Hazing Lawyers for Georgetown, Texas Families: A Guide to Fraternity, Sorority & Campus Accountability at Southwestern University, UT Austin & Beyond

If Your Child Was Hazed in Georgetown, Williamson County, or Any Texas University, We Are Here to Help

Your family built a life here in Georgetown—in the heart of Williamson County, where the San Gabriel River meets historic downtown and the promise of Southwestern University shapes our community. You sent your child to college with pride, believing they were safe. Now, your world has turned upside down: frantic phone calls, unexplained injuries, hospital visits, and a growing fear that the prestigious organization they wanted to join has caused them profound harm. You feel isolated, angry, and desperately unsure of what to do next.

You are not alone. Right now, in Texas, we are actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in the country—representing Leonel Bermudez in his multi-million dollar lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and fraternity leaders. This is not ancient history. This is what we are doing right now for a Texas family whose son suffered catastrophic kidney failure from forced, brutal hazing. This reality is why we created this definitive guide for Georgetown families.

This guide is for you: parents in Georgetown, Round Rock, Leander, Liberty Hill, and across Williamson County whose children have been injured or humiliated in connection with fraternities, sororities, Corps of Cadets programs, athletic teams, spirit groups, or other campus organizations at any Texas university. We will show you what hazing truly looks like in 2025, explain your legal rights under Texas law, expose the national patterns behind campus Greek letters, and provide a clear path toward accountability and healing.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR A HAZING EMERGENCY IN GEORGETOWN

If your child is in danger or severely injured RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for immediate medical assistance.
• Then call Attorney911: 1-888-288-9911 (1-888-ATTY-911). We provide immediate legal guidance—that’s why we are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

In the first 48 hours, before evidence disappears:

• Get Medical Attention: Even if your child insists they are “fine,” seek medical evaluation. Conditions like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) may not show symptoms until it’s too late.
• Preserve Digital Evidence: Immediately screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), social media posts, and text messages. Do NOT let your child delete anything out of shame or fear.
• Document Injuries: Take clear, date-stamped photos of any bruises, burns, or other injuries from multiple angles.
• Write it Down: While memories are fresh, write a detailed account of what happened, including names, dates, times, and locations.
• Contact a Hazing Attorney: Evidence vanishes quickly. Universities and fraternities move fast to control the narrative. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a confidential, no-obligation consultation to protect your child’s rights.

What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

For Georgetown parents, the word “hazing” might conjure images of movie pranks or harmless rituals. The reality in 2025 is far more sinister, sophisticated, and often digitally documented. Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of joining, maintaining membership in, or holding office in any organization. Crucially, under Texas law, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

Modern hazing falls into three escalating tiers:

Tier 1: Subtle Hazing (The Gateway)
This establishes power imbalances and desensitizes victims. It includes mandatory servitude (cleaning houses, running all-hours errands), enforced social isolation, being given derogatory nicknames, and 24/7 digital control via group chats. A Georgetown student might be required to share their live location via Snapchat Maps or respond instantly to messages at 3 a.m.

Tier 2: Harassment Hazing
This causes measurable emotional or physical distress. Examples include sleep deprivation through “late-night study sessions,” forced consumption of unpalatable foods (spoiled milk, excessive hot dogs), verbal abuse, and prolonged, punitive calisthenics framed as “workouts.”

Tier 3: Violent Hazing
This has a high potential for serious injury or death. This is what happened to our client, Leonel Bermudez at UH, and it includes:

• Forced Alcohol Consumption: “Big/Little” nights, “family tree” drinking games, lineups where pledges are forced to drink to excess.
• Physical Torture: Paddling, beatings, “glass ceiling” tackling rituals, exposure to extreme cold.
• Sexualized Humiliation: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts.
• Dangerous “Tests”: Swimmers forced into water while intoxicated, dangerous drives while sleep-deprived.

Hazing is not confined to fraternities. It permeates sororities, the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, athletic teams at UT Austin, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, and even marching bands.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: What Georgetown Families Need to Know

Texas has strong anti-hazing statutes, but navigating them requires experienced guidance. The legal framework provides multiple avenues for accountability.

The Texas Education Code (Chapter 37): Criminal Penalties

Texas law defines hazing broadly and treats it as a crime:

• Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing offense.
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes bodily injury.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting: Individuals who call for help in a medical emergency are generally protected from prosecution, an essential law to encourage life-saving action.

Civil Liability: The Path to Compensation and Accountability

A criminal case punishes the perpetrator. A civil lawsuit, which we handle, seeks compensation for the victim and holds all responsible parties accountable. In a civil hazing case, we can pursue damages from a universe of defendants:

1. The Individuals: The fraternity brothers, sorority sisters, or team members who planned and carried out the acts.
2. The Local Chapter: The organized campus entity.
3. The National Organization: Headquarters that often have deep insurance policies and prior knowledge of similar incidents at other chapters.
4. The University: Schools like UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin, SMU, and Baylor can be liable for negligent supervision, deliberate indifference, or Title IX violations.
5. Third Parties: Property owners of off-campus houses, alumni advisors, and housing corporations.

