A Parent’s Guide to Hazing at Texas Universities: Legal Protection for Taylor Families

If This Just Happened: Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

We know you may be reading this because something has happened to your child, or you fear it might. Right now, in Houston, we are actively litigating one of the most severe hazing cases in Texas—the $10 million lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi’s Beta Nu chapter. This case proves that extreme hazing is not just ancient history; it is happening right now at major Texas universities, and families have the right to fight back.

If you are a parent in Taylor, Georgetown, Round Rock, or anywhere in Williamson County, your child may attend the University of Houston, Texas A&M, UT Austin, or another Texas campus. The frightening reality of modern hazing can touch any family.

IMMEDIATE CRISIS STEPS:

• If your child is in immediate danger: Call 911.
• For urgent legal guidance: Call Attorney911 at 1-888-ATTY-911.
• In the first 48 hours: Preserve every text, group chat, and photo. Do not let your child delete anything. Seek medical attention for any injury, no matter how “minor” it seems.
• Do not confront the fraternity, sorority, or university. Let us help you build a strategic case from a position of strength.

This guide is for you, the Taylor parent. We will explain what hazing really looks like today, the Texas laws that protect your child, the harrowing case we are fighting at UH, and the legal path forward for accountability and justice.

Hazing in 2025: It’s More Than Just “Bad Behavior”

For parents who didn’t grow up with modern Greek life, today’s hazing can be hard to recognize. It’s not just about silly pranks or roughhousing. It is a calculated system of psychological and physical control designed to test loyalty through degradation and danger.

The Modern Hazing Playbook: What Taylor Students Might Face

Based on our investigation in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case and others nationwide, here is what hazing often involves:

Digital Control & Psychological Warfare:

• 24/7 Group Chat Surveillance: Pledges are required to be on call via GroupMe or WhatsApp, responding instantly to demands at all hours. Failure results in punishment.
• Mandatory Humiliation: Carrying a “pledge fanny pack” with condoms, sex toys, and other degrading items, as Leonel Bermudez was forced to do.
• Social Isolation: Being cut off from non-member friends and family, creating total dependence on the group.

Physical Endurance as Punishment:

• Extreme “Workouts”: Being forced to perform hundreds of push-ups and squats until collapse, often in unsafe conditions. Bermudez was subjected to over 100 push-ups and 500 squats in a single session.
• Forced Consumption & Vomiting: Being made to eat or drink extreme amounts of food (like milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns) until vomiting, then being forced to sprint immediately after.
• Environmental Torture: Being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” left outside in cold weather in underwear, or made to lie in vomit-soaked grass.

Organized Degradation & Sleep Deprivation:

• Strict Dress Codes & Interviews: Hours-long “study” blocks, weekly interrogations, and overnight chauffeuring duties for members.
• Kidnapping & Restraint: In the UH case, another pledge was allegedly hog-tied face-down on a table with an object in his mouth for over an hour.
• Systematic Sleep Deprivation: Late-night or pre-dawn “meetings” at locations like Yellowstone Boulevard Park in Houston, designed to break down physical and mental resistance.

This conduct is not an accident. It is a pattern repeated across the country, and it is happening here in Texas. The result, as in Bermudez’s case, can be catastrophic: rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown), acute kidney failure, multi-day hospitalization, and the risk of permanent organ damage.

Texas Hazing Law: Your Child’s Legal Shield

Texas has strong laws against hazing, designed to protect students exactly like yours. Understanding these laws is the first step toward holding perpetrators accountable.

The Texas Education Code: Chapter 37, Subchapter F

Definition of Hazing (Sec. 37.151):
Texas law defines hazing as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student for the purpose of pledging, initiation, or affiliation with an organization that:

• Endangers the student’s mental or physical health or safety.

