A Complete Guide to Hazing Laws and Fraternity Accountability for Coupland, Texas Families

If your child attends a Texas university and calls home with stories that make your stomach turn—late-night “study sessions,” secretive group chats buzzing at all hours, sudden injuries explained away as “workout accidents”—you might be facing every Texas parent’s nightmare. Hazing isn’t just a relic of bad movies; it’s a present and violent reality harming students right now, including those from our Williamson County community.

Right now, our firm is leading one of the state’s most serious hazing lawsuits: representing Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. According to the detailed ABC13 coverage of Leonel Bermudez’s UH hazing lawsuit, Bermudez endured months of systematic abuse that culminated in rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure after being forced through 100+ push-ups and 500 squats as punishment. He spent four days in the hospital, passing brown urine, with his future kidney function now uncertain.

This case, detailed thoroughly in the Click2Houston report on UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing case, represents exactly what we fight against: institutions that knew or should have known about dangerous traditions, and organizations that prioritize secrecy over student safety. For parents in Coupland, Georgetown, Taylor, and across Williamson County, this reality hits close to home. Your children attend these universities. They join these organizations. And when things go terribly wrong, you need to know your rights, the law, and who can help.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for medical emergencies
• Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• We provide immediate help – that’s why we’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™

In the first 48 hours:

• Get medical attention immediately, even if the student insists they are “fine”
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Screenshot group chats, texts, DMs immediately
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles
  • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects)
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where)
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity/sorority
  • Sign anything from the university or insurance company
  • Post details on public social media
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence

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

Understanding Hazing Today: What Williamson County Parents Need to Recognize

Hazing in 2025 has evolved far beyond simple pranks. It’s systematic, often digital, and designed to evade detection. For Coupland families with children at Texas universities, recognizing the signs early can mean the difference between intervention and catastrophe.

Modern hazing typically falls into three escalating categories:

Subtle Hazing: Behaviors that emphasize power imbalance but are often dismissed as “tradition.” This includes forced servitude (cleaning, driving at all hours), social isolation from non-members, “optional” events that are socially mandatory, and constant group chat monitoring. In the UH Pi Kappa Phi case, pledges were required to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, sex toys, nicotine devices, and other humiliating items—failure meant punishment or expulsion.

Harassment Hazing: Acts causing emotional or physical discomfort. This includes sleep deprivation (3 AM wake-up calls for “meetings”), food/water restriction, forced consumption of unpleasant substances (milk, hot dogs, peppercorns until vomiting), and extreme physical “workouts” framed as conditioning. The detailed Hoodline summary of the $10M UH hazing lawsuit describes precisely these patterns.

Violent Hazing: Activities with high potential for serious injury or death. This includes forced alcohol consumption (chugging, funneling, drinking games), physical beatings, dangerous physical tests (blindfolded tackles, “glass ceiling” rituals), sexualized hazing, and exposure to extreme environments. In the UH case, pledges were sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding” and threatened with actual waterboarding.

For Coupland parents, the digital component is particularly concerning. Today’s hazing includes 24/7 group chat demands, location tracking via apps like Find My Friends, social media humiliation through forced challenges, and rapid evidence destruction when suspicions arise.

Texas Hazing Law: What Williamson County Families Need to Know

Texas has some of the nation’s strongest anti-hazing statutes, but understanding how they apply requires knowing both the law and how courts actually interpret it. For families in Coupland, Round Rock, Georgetown, and across Williamson County, these laws govern cases involving your children at Texas universities.

Texas Education Code Chapter 37: The Foundation

Texas defines hazing broadly under Education Code Chapter 37 as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers mental or physical health for purposes of initiation, affiliation, or maintaining membership. Key provisions every Williamson County parent should understand:

Consent Is Not a Defense (Section 37.155): Even if your child “agreed” to participate, Texas law explicitly states this doesn’t legalize hazing. Courts recognize the power imbalance and peer pressure inherent in these situations.

Criminal Penalties Escalate with Harm (Section 37.152):

• 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

Organizational Liability (Section 37.153): Fraternities, sororities, and other organizations can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 per violation if they authorized or encouraged hazing, or if officers knew and failed to report it.

Good-Faith Reporting Protections (Section 37.154): Students who report hazing in good faith are immune from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise result. This is crucial for encouraging bystander intervention.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Different Paths to Accountability

Understanding the dual-track system is essential for Coupland families navigating a hazing crisis:

Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (local district attorney or county attorney). Focus is on punishment—jail time, fines, probation. In Williamson County, this would involve the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office or local police departments. Criminal charges can include hazing, furnishing alcohol to minors, assault, battery, and in fatal cases, manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide.

