🚨 Hazing Victims Legal Emergency: Attorney 911 Serving Gila County Families
Gila County Parents: Your Child Could Be Next. We’re Fighting Back.
This happened in Houston. It’s happening at universities near Gila County. The same fraternities operate in Arizona. And we will fight for Gila County families with the same aggression we’re bringing to this case.
📰 BREAKING: $10 MILLION HAZING LAWSUIT — What Gila County Families Need to Know
On November 21, 2025, Attorney 911 filed a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and the University of Houston after a student was hospitalized with kidney failure from extreme hazing. The abuse included waterboarding with a garden hose, forced consumption of food until vomiting, 500 squats, and being struck with wooden paddles.
Why this matters to Gila County families:
- The same national fraternities that operate at universities near Gila County were involved
- The same types of hazing are happening in Arizona
- Universities near Gila County have the same oversight failures as UH
- If your child is pledging a fraternity or sorority near Gila County, they face the same risks
🔥 What Happened: The Gila County Hazing Crisis Comes to Arizona
The Victim: Leonel Bermudez
- Status: “Ghost rush” — not even enrolled at UH yet; expected to transfer for Spring 2026
- What happened: Accepted bid to Pi Kappa Phi on September 16, 2025
- What followed: Seven weeks of systematic abuse that hospitalized him for four days with severe rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure
The Hazing Activities That Could Happen Near Gila County
| Activity | Description | Legal Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Waterboarding | Simulated drowning with garden hose while doing calisthenics | Torture; Assault |
| Forced Eating | Large amounts of milk, hot dogs, peppercorns until vomiting | Hazing; Battery |
| Extreme Exercise | 500 squats, 100+ pushups, bear crawls, “suicides” | Hazing; Reckless Endangerment |
| Physical Abuse | Struck with wooden paddles | Assault; Battery |
| Psychological Torture | Hog-tying pledges, carrying sexual objects, threats of expulsion | Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress |
| Sleep Deprivation | Forced to drive members during early morning hours | Hazing |
| Cold Exposure | Forced to strip to underwear in cold weather | Hazing; Reckless Endangerment |
The Medical Consequences: What Could Happen to Your Gila County Child
- Rhabdomyolysis — muscle breakdown causing kidney failure
- Acute kidney failure — life-threatening condition
- Hospitalization — 3-4 days minimum; potential long-term damage
- Permanent kidney damage — may require dialysis or transplant
- PTSD, anxiety, depression — long-term psychological trauma
This is not “tradition.” This is not “building character.” This is abuse. This is torture. And it’s happening near Gila County.
🏛️ Who Is Liable — The Same Institutions Near Gila County
1. National Fraternities/Sororities
- Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi — all have chapters near Gila County
- They know the risks — multiple hazing deaths nationally
- They do nothing — Andrew Coffey died in 2017 at Pi Kappa Phi; Leonel Bermudez hospitalized in 2025
- They have deep pockets — national organizations with millions in assets and insurance
2. Universities Near Gila County
- They own or control fraternity/sorority houses — premises liability
- They have oversight responsibility — failure to supervise
- They know hazing happens — prior incidents at many universities
- They do nothing — until someone gets hurt or dies
3. Individual Perpetrators
- Chapter presidents, pledgemasters, members — personal liability
- They can be sued individually — Stone Foltz case: chapter president ordered to pay $6.5 million
- They face criminal charges — Texas law makes hazing a crime
💰 Precedent Cases: What Gila County Families Can Win
These cases prove that hazing victims WIN. The same results are possible for Gila County victims.
| Case | University | Fraternity | Outcome | Relevance to Gila County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Foltz | Bowling Green State | Pi Kappa Alpha | $10.1 million settlement | Same demand as our case |
| Maxwell Gruver | Louisiana State | Phi Delta Theta | $6.1 million jury verdict | Juries award millions |
| Timothy Piazza | Penn State | Beta Theta Pi | $110+ million settlement | Strong evidence = big outcome |
| Andrew Coffey | Florida State | Pi Kappa Phi | Confidential settlement | Same fraternity as our case |
| Adam Oakes | Virginia Commonwealth | Delta Chi | $4+ million settlement | Recent case; substantial recovery |
Gila County families: These verdicts and settlements show that hazing cases result in multi-million dollar recoveries. Your child’s case could be next.
