Texas Hazing Lawsuits & Fraternity Abuse: A Complete Guide for Fort Worth Families

A Parent’s Worst Nightmare: Hazing Strikes Close to Home

Imagine this scenario: Your child, a student at a Texas university you worked hard to send them to, calls you from their dorm room. Their voice is shaky. They’re describing being forced to wear a degrading “pledge fanny pack” everywhere, being humiliated in front of their peers, and enduring brutal “workouts” until they vomited. They tell you about a night where they were made to do hundreds of push-ups and squats until they collapsed, only to wake up days later in a hospital with brown urine and a diagnosis of severe kidney failure. This isn’t a hypothetical horror story. This exact scenario is playing out right now at the University of Houston, where we at The Manginello Law Firm represent Leonel Bermudez in his $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston.

We’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ at Attorney911, and we’re fighting some of the most serious hazing cases in Texas. If you’re a parent in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area, or anywhere across North Texas, this comprehensive guide is for you. We’ll walk you through exactly what hazing looks like in 2025, how Texas law protects victims, what’s happening at Texas universities your children might attend, and most importantly—what your family can do if hazing has touched your lives.

Fort Worth families send their children to universities across Texas, from nearby Texas Christian University and the University of Texas at Arlington to major hubs like Texas A&M, UT Austin, and the University of Houston. Whether your child attends college in Fort Worth, drives to Denton for UNT, or studies hours away in College Station, the reality is that hazing exists in Greek life, athletic programs, Corps of Cadets, and campus organizations statewide. When it happens, families right here in Fort Worth need to know their rights and options.

The Reality of Hazing in 2025: It’s Not Just “Boys Being Boys”

Modern Hazing Defined

Hazing isn’t about harmless pranks or simple initiation rituals. Under Texas law, hazing means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—on or off campus—that endangers a student’s physical or mental health for the purpose of joining or maintaining membership in any organization. What makes modern hazing particularly dangerous is how it has evolved with technology and become more sophisticated in evading detection.

The Three Tiers of Hazing We See in Texas Cases

Tier 1: Subtle Hazing – The Gateway
These behaviors establish power imbalances that often escalate:

• 24/7 group chat monitoring with immediate response demands
• Forced servitude (cleaning members’ rooms, running errands at all hours)
• Social isolation from non-members and family
• “Voluntary” activities that carry social consequences for non-participation
• GPS location tracking through apps like Find My Friends

Tier 2: Harassment Hazing – Where Serious Harm Begins
We see these patterns repeatedly in Texas cases:

• Sleep deprivation through late-night “meetings” and early-morning workouts
• Food manipulation (forced overeating of specific foods, then immediate exercise)
• Public humiliation through degrading costumes or performances
• Extreme physical exertion framed as “conditioning”
• Digital humiliation through social media challenges or group chat shaming

Tier 3: Violent Hazing – Where Lives Are Changed Forever
This is what happened to Leonel Bermudez at UH:

• Forced alcohol consumption: “Big/Little” nights, drinking games, handle challenges
• Physical brutality: Paddling, beatings, “smokings” (extreme calisthenics)
• Dangerous environments: Exposure to extreme cold/heat, dangerous dares
• Sexualized hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts
• Psychological torture: Threats, intimidation, coercion

The Digital Dimension of Modern Hazing

Today’s hazing leaves a digital trail that can be critical evidence:

• GroupMe/WhatsApp chats showing planning and coordination
• Snapchat/Instagram stories capturing events in real-time
• Deleted messages that digital forensics can recover
• Location data from smartphones and social media
• Financial transactions for forced purchases

Texas Hazing Law: What Fort Worth Families Need to Know

Texas Education Code Chapter 37 – Your Legal Foundation

Texas has one of the clearer anti-hazing statutes in the country. Here’s what Fort Worth parents should understand:

§ 37.151 Definition
Hazing includes any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers physical or mental health for purposes of initiation, affiliation, or membership. Crucially, this applies both on and off campus.

§ 37.152 Criminal Penalties
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• Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine)
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing causing injury requiring medical treatment
• State Jail Felony: Hazing causing serious bodily injury or death
• Additional charges: Failing to report hazing or retaliating against reporters

§ 37.153 Organizational Liability
Fraternities, sororities, and other organizations can face criminal charges and fines up to $10,000 per violation if they authorize hazing or if officers fail to report known incidents.

§ 37.155 Critical Provision: Consent Is NOT a Defense
Even if your child “agreed” to participate, Texas law explicitly states consent is not a defense to hazing charges. This recognizes the power imbalance and coercion inherent in these situations.