Civil Cases: Brought by victims or their families. Focus is on compensation for damages and institutional accountability. These cases can proceed even without criminal charges being filed. Civil lawsuits can target:

• Individual students who planned or participated
• Local chapters and their officers
• National fraternity/sorority headquarters
• Universities and their governing boards
• Property owners and third-party venues

Federal Law Overlay Affecting Texas Cases

Several federal frameworks intersect with Texas hazing cases:

Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges receiving federal aid to report hazing incidents more transparently and maintain public hazing data. This law, phased in through 2026, will give Coupland parents better access to information about organizations their children consider joining.

Title IX: When hazing involves sexual harassment, assault, or gender-based hostility, universities have specific obligations under Title IX. This federal civil rights law can provide additional avenues for accountability.

Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain crimes and maintain safety statistics. Hazing incidents often overlap with reportable crimes like assault, alcohol violations, or sexual offenses.

The Texas Hazing Reality: Where Coupland Families Send Their Children

Coupland families invest in higher education with pride and expectation of safety. Our children attend institutions across Texas, from nearby options to flagship campuses hours away. Understanding the hazing landscape at these schools isn’t about fear-mongering—it’s about informed vigilance.

University of Houston: A Case Study in Systemic Failure

The Leonel Bermudez case at UH illustrates exactly how multiple systems can fail simultaneously. According to court documents and media reports:

The Systematic Abuse: Beginning in September 2025, Bermudez and other pledges were subjected to:

• Mandatory dress codes and “study/work” blocks consuming hours daily
• Weekly interviews with older members
• Overnight chauffeuring duties for members
• The infamous “pledge fanny pack” requirement
• Physical hazing at Yellowstone Boulevard Park including sprints, bear crawls, and wheelbarrow races
• Forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, followed immediately by more sprints
• Being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding”
• The November 3 workout: 100+ push-ups, 500 squats under threat of expulsion

Medical Catastrophe: Bermudez developed rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) and acute kidney failure. His creatine kinase levels reached critically high levels, confirming the diagnosis. He was hospitalized for four days and faces ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage.

Institutional Response: While Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters suspended the chapter on November 6 and members voted to surrender their charter on November 14, the lawsuit alleges UH and fraternity leadership knew or should have known about systemic hazing and failed to intervene.

For Coupland Families: UH attracts students from across Texas. If your child attends UH, understanding this active case demonstrates both the risks and the legal recourse available.

Texas A&M University: Tradition and Risk in the Corps and Greek Life

For Coupland families considering Texas A&M, understanding both Greek life and Corps of Cadets hazing risks is essential:

Corps of Cadets Litigation: In 2023, a former cadet filed a lawsuit alleging degrading hazing including being bound between beds in a “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth, and enduring simulated sexual acts. The case sought over $1 million in damages.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Chemical Burns Case: Around 2021, SAE pledges allegedly had industrial-strength cleaner, raw eggs, and other substances poured on them, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin graft surgeries. The chapter was suspended for two years, and pledges filed a $1 million lawsuit.

The Cultural Challenge: Texas A&M’s tradition-heavy environment can sometimes enable harmful behaviors under the guise of “building character” or “tradition.” Parents from Williamson County need to distinguish between legitimate team-building and dangerous hazing.

University of Texas at Austin: Transparency and Recurring Patterns

UT Austin maintains one of Texas’ most transparent hazing reporting systems, which actually reveals troubling patterns:

Public Hazing Violations: UT’s online database shows recent sanctions including:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members directed to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics
• Texas Wranglers (spirit organization): Sanctions for forced workouts and alcohol-related hazing
• Various fraternities: Probation for alcohol misconduct, humiliation rituals

SAE Assault Case (2024): An Australian exchange student allegedly suffered a dislocated leg, broken ligaments, fractured tibia, and broken nose during an SAE party. The student sued for over $1 million, noting the chapter was already under suspension for prior violations.

For Williamson County Families: Many local students attend UT Austin. The public violation database provides valuable information when evaluating organizations, but repeated violations show ongoing systemic issues.

Southern Methodist University and Baylor University: Private Institutions, Public Problems

Both SMU and Baylor have faced significant hazing incidents despite their private status and, in Baylor’s case, religious affiliation:

SMU’s Kappa Alpha Order Incident (2017): New members reportedly paddled, forced to drink alcohol, and deprived of sleep. The chapter received multi-year sanctions.

Baylor Baseball Hazing (2020): 14 players suspended following hazing investigations, with staggered suspensions affecting the early season.

The Transparency Challenge: Private universities often control information more tightly than public institutions. This can make uncovering patterns more difficult without experienced legal intervention.

The Greek Ecosystem Serving Coupland and Williamson County

Understanding the organizational landscape is crucial. Fraternities and sororities aren’t just social clubs—they’re complex networks of legal entities, many registered right here in Texas. Our firm maintains what we call the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, tracking over 1,