⚖️ Arizona Hazing Laws: Your Gila County Child’s Rights
Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-2301: Hazing Prohibited
Definition of Hazing:
Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a student, whether individually or in concert with other persons, against another student, and in which both of the following apply:
- The act was committed in connection with an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in any organization that is affiliated with an educational institution.
- The act contributes to a substantial risk of potential physical injury, mental harm, or degradation or causes physical injury, mental harm, or personal degradation.
This includes:
- Physical abuse
- Forced consumption of food, alcohol, or drugs
- Sleep deprivation
- Psychological abuse
- Exposure to extreme weather conditions
Consent is NOT a defense. Even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law says consent does not matter.
Criminal Penalties in Arizona
- Class 1 misdemeanor — up to 6 months in jail, $2,500 fine
- Class 6 felony — if serious physical injury occurs
- Class 4 felony — if death results
Civil Liability for Gila County Families
You can sue for:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
- Punitive damages
🚨 What Gila County Families Should Do RIGHT NOW
If Your Child Has Been Hazed Near Gila County:
- Seek medical attention immediately — Document everything
- Preserve all evidence — Texts, photos, videos, social media posts
- Do NOT talk to the fraternity/sorority or university without legal counsel
- Do NOT post on social media about the incident
- Contact Attorney 911 immediately — 1-888-ATTY-911
If Your Child Is Considering Joining a Fraternity/Sorority Near Gila County:
- Talk to them about hazing — Make sure they know it’s illegal and dangerous
- Ask about the organization’s hazing policy — Do they have a zero-tolerance policy?
- Encourage them to report any hazing immediately — To you, to the university, to the police
- Consider alternatives — Many organizations don’t haze; look for those with good reputations
- Know the signs of hazing — Sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, secrecy, unexplained injuries
🎯 Why Gila County Families Choose Attorney 911
1. We’re Fighting This Battle RIGHT NOW
- $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and University of Houston
- Media coverage — ABC13, KHOU 11, Houston Chronicle, Houston Public Media
- Proven results — Multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts in hazing cases
2. We Have the Experience Gila County Families Need
- 25+ years of litigation experience — Ralph Manginello
- Former insurance defense attorneys — We know how defendants think
- Federal court admission — Can pursue cases nationwide
- Dual-state bar licenses — Texas AND New York
- Hazing-specific expertise — Rhabdomyolysis cases, Kappa Sigma litigation, Texas A&M hazing cases
3. We Serve Gila County Families — No Matter Where You Are
- Video consultations — Meet with us remotely
- We travel to Gila County — For depositions, client meetings, and trials
- Nationwide representation — Federal court authority
- Bilingual staff — Se habla español
4. We Work on Contingency — $0 Upfront for Gila County Families
- No attorney fees unless we win
- No hourly billing
- No upfront costs
- We take the risk — if we don’t win, you owe us nothing
📞 Gila County Families: Call Now for a Free Consultation
This could happen to your child. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
📞 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 ralph@atty911.com
🌐 attorney911.com
Available 24/7 for Gila County hazing emergencies
🔥 The Message to Fraternities Near Gila County:
To Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and every fraternity with chapters near Gila County:
We are watching. We are coming.
The same legal strategies that secured $10+ million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapter.
If you haze students near Gila County, we will pursue every liable entity:
- Your chapter
- Your national organization
- Your housing corporation
- Your individual members
- The university that allows you to operate
We already shut down the Pi Kappa Phi chapter at University of Houston. Your chapter could be next.
🏛️ The Message to Universities Near Gila County:
To Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and every university near Gila County:
The same institutional negligence that made University of Houston a defendant exists at your campus.
You own the fraternity houses. You have the power to inspect. You have the power to shut down dangerous chapters.
Act now or face the same accountability.
📢 Enough Is Enough — Gila County Families Deserve Justice
Gila County parents send their children to college expecting them to be safe. They trust universities to protect their children. They trust fraternities to provide a positive experience.
That trust is being betrayed.
Enough is enough.
If your child has been hazed near Gila County, you have rights. You have options. You have Attorney 911.
Call us today. We will fight for your family.
📞 1-888-ATTY-911 | ralph@atty911.com | attorney911.com
📌 Gila County Hazing Resources:
- StopHazing.org — National anti-hazing organization
- HazingPrevention.org — Education and prevention resources
- Arizona Board of Regents — Report hazing incidents
- Local law enforcement — File criminal complaints
- University Title IX offices — Report hazing as gender-based violence
© 2025 Attorney 911 | Legal Emergency Lawyers™ | Serving Gila County Families
