is critically important.
• The University: Schools can be liable for negligent supervision, deliberate indifference to known risks, or Title IX violations if the hazing is sexualized.
• Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, alumni advisors, or event venues.

A key provision for Everman families is Texas Education Code § 37.155: “Consent is not a defense.” It doesn’t matter if your child “went along with it.” The law recognizes the coercive power of group dynamics.

Furthermore, federal laws create an overlay:

• The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges receiving federal aid to publicly report hazing incidents and strengthen prevention programs.
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, specific university response protocols are triggered.
• The Clery Act: Requires reporting of certain campus crimes, which can include hazing-related assaults.

The National Hazing Epidemic: Patterns That Repeat in Texas

The cases making national headlines are not isolated incidents; they are a pattern. The same fraternities, the same rituals, and the same tragic outcomes repeat across the country—including at Texas schools. This pattern evidence is powerful in court, as it shows national organizations were on notice about the dangers.

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. Hours of delay in calling 911 were captured on chapter house security cameras. This case led to 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. Led to Louisiana’s felony hazing statute, the Max Gruver Act.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Died after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. His family reached a $10 million settlement with the fraternity national and university.
• Andrew Coffey (Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Died during a “Big Brother” night. His death prompted FSU to suspend all Greek life.

The Physical & Ritualized Violence Pattern:

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from a traumatic brain injury after a blindfolded, violent “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. The national fraternity was criminally convicted and banned from Pennsylvania.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. His family settled with 22 defendants.

What This Means for You: When a chapter at UH, Texas A&M, or UT Austin engages in forced drinking, they are repeating a script that has killed students elsewhere. This “foreseeability” is central to proving negligence against the national headquarters. These national organizations have anti-hazing policies precisely because they know the deadly patterns—their failure to effectively enforce those policies is where liability is found.

The Texas Hazing Landscape: Universities Where Everman Families Send Their Kids

Everman is part of the vibrant, sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex. Parents here send their children to a wide range of Texas institutions, from massive state schools to prestigious private universities. Each has its own Greek life ecosystem and history of hazing incidents.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metro Greek Ecosystem
Based on our firm’s Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—a proprietary database built from public records—there are over 510 Greek-related organizations registered in the DFW metro area. This includes undergraduate chapters, alumni associations, housing corporations, and honor societies. For example, public records show entities like:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity, EIN 74-2911848, located at 12650 N Beach St in Fort Worth, TX 76244.
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc, EIN 74-1380362, PO Box 470061, Fort Worth, TX 76147.
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Arlington-Grand Prairie Alumni Chapter, EIN 23-2452759, PO Box 542901, Grand Prairie, TX 75054.

These entities represent the formal, IRS-recognized structure behind the social organizations on campus. When investigating a hazing case, we identify all such related entities to ensure every potentially liable party and their insurance coverage is accountable.

University of Houston: A Case Study in Institutional Failure

The Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit is our active, flagship case and a dire warning. Mr. Bermudez, a student, endured months of systematic abuse as a Pi Kappa Phi pledge in Fall 2025. The hazing occurred at the UH chapter house, a residence on Culmore Drive, and during workouts at Yellowstone Boulevard Park.

The suit alleges he was forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” containing humiliating items, subjected to sleep deprivation and overnight driving duties, hog-tied, sprayed with a hose, and forced to consume massive quantities of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting. The extreme physical hazing on November 3, 2025—over 100 push-ups and 500 squats—led to rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. He was hospitalized for four days and faces a risk of permanent kidney damage.

We filed this $10 million lawsuit in Harris County against 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. Following the allegations, Pi Kappa Phi nationals suspended the chapter on November 6, and members voted to surrender their charter on November 14, shutting it down. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing.”

This case demonstrates the full universe of defendants in a serious hazing lawsuit and the catastrophic injuries that can result. For families in Everman, it underscores that even at a major commuter school like UH, located just a few hours away in Harris County, dangerous, tradition-bound abuse persists.

Texas A&M University & The Corps of Cadets

For many in the DFW area, Texas A&M in College Station is a top choice. Its Greek life and the unique culture of the Corps of Cadets carry significant hazing risks with deep historical roots.

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case (2021): Two pledges sued the fraternity for $1 million after allegedly being doused with a mixture containing industrial-strength cleaner, raw eggs, and spit during hazing, causing severe chemical burns that required skin graft surgeries. The chapter was suspended by the university.
• Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged he was subjected to degrading hazing, including being bound between beds in a simulated sexual position with an apple in his mouth—a practice known as “roasted pig.” He sought over $1 million in damages.