Federal Law Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and the Stop Campus Hazing Act

Federal laws add another layer of potential liability and reporting requirements for universities that receive federal funds. The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024) requires increased transparency and public reporting of hazing incidents, which will empower families with more data.

The Flagship Case: Attorney911 Currently Litigating a $10M Hazing Lawsuit Against UH & Pi Kappa Phi

We are not theorists. We are active litigators at the forefront of Texas hazing law. Right now, our firm represents Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who suffered life-altering injuries during his Pi Kappa Phi (Beta Nu chapter) pledge period in Fall 2025.

The Hazing: Bermudez was subjected to a regime of humiliation and violence. This included carrying a “pledge fanny pack” with degrading items, enforced sleep deprivation, and extreme physical abuse. On November 3, 2025, he was forced to perform over 100 push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion. In other sessions, he was sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass, and made to overconsume milk and hot dogs until vomiting.

The Catastrophic Injury: This brutal hazing caused Bermudez to develop rhabdomyolysis—a severe skeletal muscle breakdown that flooded his system with toxins. He suffered acute kidney failure, passed brown urine, and was hospitalized for four days. He faces a lifelong risk of permanent kidney damage.

The Institutional Response & Our Lawsuit: The Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters suspended the chapter on November 6, and members voted to surrender their charter on November 14. The University of Houston called the conduct “deeply disturbing.” We filed a $10 million lawsuit in Harris County against the University of Houston System, Pi Kappa Phi’s national organization, the chapter’s housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. This case is a live example of how we use the legal system to fight for Texas families.

The Texas Hazing Landscape: Where Georgetown Families Send Their Kids

Georgetown is uniquely positioned in the Texas educational ecosystem. Our children attend local liberal arts colleges, major state universities, and private institutions across the state. Hazing risks exist at all of them.

Southwestern University (Georgetown, Williamson County)

As the cornerstone of higher education in our own community, Southwestern has its own Greek life system. Parents should be aware of university policies and reporting channels through the Dean of Students’ office. While smaller, the dynamics of power and tradition can still foster hazing environments in fraternities, sororities, and exclusive campus clubs.

The University of Texas at Austin

Many top students from Georgetown and Williamson County matriculate to UT Austin, a school with a massive, tradition-steeped Greek life and hundreds of student organizations.

• Transparency Tool: UT maintains a public Hazing Violations Log, a resource we use to establish patterns. For example, Pi Kappa Alpha was sanctioned in 2023 for forcing new members to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.
• High-Risk Groups: Beyond IFC fraternities and Panhellenic sororities, parents should be aware of spirit groups (Texas Cowboys, Texas Angels), athletic teams, and the rich network of cultural organizations where hazing occurs.

Texas A&M University

The Aggie culture, including the revered Corps of Cadets, presents unique hazing risks that resonate with many Central Texas families.

• Corps of Cadets Hazing: In a 2023 lawsuit, a cadet alleged degrading hazing including being bound in a “roasted pig” position. The university stated it handled the matter internally.
• Fraternity Incidents: Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) at Texas A&M was sued by pledges who alleged being doused in substances including industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts.

Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, & Beyond

Georgetown families also send children to prestigious private schools like Baylor and SMU, as well as other state schools like Texas State University. Each has documented hazing incidents, from Baylor baseball team suspensions to SMU’s Kappa Alpha Order chapter being suspended for paddling and forced drinking.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Tracking the Organizations Behind the Letters

One of our core advantages is our proprietary, data-driven investigation platform. We don’t just take a client’s word; we investigate the entire ecosystem behind a fraternity or sorority. Using public records, we maintain a directory of the legal and financial entities that operate Greek life in Texas. This is critical for identifying all potentially liable parties and their insurance coverage.

For Georgetown and Williamson County families, this means we can trace connections from a campus chapter to its national headquarters, its local alumni chapter, and its property-holding housing corporation—often before the other side knows we’re looking.

Public Records Snapshot: Greek Organizations Serving Georgetown & Central Texas

The following are real entities recorded in public filings (IRS B83, Cause IQ) that operate in the Austin-Round Rock metro area and Williamson County. This illustrates the dense network of organizations behind campus Greek life:

• Sigma Phi Lambda Inc. – EIN 201237505 – Corinth, TX 76210 (Beta Chapter – IRS B83 filing)
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – EIN 463831593 – Austin, TX 78723 (Texas State University chapter – IRS B83 filing)
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon – Texas Rho Corp. – Austin, TX (University of Texas chapter house corporation – Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Delta Tau Delta – Gamma Iota Chapter – Austin, TX (University of Texas chapter house – Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Beta Xi House Corp. of Kappa Kappa Gamma – Austin, TX (University of Texas chapter house corporation – Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Southwestern University Panhellenic Alumnae – Local network supporting SU Greek life.
• Williamson County Alumni Chapters of national fraternities/sororities, which often provide funding and oversight to undergraduate chapters.

