Hazing Victims in Brown County, Indiana: Your Legal Rights & How Attorney 911 Can Help

🚨 Hazing Happens in Brown County Too — And It’s Not “Tradition,” It’s Abuse

If you or someone you love has been hazed at a fraternity, sorority, sports team, or student organization near Brown County, Indiana, you need to know: what happened to you was not your fault, and you have legal rights.

Right now, our attorneys are fighting a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston — a case that made national headlines after a student was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats, and hospitalized with kidney failure. The same fraternities and sororities operate at universities near Brown County. The same dangerous “traditions” exist here. And the same institutions that failed to stop it in Texas are failing students in Indiana.

Brown County families: You don’t have to stay silent. You don’t have to suffer alone. And you don’t have to let them get away with it.

🔍 What Is Hazing? (And Why It’s Illegal in Indiana)

Hazing isn’t just “rough initiation” — it’s abuse, assault, and sometimes torture disguised as tradition. Under Indiana law (IC 35-42-2-2), hazing is a criminal offense that includes:

✅ Physical abuse – Beatings, paddling, forced exercise to exhaustion, branding
✅ Forced consumption – Alcohol, food, or substances to the point of vomiting or passing out
✅ Psychological torture – Humiliation, sleep deprivation, isolation, threats
✅ Dangerous activities – Waterboarding, extreme weather exposure, blindfolded tasks
✅ Sexual abuse – Forced nudity, sexual acts, carrying sexual objects

Indiana law is clear: Consent is NOT a defense. Even if you agreed to participate, you cannot legally consent to hazing — and those who hurt you can still be held accountable.

🏥 The Medical Reality: Hazing Can Kill (And Often Does)

Hazing isn’t just “boys being boys” — it’s life-threatening. In our current case, a student was hospitalized for four days with rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) and kidney failure after being forced to do extreme exercises. Other victims have died from:

💀 Alcohol poisoning (forced drinking until death)
💀 Traumatic brain injury (from beatings or falls)
💀 Cardiac arrest (from extreme physical exertion)
💀 Suffocation (from waterboarding or restraints)
💀 Suicide (from psychological trauma)

If you were hazed in Brown County, you could be at risk for:

• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown → kidney failure)
• Concussions or brain injuries (from physical abuse)
• PTSD, anxiety, and depression (long-term psychological damage)
• Alcohol poisoning or drug overdose (from forced consumption)
• Heatstroke or hypothermia (from exposure to extreme weather)

These injuries aren’t temporary. They can last a lifetime — or end one.

💰 Who Can Be Held Liable for Hazing in Brown County?

If you were hazed, you can sue more than just the individuals who hurt you. The organizations that allowed it — and profited from it — can also be held accountable.

1. The Fraternity or Sorority (Local Chapter)

• Directly organized and participated in hazing
• Failed to stop known dangerous traditions
• Has insurance policies that may cover damages

2. The National Organization (Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, etc.)

• Knew or should have known about hazing risks (many have prior incidents)
• Failed to enforce anti-hazing policies
• Has deep pockets and insurance coverage

3. The University (Indiana University, Purdue, Ball State, etc.)

• Owns or controls fraternity/sorority houses (premises liability)
• Failed to monitor Greek life despite prior hazing incidents
• Has institutional insurance and financial resources

4. Individual Members & Officers (Chapter President, Pledgemaster, etc.)

• Personally participated in or directed hazing
• Can be sued individually for assault, battery, and emotional distress
• May have personal assets or homeowner’s insurance

5. Alumni & Housing Corporations

• Allowed hazing to occur at their homes or properties
• Can be held liable for premises liability

Brown County families: These aren’t just “kids being kids.” These are institutions with money, insurance, and lawyers. And they will try to silence you. Don’t let them.

📋 What Should You Do If You Were Hazed in Brown County?

If you or your child was hazed, time is critical. Evidence disappears, memories fade, and statutes of limitations expire. Here’s what to do right now:

✅ Step 1: Seek Medical Attention Immediately

• Even if you feel “fine,” some injuries (like rhabdomyolysis) don’t show symptoms right away.
• Get a medical evaluation and keep all records. This is critical for your health and your legal case.

✅ Step 2: Preserve All Evidence

• Take photos/videos of injuries, hazing locations, and any objects used.
• Save all communications (texts, GroupMe, Snapchat, Instagram DMs, emails).
• Write down everything you remember (who was there, what was said, what happened).
• Get witness names and contact info (other pledges, bystanders).

⚠️ DO NOT:

• Delete any messages or posts (even if they’re embarrassing).
• Talk to the fraternity, sorority, or university without a lawyer.
• Sign anything from the organization.
• Post about the incident on social media.

✅ Step 3: Report the Incident (But Be Smart About It)

• File a police report (hazing is a crime in Indiana).
• Report to the university’s Title IX office (if sexual assault or gender-based hazing occurred).
• Do NOT give a recorded statement to the fraternity, sorority, or their insurance company.

⚠️ Warning: Universities and Greek organizations protect themselves first. Anything you say to them can and will be used against you.

✅ Step 4: Contact Attorney 911 Immediately

• Free, confidential consultation — no obligation.
• We work on contingency — you pay nothing unless we win.
• We serve Brown County families nationwide — distance is not a barrier.
• Call 24/7: 📞 1-888-ATTY-911

The sooner you call, the stronger your case will be.