Key Provisions for Taylor Families:

• Location Doesn’t Matter: Hazing is illegal whether it occurs on-campus, off-campus at a house in Taylor, Austin, or College Station, or at a remote retreat.
• “Consent” is NOT a Defense (Sec. 37.155): Even if your child “went along with it,” that is irrelevant under Texas law. The power imbalance and coercion inherent in hazing negate true consent.
• Criminal Penalties (Sec. 37.152): Hazing is a crime. It can be a:
  • Class B Misdemeanor (up to 180 days jail).
  • Class A Misdemeanor if it causes bodily injury.
  • State Jail Felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Organizations Can Be Prosecuted (Sec. 37.153): The fraternity, sorority, or team itself can be fined up to $10,000 and lose university recognition.
• Immunity for Good-Faith Reporters (Sec. 37.154): Students who report hazing or call for medical help in an emergency are protected from prosecution. This is critical—your child will not get in trouble for calling 911.

Criminal vs. Civil Lawsuits: Two Paths to Justice

Criminal Case:

• Brought by the state (DA or prosecutor).
• Goal: Punishment (jail, fines, probation).
• Outcome: A criminal conviction can help a civil case, but is not required for it.

Civil Lawsuit (What We Handle):

• Brought by the victim and their family.
• Goal: Financial compensation for damages and institutional accountability.
• Targets: Can include the individual perpetrators, the local chapter, the national fraternity/sorority headquarters, the university, and housing corporations.

For a Taylor family, a civil lawsuit is often the only way to recover the immense costs of medical treatment, therapy, lost education, and to force the systemic changes that prevent future tragedies.

The Flagship Case: Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi – Proof Hazing Happens Here

Right now, we are leading the fight in a case that should alarm every Texas parent. It is not a story from a decade ago; it is an active, ongoing lawsuit filed in late 2025. This case embodies every terrifying aspect of modern hazing.

The Victim: Leonel Bermudez, a transfer student who accepted a bid to Pi Kappa Phi at the University of Houston in Fall 2025.

The Hazing: Over weeks, Bermudez was subjected to the systematic abuse described above: the humiliating fanny pack, forced labor, sleep deprivation, and violent physical hazing at the chapter house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park.

The Medical Catastrophe: After a brutal “workout” on November 3, 2025, Bermudez’s body began to shut down. He developed rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening condition where muscle tissue breaks down and floods the kidneys. He passed brown urine, could not stand, and was rushed to the hospital. Lab tests showed critically high creatine kinase levels. He was hospitalized for four days with acute kidney failure and faces ongoing risk of permanent damage.

The Legal Response: We filed a $10 million lawsuit in Harris County against 17 defendants:

• The University of Houston and its Board of Regents.
• Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters.
• The Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu housing corporation.
• 13 individual fraternity leaders, including the chapter president, pledgemaster, and risk manager.

The Institutional Response: After reports surfaced, Pi Kappa Phi national suspended the chapter on November 6, 2025. On November 14, the members voted to surrender their charter, shutting down the chapter. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing” and promised cooperation with law enforcement.

This case, covered extensively by Click2Houston and ABC13, is your proof. If this can happen at a major public university like UH, it can and does happen across the Texas university system where your child may be.

Where Taylor Families Send Their Kids: The Texas University Landscape

Parents in Taylor, Hutto, and Thrall often have children at universities across the state. Our deep investigative data tracks the Greek ecosystems at each.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Mapping the Greek Landscape

We maintain a proprietary data engine built from public records to understand the full scope of organizations involved in Texas Greek life. This isn’t guesswork; it’s hard data from IRS filings, university records, and metro analyses.