These cases show hazing is not confined to social fraternities. The institutional culture of the Corps, with its emphasis on tradition and hierarchy, can foster abusive environments. A&M’s response often involves internal Corps or student conduct proceedings, but civil litigation is frequently necessary to achieve full accountability and compensation.

University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin boasts one of the most transparent hazing reporting systems in the state via its public “Hazing Violations” webpage. This very transparency reveals ongoing issues. Recent entries include:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): Sanctioned for hazing after new members were directed to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (2024): A lawsuit was filed by an Australian exchange student who alleged assault by members, resulting in a dislocated leg, broken nose, and fractured tibia. The chapter was already under suspension for prior violations.
• Various spirit groups and other fraternities have been placed on probation for forced workouts, alcohol-related hazing, and punishment-based activities.

For Everman families, UT’s public log is a double-edged sword: it allows you to research an organization’s history, but it also proves that even with public scrutiny, hazing continues. The proximity of UT Austin to Central Texas means many DFW students attend, and any civil litigation would likely proceed in Travis County courts.

Southern Methodist University & Baylor University

These private institutions in Dallas and Waco have their own distinct challenges.

• SMU: As a private school with a affluent student body and strong Greek presence, oversight can be less transparent. Past incidents include the Kappa Alpha Order chapter suspension in 2017 for paddling, forced drinking, and sleep deprivation.
• Baylor: Following its high-profile athletic scandals, Baylor has faced scrutiny over its institutional control. The Baylor baseball team hazing in 2020 led to 14 player suspensions, demonstrating that hazing permeates athletic programs.

At private universities, litigation strategies can differ regarding sovereign immunity, but the core claims of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress remain powerful.

The Organizations Behind the Letters: National Histories Matter

When your child is hazed by a chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, or Pi Kappa Alpha at a Texas school, they are encountering a national brand with a national history. This history is not incidental; it is central to building a case.

Our litigation strategy involves investigating the national organization’s “notice.” If a national fraternity has paid a $10 million settlement for a fatal alcohol hazing at Bowling Green (Pi Kappa Alpha), and then a chapter at UH engages in the same forced drinking culture, it proves the national knew the extreme risk and failed to prevent it. This pattern evidence supports claims for punitive damages and defeats defenses like “this was a rogue chapter.”

We maintain detailed dossiers on national fraternities and sororities, tracking their litigation history, settlement patterns, and internal risk-management failures. This investigative depth is part of what sets our firm apart. We don’t start from zero; we start with the knowledge of how these organizations operate and defend themselves nationwide.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Our Investigative Engine

If you pursue a civil case, the journey from incident to accountability is built on evidence and strategic lawyering. Here is how we approach it for families in Everman and across Texas.

Phase 1: Evidence Preservation & Investigation
The first 72 hours are critical. We guide families to secure:

• Digital Evidence: Forensic preservation of group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, Discord), text messages, social media posts, and location data. We work with digital experts to recover deleted messages.
• Physical Evidence: Photographs of injuries, the hazing location, and any objects used (paddles, alcohol bottles, costumes).
• Medical Records: Complete documentation from ER visits, hospitalizations, and follow-up care. This is essential for proving the extent of harm.
• Witness Identification: Other pledges, former members, roommates, and bystanders.

Concurrently, we deploy our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine. We cross-reference the involved organization against our database of over 1,423 Greek entities in Texas to identify every related legal entity—the undergraduate chapter, the alumni housing corporation, the national headquarters—each of which may carry insurance or assets.

Phase 2: Identifying Liability & Defendants
Using the evidence, we build a map of liability. We look at:

• Individual Actors: Who planned, participated, or covered up the hazing?
• Chapter Responsibility: What did local officers know? What rules did they violate?
• National Negligence: What did headquarters know about this chapter or this type of hazing? What preventive steps did they fail to take?
• University Liability: Did the school have prior complaints? Did it enforce its own policies? Was it deliberately indifferent?

Phase 3: Damages: What Can Be Recovered
A civil lawsuit seeks to make the victim whole and deter future misconduct. Recoverable damages include:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (past and future), lost income, costs of therapy, and diminished future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional trauma, PTSD, anxiety, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the profound loss of companionship and guidance for the family.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of especially reckless or malicious conduct, courts can award damages to punish the defendant and deter others.

