Your Guide to Hazing Lawsuits & Fraternity/Sorority Accountability in Texas
For a parent in the City of Granger, Williamson County, the nightmare might begin with a late-night phone call. Your student, maybe at a university just up the road or hours away, is at an off-campus house. You hear chanting in the background, muffled voices, and then a strained, “I’m fine, Mom.” But the story doesn’t add up. Over the next few days, excuses about “mandatory” late-night meetings pile up. They come home exhausted, with unexplained bruises or a hollow look in their eyes. When you finally piece it together, the reality is that your child was subjected to forced drinking, extreme physical abuse, or humiliating rituals—all for the sake of “joining” a group.
This isn’t a hypothetical. Right now, in Texas, we’re actively fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country. We represent Leonel Bermudez in his $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and 13 fraternity leaders. His story includes a degrading “pledge fanny pack” rule, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” forced consumption of milk and hot dogs until vomiting, and a brutal workout of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats that left him with rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. His urine was brown. He was hospitalized for four days. The Pi Kappa Phi chapter at UH is now shut down.
This comprehensive guide is for families in the City of Granger, throughout Williamson County, and across Texas. We will explain what hazing really looks like today, how Texas and federal law can hold organizations accountable, and what we can learn from national tragedies. We will focus on the major universities where Williamson County families send their children—University of Houston, Texas A&M, UT Austin, SMU, and Baylor—and provide actionable steps you can take if your family is affected.
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, and DMs immediately.
- Photograph injuries from multiple angles.
- Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects used).
- Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
- Do NOT:
- Confront the fraternity/sorority directly.
- Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
- Post details on public social media.
- Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence.
**Contact an experienced hazing attorney within