The Austin-Round Rock metro has over 150 Greek-related organizations. Statewide, our engine tracks over 1,423 fraternities, sororities, and related entities across 25 Texas metros. This investigative depth is why we can build such powerful cases for families in Georgetown and across Texas.

Building a Powerful Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

When you work with us, we deploy a comprehensive strategy built on 25+ years of complex litigation experience against powerful institutions, from the BP Texas City explosion to national fraternities.

Evidence Collection: The Digital Crime Scene

The most critical evidence in modern hazing cases is digital. We act swiftly to preserve:

• Group Chats: GroupMe, WhatsApp, Discord, and text threads that plan, execute, and boast about hazing.
• Social Media: Instagram stories, Snapchat videos, TikTok posts, and Facebook messages that visually document abuse.
• Deleted Data: Through digital forensics, we can often recover “disappearing” messages and deleted media.
• University & National Records: We subpoena internal disciplinary files, prior incident reports, risk management manuals, and communications between chapters and their national headquarters to prove pattern and knowledge.

Our Unique Legal Advantages for Georgetown Families

• 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 will try to deny, delay, and underpay claims. We know their playbook because we used to run it.
• Complex Institutional Litigation: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by billion-dollar corporations or well-funded national fraternities. We know how to fight them.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil lawsuits. We can expertly advise clients navigating both systems.
• Full Damages Recovery: We work with economists, life-care planners, and medical experts to document the full scope of harm: past and future medical bills, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the profound emotional trauma (PTSD, anxiety, depression) that hazing causes.

A Practical Guide for Georgetown Parents & Students

Red Flags That Your Child May Be Being Hazed

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns with inconsistent stories.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, or drastic weight changes.
• Withdrawing from family and old friends; their social life completely consumed by the organization.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Personality shifts: new anxiety, depression, or uncharacteristic anger.
• Defensiveness or secrecy when asked about group activities.
• Decline in academic performance.

Critical Steps to Take Immediately

1. Prioritize Health: Seek medical evaluation and be honest with doctors about the cause.
2. Preserve Evidence: Screenshot everything. Take photos. Do not delete. Our video on using your phone to document evidence explains best practices.
3. Document: Write a detailed timeline with names, dates, and locations.
4. Report Strategically: You can report to campus police, the Dean of Students, and/or local Georgetown or Williamson County law enforcement. Consult with an attorney first to understand the implications.
5. Consult an Attorney Early: Before giving formal statements, signing university paperwork, or speaking with insurance adjusters, talk to us.

Common, Costly Mistakes to Avoid

• Letting your child delete messages out of embarrassment. This destroys your case.
• Confronting the fraternity/sorority directly, which triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
• Signing a university’s “internal resolution” agreement that may waive your right to sue.
• Posting details on social media, which can be used against you.
• Waiting too long. Texas has a statute of limitations. Learn about filing deadlines in our video.

Why Georgetown Families Choose Attorney911 for Hazing Cases

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, operating as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. We are a Texas-based personal injury and complex litigation firm with deep roots in holding powerful institutions accountable. We are not a high-volume, impersonal practice. We take a select number of serious hazing cases and fight for them with everything we have.

Our Georgetown-area clients choose us because:

• We Are Currently in the Fight: We are actively litigating the high-profile Leonel Bermudez vs. UH/Pi Kappa Phi case. This isn’t theoretical expertise.
• We Understand the Texas Landscape: From Southwestern University to the flagship campuses, we know the cultures, the policies, and the legal venues.
• We Offer Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish (Se habla Español), ensuring all families feel understood and supported.
• We Work on a Contingency Fee Basis: You pay no upfront fees. We only get paid if we recover compensation for you. See how contingency fees work.
• We Provide Immediate, Compassionate Help: We answer our phones 24/7 because legal emergencies don’t wait for business hours.

Your Next Step: A Confidential, No-Obligation Consultation

If you suspect your child has been hazed at any university—whether it’s Southwestern, UT Austin, Texas A&M, or any other school—we urge you to contact us. During your free consultation, 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 approach and what you can expect.

You don’t have to navigate this nightmare alone. Let us be your guide and your advocate.

Contact Attorney911 Today for a Free Case Evaluation

Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070
Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com (Se habla Español)
Website: https://attorney911.com

Serving hazing victims and their families in Georgetown, Williamson County, and throughout Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Consultation with a qualified attorney is essential for addressing your specific legal situation. The facts of the Leonel Bermudez case are based on public court filings and media reports. We are not affiliated with Southwestern University, the University of Texas, or any other institution mentioned.

© The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911). All rights reserved.