We work with life-care planners, economists, and medical experts to build a comprehensive picture of our client’s lifelong needs, ensuring a settlement or verdict truly provides for their future.

Practical Guide & FAQs for Everman Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs & Action Steps

• Signs Your Child May Be Being Hazed: Unexplained injuries, extreme fatigue, sudden secrecy about organization activities, withdrawal from family/friends, personality changes (anxiety, depression), declining grades, and constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• How to Talk to Your Child: Be calm, non-judgmental, and supportive. Ask open-ended questions: “Are you safe?” “Is anything making you uncomfortable?” “You can always leave, and we will support you.”
• Your First Legal Steps: Preserve evidence, seek medical care, and consult with an attorney before giving formal statements to the university or police. Your attorney can help you navigate these systems protectively.

For Students: Your Rights & Safety

• Is This Hazing? If you feel pressured, coerced, unsafe, or humiliated as part of joining a group, it likely is. Trust your instincts.
• How to Exit Safely: Your safety is paramount. You have the legal right to quit. If you feel threatened, call 911 or campus police. You can then resign via email/text to the chapter president—you do not owe them an in-person explanation.
• Texas Law Protects Good-Faith Reporters: You generally cannot be prosecuted for hazing if you are calling 911 to report a medical emergency, even if you were involved.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case

1. Deleting Evidence: Do not delete texts or group chats, no matter how embarrassing.
2. Confronting the Organization: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Signing University Papers: Do not sign any “resolution” or “conduct agreement” without an attorney’s review.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense lawyers scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: Texas has a 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury, but evidence vanishes much faster.

Frequently Asked Questions

• “Can we sue the university?” Yes, depending on the facts. Public universities have some immunity, but exceptions exist for gross negligence. Private universities like SMU and Baylor can be sued directly.
• “What if it happened off-campus?” Location does not matter. Liability is based on the organization’s sponsorship and control over the activity.
• “How long will this take?” Complex hazing cases can take 1-3 years to resolve, either through settlement or trial. We move quickly to preserve evidence and keep the case advancing.
• “Can we afford a lawyer?” We work on a contingency fee basis for civil cases. This means you pay no upfront fees. Our payment comes only from a successful settlement or verdict, aligning our interests completely with yours.

Why The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911 for Your Hazing Case

When your family in Everman faces a hazing crisis, you need advocates who understand the complex interplay of institutional power, insurance defense tactics, and Texas law. You need our firm.

Our Proven Litigation Strength Against Institutions:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as a defense attorney for national insurance companies. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers evaluate claims, deploy delay tactics, and fight coverage. We use this insider knowledge to counter their strategies from day one.
• Complex Institutional Litigation: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation, taking on a billion-dollar corporate defendant. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets of national fraternities or university legal teams. We know how to build cases that force them to the table.
• Multi-Million Dollar Results: We have a proven record of securing significant settlements and verdicts in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. We know how to work with economists and experts to value a case fully and justly.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Ralph Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand criminal hazing investigations and charges. We can skillfully navigate cases that have both civil and criminal dimensions, advising clients and protecting their rights across all fronts.
• The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: We don’t just take your word for it. We investigate with a data-driven advantage. Our proprietary database of Texas Greek organizations allows us to quickly identify all potentially liable entities and their insurance connections, building a stronger case faster.

We Serve Everman and All of Texas:
While our offices are in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we represent families across the state, including those in Everman, Fort Worth, Arlington, and throughout Tarrant County. We understand the Texas legal landscape, the specific cultures of our state’s universities, and what it takes to win accountability here.

Your Next Step: A Confidential, Free Consultation

If hazing has hurt your child, you are not alone, and you do not have to navigate this nightmare without guidance. The path to justice begins with a conversation.

We invite you to contact The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911 for a free, completely confidential consultation. In this meeting, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Review any evidence or documentation you have.
• Explain your legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Discuss our investigative approach and how we would proceed.
• Answer all your questions about the process, timeline, and costs.

We work on a contingency fee basis for civil hazing cases—you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.

Call us today at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also reach Ralph Manginello directly at ralph@atty911.com or (713) 443-4781. For Spanish-speaking families, Mr. Lupe Peña provides fluent Spanish legal services and can be reached at lupe@atty911.com.

For families in Everman, Mansfield, Fort Worth, and across Texas, the time to act is now. Let us help you secure evidence, protect your rights, and fight for the accountability and compensation your family deserves.

Legal Disclaimer: This guide 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. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911 can be reached at 1-888-ATTY-911 or https://attorney911.com.