How Criminal and Civil Cases Work Together

Criminal Cases

• Brought by the state (Tarrant County DA, campus police, or local PD)
• Focus on punishment: jail time, fines, probation
• Can run parallel to civil cases
• Do NOT provide financial compensation to victims

Civil Lawsuits

• Brought by victims and families
• Focus on compensation and accountability
• Can proceed even without criminal charges
• Can target multiple parties: individuals, chapters, nationals, universities

Federal Law Overlay: The Stop Campus Hazing Act

Passed in 2024, this federal law requires colleges receiving federal aid to:

• Report hazing incidents transparently by 2026
• Strengthen prevention education
• Maintain public hazing data
  This creates additional accountability layers for universities like TCU, UTA, and other institutions Fort Worth students attend.

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

Right now, we’re actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas. This isn’t a historical example—it’s current proof of what’s happening on Texas campuses and how we fight back.

What Happened to Leonel Bermudez

The Hazing Timeline:

• September 16, 2025: Bermudez accepts bid to Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter at UH
• September-October: Forced dress codes, hours-long “study” blocks, mandatory interviews, overnight chauffeuring duties
• October 13: Another pledge hog-tied face-down on a table with an object in his mouth for over an hour
• November 3: Bermudez forced through 100+ push-ups, 500 squats under threat of expulsion
• November 6-9: Hospitalized for four days with rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure

Specific Hazing Methods Used:

• “Pledge fanny pack”: Required 24/7 carrying of condoms, sex toy, nicotine devices, humiliating items
• Physical abuse: Sprints, bear crawls, wheelbarrow races, “save-your-brother” drills at Yellowstone Boulevard Park
• Degrading treatment: Lying in vomit-soaked grass, cold-weather exposure in underwear
• Waterboarding simulation: Sprayed in face with hose “similar to waterboarding”
• Forced consumption: Milk, hot dogs, peppercorns until vomiting, then immediate sprints

Medical Catastrophe:

• Developed rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown)
• Suffered acute kidney failure
• Passed brown urine, couldn’t stand without help
• Lab tests showed critically high creatine kinase levels
• Ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage

Institutional Response:

• November 6: Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters suspends Beta Nu chapter
• November 14: Chapter members vote to surrender charter; chapter shut down
• UH statement: Conduct called “deeply disturbing,” promises disciplinary measures up to expulsion, cooperation with law enforcement

Defendants in the $10 Million Lawsuit:

• University of Houston
• UH System Board of Regents
• Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters
• Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu housing corporation
• 13 individual fraternity leaders/members (president, pledgemaster, sorority relations chair, risk manager, and others)

This case demonstrates exactly what we at Attorney911 do: we take on powerful institutions, uncover the truth, and fight for families when their children have been seriously harmed. The Click2Houston report on UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing case and ABC13 coverage of Leonel Bermudez’s UH hazing lawsuit provide detailed accounts of what we’re fighting.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: How We Track Every Organization

Most families don’t realize that fraternities and sororities operate through complex networks of legal entities. When hazing occurs, identifying every potentially liable organization is critical. Here’s what we maintain for Texas cases:

Public Records Directory: Fraternities & Sororities Serving Fort Worth Metro Families

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area contains 510 Greek-related organizations according to Cause IQ data. These aren’t just social clubs—they’re registered entities with legal identities, insurance policies, and assets. For Fort Worth families whose children might join Greek life at local or distant campuses, understanding this network matters.

Sample Organizations Recorded in IRS B83 Filings (Texas-Registered Greek Entities):

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity – EIN 74-2911848 – Fort Worth, TX 76244 – IRS B83 filing
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc – EIN 74-1380362 – Fort Worth, TX 76147 – IRS B83 filing
• Kappa Sigma Fraternity – EIN 75-6067776 – Fort Worth, TX 76109 – Theta Chapter – IRS B83 filing
• Chi Omega Educational Corporation – Fort Worth, TX – TCU chapter housing/education corporation – Cause IQ metro listing
• Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity – Gamma Psi Chapter – Fort Worth, TX – TCU chapter – Cause IQ metro listing
• Sigma Nu Fraternity – Lambda Epsilon Chapter – Fort Worth, TX – TCU chapter – Cause IQ metro listing
• Fort Worth Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated – EIN 75-2755600 – Fort Worth, TX 76101 – IRS B83 filing

Major Greek Hubs Near Fort Worth:

• Texas Christian University (TCU): 20+ recognized Greek organizations on campus
• University of Texas at Arlington: Active Greek life with multiple councils
• University of North Texas (Denton): Significant Greek community 40 minutes from Fort Worth
• Texas A&M University: Major Greek system where many Fort Worth students enroll

Statewide Organizations Fort Worth Families Encounter:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Foundation – Fort Worth, TX – Fraternity foundation – Cause IQ metro listing
• Delta Kappa Epsilon – Tau Gamma House Corp. – Addison, TX – Housing corporation – Cause IQ metro listing
• Kappa Delta Sorority – Gamma Beta Chapter – Denton, TX – Texas Woman’s University chapter – Cause IQ metro listing

This directory represents just a fraction of the 1,423 Greek organizations we track across 25 Texas metros. When a hazing incident occurs, we don’t start from zero—we already know the legal landscape.

Where Fort Worth Families Send Their Children: Campus Connections

Local Universities with Greek Life

Texas Christian University (TCU) – Fort Worth, TX
TCU hosts active Panhellenic sororities and Interfraternity Council chapters. As a private university with significant Greek participation, TCU has its own conduct processes and hazing policies that Fort Worth families should understand.

University of Texas at Arlington – Arlington, TX
Just 20 minutes from downtown Fort Worth, UTA has growing Greek life with multiple councils. Arlington Police Department and UTA Police Department share jurisdiction for off-campus incidents.

University of North Texas – Denton, TX
Many Fort Worth students commute to UNT, which has one of Texas’s largest Greek communities. Denton County courts and police departments handle cases originating there.

Regional & Statewide Universities Fort Worth Students Attend

Texas A&M University – College Station, TX
Countless Fort Worth families have Aggies at College Station. Texas A&M’s Greek life and Corps of Cadets have faced significant hazing allegations in recent years.

University of Texas at Austin – Austin, TX
UT Austin’s Greek system is massive, and the university maintains a public hazing violations log—a resource few other Texas schools provide with equal transparency.

Texas Tech University – Lubbock, TX
West Texas attracts Fort Worth students, particularly to Texas Tech’s substantial Greek community and spirit organizations.

Baylor University – Waco, TX
As a private Christian university, Baylor has its own approach to Greek life oversight and hazing response.

Southern Methodist University – Dallas, TX
SMU’s affluent Greek community has faced hazing incidents despite the university’s prevention efforts.

National Fraternity Patterns: What Fort Worth Families Should Know

The same national organizations involved in high-profile hazing deaths across the country operate chapters at Texas schools. This pattern evidence matters because it shows what these organizations knew—or should have known—about the risks.

Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) – Repeated Alcohol Hazing Deaths

• Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State (2021): Forced to drink entire bottle of alcohol; $10M settlement
• David Bogenberger – Northern Illinois (2012): Alcohol poisoning death; $14M settlement
• Texas Connection: Active chapters at UT Austin, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and other Texas schools

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) – Chemical Burns & Physical Abuse

• Texas A&M Lawsuit (2021): Pledges covered in industrial-strength cleaner causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts
• University of Alabama Case (2023): Traumatic brain injury from hazing ritual
• Texas Connection: Chapters at UT Austin, Texas A&M, TCU, and multiple Texas campuses

Phi Delta Theta – Drinking Game Death

• Max Gruver – LSU (2017): “Bible study” drinking game death; $6.1M verdict; Louisiana’s Max Gruver Act
• Texas Connection: Active at UT Austin, Texas A&M, Texas Tech

Pi Kappa Phi – Our Current UH Case

• Andrew Coffey – Florida State (2017): Big Brother night alcohol poisoning death
• Leonel Bermudez – UH (2025): Rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure from physical hazing
• Texas Connection: Chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin

These patterns matter because when a national organization has seen the same hazing script cause death or serious injury at one chapter, they can’t claim they didn’t foresee the risks at another chapter. This is crucial for establishing negligence and securing accountability.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Recovery

Critical Evidence in Modern Hazing Cases

Digital Evidence (Most Important Category)

• Group chats: GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord screenshots
• Social media: Instagram stories, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook posts
• Recovered data: Deleted messages through digital forensics
• Location data: GPS, Find My Friends, social media check-ins

We created a video on using your phone to document evidence that explains best practices for preserving this critical digital evidence before it disappears.