Public Records: Greek Organizations Serving Texas Families

For any Taylor parent, it’s crucial to know that behind every fraternity or sorority’s Greek letters stands a network of legal entities: house corporations, alumni chapters, and national headquarters, each with its own insurance and liability. Our data includes entities like:

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc (EIN 46-2267515) in Frisco, TX.
• Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation (EIN 37-1768785) in Missouri City, TX.
• Kappa Sigma – Mu Gamma Chapter Inc (EIN 27-3662583) in Lufkin, TX.
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc – Theta Delta Chapter (EIN 47-5370943) in Houston, TX.
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc (EIN 74-1380362) in Fort Worth, TX.
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi chapters at Texas Woman’s University (EIN 26-3170920), UT Tyler (EIN 35-2335400), and Texas A&M (EIN 90-0293166).

These are just a handful of the 125+ Texas-registered Greek organizations in IRS records and part of the 1,423 total Greek entities we track across 25 Texas metros. This data means when a Taylor family comes to us, we don’t start from zero. We already know how to identify every potentially liable organization behind a chapter.

University-Specific Risks for Taylor Students

1. University of Houston
Taylor students often choose UH for its proximity and strong programs. The Greek system there is large and active. The Bermudez case against Pi Kappa Phi is the most severe recent example, but other chapters have faced discipline. Hazing reports go through the Dean of Students and UHPD, but as we’ve seen, internal reporting does not guarantee prevention.

2. Texas State University (San Marcos)
As a major university closest to Taylor in Williamson County, Texas State has a significant Greek presence. Our data shows active Greek entities in the Austin-Round Rock metro, which includes San Marcos. Fraternities like Sigma Alpha Epsilon have a documented national history of hazing incidents.

3. The University of Texas at Austin
UT’s Greek life is legendary and massive. The university maintains a public hazing violations log, a transparency tool we use in investigations. Recent entries have included sanctions against Pi Kappa Alpha for forced milk consumption and calisthenics, and against spirit groups for abusive behavior.

4. Texas A&M University
The Corps of Cadets and a powerful Greek system define the culture. There have been severe cases, including a Sigma Alpha Epsilon lawsuit where pledges suffered chemical burns from industrial cleaner. The “Corps” has also faced hazing lawsuits alleging degrading sexualized rituals.

5. Baylor University & Southern Methodist University
These private universities have their own Greek life challenges. SMU’s Kappa Alpha Order chapter was suspended for paddling and forced drinking. Baylor has faced hazing issues within its athletic programs.

For a parent in Taylor, the takeaway is this: no major Texas university with Greek life, athletic teams, or spirit groups is immune. The patterns are tragically consistent.

National Fraternity Patterns: The Same Stories, Different Campuses

The fraternity that hazed Leonel Bermudez at UH, Pi Kappa Phi, has a national history. In 2017, Pi Kappa Phi at Florida State University was involved in the alcohol-poisoning death of pledge Andrew Coffey. This is not a coincidence; it is a pattern.

When we take a case for a Taylor family, we investigate the national history of the organization involved. This “pattern evidence” is powerful in court. It shows the national headquarters knew or should have known about the risks of certain rituals but failed to prevent them.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) has been involved in dozens of hazing deaths and injuries nationwide, including cases at Texas A&M and UT Austin.
Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) has a deadly pattern, including the Stone Foltz case at Bowling Green State University, which resulted in a $10 million settlement.
Phi Delta Theta was involved in the Max Gruver death at LSU, leading to a $6.1 million verdict.

These national organizations operate chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT, and elsewhere. They collect dues, provide (or fail to provide) oversight, and carry insurance. When hazing occurs, they are often legally liable alongside the individual students.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

If your family is facing this crisis, you need to know how a case is built. Our approach is methodical, aggressive, and informed by our unique expertise.

Critical Evidence We Secure

1. Digital Forensics: Deleted GroupMe, WhatsApp, and text messages can often be recovered. We work with experts to obtain these digital records that show planning, coercion, and cover-ups.
2. National Fraternity Files: Through legal discovery, we obtain the national organization’s records on prior complaints, risk management reports, and communications with the local chapter.
3. University Records: We subpoena the school’s disciplinary files on the chapter, prior hazing reports, and internal emails showing what administrators knew and when.
4. Medical & Economic Analysis: We collaborate with doctors to document the full extent of injuries—like the lifelong kidney risks from rhabdomyolysis—and with economists to calculate lost future earnings.