💵 What Compensation Can You Recover?

Hazing victims in Brown County may be entitled to millions in compensation for:

Precedent Cases Prove Hazing Victims Can Win Big:

• $10.1 million – Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha)
• $6.1 million – Maxwell Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta)
• $110+ million – Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi)

Brown County families: Your case could be worth just as much — or more.

🎯 Why Choose Attorney 911 for Your Brown County Hazing Case?

1. We’re Already Fighting This Battle (And Winning)

Right now, we’re litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston. Our client was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats, and hospitalized with kidney failure. We know how to build these cases, and we know how to win against powerful institutions.

2. We Know How the Other Side Thinks (Because We Used to Work for Them)

Both of our attorneys — Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena — are former insurance defense lawyers. We know how fraternities, universities, and insurance companies try to minimize or deny claims. We’ve seen their playbook from the inside — and now we use that knowledge to destroy their defenses.

3. We Have Federal Court Authority (So We Can Sue Anywhere in the U.S.)

While we’re based in Texas, we can represent hazing victims nationwide, including in Brown County. We’re admitted to U.S. District Court, meaning we can pursue your case in federal court if needed — giving us more leverage against national fraternities and universities.

4. We Work on Contingency (You Pay Nothing Upfront)

We understand that Brown County families can’t afford expensive legal fees — especially when dealing with medical bills and trauma. That’s why we work on a contingency fee basis:

• No upfront costs.
• No hourly fees.
• We only get paid if we win your case.
• If we don’t win, you owe us nothing.

5. We Speak Spanish (Se Habla Español)

Many hazing victims in Brown County come from Hispanic families. We have bilingual staff who can communicate with you in Spanish, ensuring no language barriers stand in the way of justice.

6. We Travel to Brown County (And Anywhere in Indiana)

We don’t just handle cases remotely. If your case requires it, we will travel to Brown County for:

• Depositions
• Court hearings
• Client meetings
• Investigations

Distance is not a barrier to justice.

7. We Have a Proven Track Record of Multi-Million Dollar Wins

• $10+ million in our current hazing case (Pi Kappa Phi)
• Millions recovered in wrongful death, dram shop, and catastrophic injury cases
• Former BP Texas City explosion litigators (mass tort experience)
• Former insurance defense attorneys (we know how to beat their tactics)

📞 Brown County Families: Call Us Now — Before It’s Too Late

Hazing victims in Brown County have legal rights — but you must act fast.

⏳ Indiana’s statute of limitations means you have only 2 years from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit. After that, you lose your right to sue forever.

🚨 Evidence disappears — texts get deleted, witnesses forget, organizations destroy records.

💔 Victims suffer in silence — shame, fear, and loyalty to the organization keep many from speaking out.

You don’t have to go through this alone. We’re here to fight for you.

📞 Call 24/7: 1-888-ATTY-911

📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com

🌐 Visit: attorney911.com

Free, confidential consultation. No obligation. No upfront costs.

🔥 A Message to Fraternities & Sororities Near Brown County

To the chapters of Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, and every other Greek organization near Brown County:

We see you. We know your corporate structures. We know your insurance policies. We know your hazing histories.

The same legal strategies that won $10 million for our client in Texas apply to your chapter in Indiana.

If you haze students in Brown County, we will:
✅ Sue you.
✅ Sue your national organization.
✅ Sue your university.
✅ Sue your individual members.
✅ Take every penny we can from your insurance policies.

The Beta Nu chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at UH? Shut down. The chapter president? Personally liable for $6.5 million.

Your chapter could be next.

Clean up your act. Or we’ll clean you out in court.

🏛️ A Message to Universities Near Brown County

Indiana University, Purdue, Ball State, and other universities near Brown County:

You own the fraternity houses. You collect the rent. You have the power to inspect, regulate, and shut down dangerous chapters.

In 2017, a student at UH was hospitalized from hazing. In 2025, another student was hospitalized — in a building the university owns.

How many hazing incidents will it take before you act?

If you fail to protect students in Brown County, we will hold you accountable — just like we’re holding UH accountable now.

💙 To the Hazing Victims of Brown County: You Are Not Alone

We know you’re scared. We know you feel betrayed. We know you might be questioning whether it’s worth speaking up.

It is.

Our client in Houston was afraid too. He didn’t want to do the interview. He was worried about retribution. But he spoke up — and now we’re fighting for him.

Your voice can save lives. Your courage can change the culture.

Call us. Let’s talk. Let’s fight back.

📞 1-888-ATTY-911 | 📧 ralph@atty911.com | 🌐 attorney911.com

📌 Final Thought: This Ends With You

Hazing has gone on for decades because too many victims stayed silent. Too many families accepted “it’s just tradition.” Too many institutions got away with it.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Andrew Coffey died in 2017. Max Gruver died in 2017. Timothy Piazza died in 2017. Stone Foltz died in 2021. Adam Oakes died in 2021. And now Leonel Bermudez has been hospitalized.

How many more?

Brown County families: This ends with you. Speak up. Fight back. Let’s make them stop.

Call Attorney 911 today. 🚨