Medical Documentation

• ER records showing hazing-related injuries
• Toxicology reports for forced alcohol/drug consumption
• Specialist evaluations (nephrology for kidney damage, psychiatry for PTSD)
• Ongoing treatment records establishing long-term harm

Institutional Records

• University conduct files on prior violations
• National fraternity risk management reports
• Insurance policies and coverage documents
• Email communications between chapter and nationals

Witness Testimony

• Other pledges who experienced same hazing
• Former members willing to come forward
• Roommates, friends, RAs who observed changes
• Medical providers who treated injuries

The Damages Hazing Victims Can Recover

Economic Damages (Quantifiable Losses)

• Medical expenses (past and future)
• Lost educational costs (withdrawn semesters, lost scholarships)
• Diminished earning capacity (for permanent injuries)
• Therapy and counseling costs

Non-Economic Damages (Subjective Harm)

• Pain and suffering from injuries
• Emotional distress, PTSD, anxiety, depression
• Humiliation and loss of dignity
• Loss of enjoyment of college experience

Wrongful Death Damages (For Families)

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of financial support
• Loss of companionship and guidance
• Parents’ and siblings’ emotional suffering

Navigating Insurance Coverage Fights

This is where our unique advantage matters. Mr. Lupe Peña, our associate attorney, spent years as an insurance defense attorney at a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies:

• Value and undervalue claims
• Use Independent Medical Exams (IMEs) to reduce settlements
• Deploy delay tactics to pressure families
• Fight coverage under intentional act exclusions

When insurers claim “hazing isn’t covered,” we know how to argue that negligent supervision IS covered—and how to pursue bad faith claims when insurers wrongfully deny coverage.

Practical Guide for Fort Worth Parents: What to Do Right Now

Warning Signs Your Child May Be Being Hazed

Physical Red Flags:

• Unexplained bruises, burns, or injuries
• Extreme exhaustion beyond normal college stress
• Sudden weight changes
• Signs of alcohol poisoning or substance use

Behavioral Changes:

• New secrecy about organization activities
• Withdrawal from family and old friends
• Anxiety about phone notifications
• Defensiveness when asked about the group

Academic Impact:

• Grades dropping suddenly
• Missing classes or assignments
• Losing scholarships or academic standing

Immediate Steps if You Suspect Hazing

First 24 Hours:

1. Ensure safety: If immediate danger, call 911
2. Medical attention: Get ER evaluation even if injuries seem minor
3. Preserve evidence: Screenshot messages, photograph injuries
4. Document everything: Write down what your child tells you
5. Contact Attorney911: Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for immediate guidance

Evidence Preservation Checklist:

• Screenshot all group chats with timestamps visible
• Photograph injuries from multiple angles with scale reference
• Save physical evidence (clothing, objects, receipts)
• Write narrative of events while memory is fresh
• Backup digital evidence to cloud storage

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Case

We made a video on client mistakes that can ruin injury cases that applies directly to hazing situations:

1. Deleting evidence: “Cleaning up” messages looks like cover-up
2. Confronting the organization: Triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching
3. Signing university agreements: May waive legal rights for inadequate settlements
4. Posting on social media: Defense attorneys screenshot everything
5. Waiting for university investigation: Evidence disappears during “internal reviews”
6. Talking to insurance adjusters: Recorded statements are used against you
7. Missing statutes of limitations: Texas generally gives 2 years from injury

University-Specific Guidance for Fort Worth Families

Texas Christian University (Your Backyard Campus)

For TCU Parents:

• TCU’s conduct process is internal first
• Fort Worth Police Department has jurisdiction off-campus
• Tarrant County courts handle civil cases
• TCU’s Greek life is heavily residential—many incidents occur in chapter houses

Reporting Options:

• TCU Office of Student Conduct
• TCU Police Department (on-campus)
• Fort Worth Police Department (off-campus)
• Dean of Students office

University of Texas at Arlington (Commuter Campus)

For UTA Parents:

• Many UTA students live off-campus in Arlington
• Arlington PD and UTA PD coordinate jurisdiction
• UTA has less residential Greek life than TCU
• Incidents often occur in apartments near campus

When Your Child Attends School Outside Tarrant County

Logistics Matter:

• Medical care: Treatment in college town vs. Fort Worth specialists
• Legal venue: Where to file lawsuit (county of injury vs. home county)
• Investigation coordination: Working with distant police departments
• University relations: Managing communications with far-away administrators

We handle these complexities regularly, serving Fort Worth families whose children were hazed at Texas A&M, UT Austin, Texas Tech, and campuses across the state.

Why Attorney911 for Fort Worth Hazing Cases

Our Fort Worth Connection

While our main office is in Houston, we serve families throughout Texas, including Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and the entire DFW metro area. We understand the unique dynamics of North Texas universities and the legal landscape in Tarrant County courts.

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