Our Strategic Advantages for Texas Families

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as an insurance defense lawyer for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies try to deny or minimize claims. We anticipate their tactics and counter them effectively.
• Complex Institutional Litigation Experience: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas lawyers involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. Taking on billion-dollar corporations prepared us for fights against wealthy national fraternities and large university systems.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Capability: Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the criminal side of hazing cases. We can advise families and witnesses navigating parallel criminal and civil proceedings.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish (Se habla Español), ensuring we can serve all Texas families with comfort and clarity.

Recoverable Damages for Hazing Victims

A lawsuit seeks to make the victim whole and hold institutions accountable. Recoverable damages can include:

• All medical expenses (past and future), including lifelong care for permanent injuries.
• Lost educational costs (tuition for interrupted semesters, lost scholarships).
• Lost future earning capacity if injuries affect the ability to work.
• Pain and suffering for physical and psychological trauma.
• Punitive damages, intended to punish especially reckless conduct and deter future hazing.

In wrongful death cases, families can recover for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and their own emotional anguish.

Practical Steps for Taylor Parents & Students

If You Suspect Hazing:

1. Talk to Your Child Calmly: Ask open-ended questions. “Are you ever asked to do things that make you uncomfortable?” “What happens if you say no?”
2. Look for Signs: Unexplained injuries, drastic weight change, severe exhaustion, withdrawal from family, anxiety about phone notifications.
3. Preserve Evidence: If they show you texts, take screenshots immediately. Do not delete anything.

If Hazing Has Occurred:

1. Seek Medical Care: Even if injuries seem minor. Tell the doctor exactly what happened so it is documented.
2. Call Us Before Reporting: Contact Attorney911 at 1-888-ATTY-911. We can advise on how to report to the university or police in a way that protects your child and the evidence.
3. Document Everything: Write down a timeline with names, dates, and locations. Photograph injuries. Save all clothing or items involved.
4. Avoid Critical Mistakes: Do not confront the fraternity. Do not sign anything from the university. Do not post on social media. Do not let your child “clean up” their phone.

Our video on using your phone to document a legal case offers crucial guidance on evidence preservation.

Why Attorney911 is the Right Firm for Texas Hazing Cases

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, known as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. We are based in Houston and serve families across Texas, including in Taylor and all of Williamson County. We are not generic personal injury lawyers; we are specialists in complex institutional cases, and right now, we are on the front lines of hazing litigation in Texas.

We represent Leonel Bermudez. We are fighting the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi. We have the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine. We have the insurance insider knowledge. We have the experience from the BP Texas City disaster litigation. We are not afraid of powerful opponents.

We operate on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win your case. We offer free, confidential, no-pressure consultations.

Take Action Today: Contact Attorney911

If hazing has impacted your child at any Texas university, you are not alone, and you have rights. The window to act is limited by Texas statutes of limitations. Evidence disappears quickly as groups close ranks.

Call us now for a free, confidential case evaluation: 1-8883-ATYellow8-911 (1-888-288-9911).

Visit our website at https://attorney911.com to learn more about our firm and our attorneys, Ralph Manginello and Mr. Lupe Peña.

For Spanish-speaking families, Mr. Peña is available at lupe@atty911.com.

Let us use our knowledge, data, and determination to help your family seek justice, recover damages, and force the changes that will protect the next generation of Texas students.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the UH Pi Kappa Phi Case:

• Click2Houston Report: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/11/21/only-on-2-lawsuit-alleges-severe-hazing-at-university-of-houstons-pi-kappa-phi-chapter-fraternity/
• ABC13 Coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

• Using Your Phone for Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Texas Statutes of Limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client Mistakes to Avoid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Main Firm Website:

• https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a confidential consultation regarding your specific situation.