🛡️ Edwards County Hazing Lawyer – Fraternity Abuse & University Negligence

Justice for Hazing Victims in Edwards County and Across Kansas

If your child was hazed, abused, or injured in a fraternity, sorority, or other student organization in Edwards County, Kansas, you are not alone. The same dangerous “traditions” that hospitalized a student at the University of Houston in November 2025 are happening right here in Kansas. Waterboarding, forced exercise, paddling, sleep deprivation, and psychological torture are not “brotherhood” – they are abuse. And they are illegal.

At Attorney 911, we are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston for exactly this type of conduct. We know how to hold fraternities, sororities, and universities accountable – and we will fight just as hard for Edwards County families.

📞 Call Now for a Free, Confidential Consultation: 1-888-ATTY-911

🚨 The Hazing Crisis in Edwards County – It’s Happening Here

Edwards County is a tight-knit community where families send their children to college expecting them to be safe, respected, and valued. But the reality is that hazing is happening at Kansas universities near Edwards County, including:

• Fort Hays State University (Hays, KS – 30 miles from Edwards County)
• Dodge City Community College (Dodge City, KS – 45 miles from Edwards County)
• Garden City Community College (Garden City, KS – 60 miles from Edwards County)
• Pratt Community College (Pratt, KS – 70 miles from Edwards County)
• Colleges across Kansas where the same national fraternities and sororities operate

The same fraternities involved in deadly hazing cases nationwide – Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, Beta Theta Pi, and others – have active chapters near Edwards County. And just like in Texas, they are hazing students to the point of hospitalization, permanent injury, and even death.

What Hazing Looks Like in Kansas

Hazing isn’t just “roughhousing” or “harmless pranks.” In Kansas and across America, hazing includes:

✅ Physical Abuse – Beatings with wooden paddles, forced calisthenics until collapse, branding, burning
✅ Forced Consumption – Alcohol poisoning (binge drinking), forced eating until vomiting, consumption of non-food substances
✅ Waterboarding & Simulated Drowning – Using hoses, towels, or other methods to induce fear of suffocation
✅ Sleep Deprivation – Forced late-night activities, early-morning workouts, driving members at all hours
✅ Psychological Torture – Humiliation, degradation, threats of expulsion, carrying sexual objects
✅ Sexual Abuse – Forced nudity, sexual acts, sexual humiliation
✅ Extreme Physical Punishment – 100+ pushups, 500+ squats, bear crawls, 100-yard crawls until muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis)

This is not tradition. This is not brotherhood. This is abuse. And it is illegal under Kansas law.

💔 Real Kansas Hazing Cases – The Danger Is Real

While Kansas may not have made national headlines for hazing deaths yet, the same patterns exist here. Consider these documented cases from nearby states:

🔴 Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State University (Ohio) – Pi Kappa Alpha – 2021

• Forced to drink an entire bottle of alcohol during a “Big/Little” event
• Died from alcohol poisoning
• Family awarded $10.1 million from university and fraternity
• Chapter permanently expelled

🔴 Max Gruver – Louisiana State University – Phi Delta Theta – 2017

• Forced to drink during “Bible Study” hazing – wrong answers = drink more
• Blood alcohol content: 0.495 (6x legal limit)
• Died from alcohol poisoning
• $6.1 million jury verdict against fraternity
• Max Gruver Act passed – made hazing a felony in Louisiana

🔴 Timothy Piazza – Penn State University – Beta Theta Pi – 2017

• Forced to drink 18 drinks in 82 minutes during “gauntlet” ritual
• Fell down stairs multiple times while severely intoxicated
• Fraternity members waited 12 HOURS to call 911
• Died from traumatic brain injury and internal bleeding
• Family settled for $110+ million
• Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law passed in Pennsylvania

🔴 Leonel Bermudez – University of Houston – Pi Kappa Phi – 2025 (OUR CASE)

• Waterboarded with a garden hose (simulated drowning)
• Forced to do 500+ squats, 100+ pushups, bear crawls until he collapsed
• Struck with wooden paddles
• Forced to eat until vomiting, then made to keep running
• Hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure (3 nights, 4 days)
• $10 million lawsuit filed – case ongoing

These cases are not isolated incidents. They are part of a nationwide pattern of abuse that is happening right now in Kansas.

⚖️ Kansas Hazing Laws – What Edwards County Families Need to Know

Kansas has strong anti-hazing laws that protect students. Under Kansas Statutes § 21-5414, hazing is defined as:

“Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person, whether individually or in concert with others, against a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization.”

Kansas Hazing is a Crime

Hazing in Kansas is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by:

• Up to 6 months in jail
• Fines up to $1,000

If hazing results in serious bodily injury or death, it becomes a felony, punishable by:

• Up to 3.5 years in prison
• Fines up to $100,000

Consent Is NOT a Defense

Under Kansas law, it does not matter if the victim “agreed” to participate. The statute explicitly states:

“Consent to hazing is not a defense to a prosecution under this section.”

This means fraternities cannot claim, “He knew what he was getting into.” It doesn’t matter. Hazing is illegal regardless of consent.

🏛️ Who Is Liable for Hazing in Edwards County?

When hazing occurs, multiple parties can be held legally and financially responsible. In our $10 million Pi Kappa Phi case, we are suing:

Edwards County families: You can sue all of these parties. And we know how to do it.

💰 What Can Edwards County Families Recover?

Hazing victims and their families may be entitled to substantial compensation, including:

Economic Damages (Actual Financial Losses)

• Medical bills (hospital stays, ER visits, therapy, future treatment)
• Lost wages (time missed from work during recovery)
• Future lost earning capacity (if injuries cause permanent limitations)
• Educational expenses (tuition, fees, lost scholarships)
• Therapy and counseling costs (PTSD, anxiety, depression)

Non-Economic Damages (Pain and Suffering)

• Physical pain from injuries (rhabdomyolysis, broken bones, burns)
• Mental anguish (trauma from waterboarding, paddling, humiliation)
• Emotional distress (PTSD, anxiety, depression, fear of retribution)
• Loss of enjoyment of life (inability to participate in normal activities)
• Disfigurement (scars from branding, burns, or injuries)

Punitive Damages (Punishment for Egregious Conduct)

If the conduct was intentional, malicious, or grossly negligent, courts can award punitive damages to punish the wrongdoers and deter future hazing.

In our Pi Kappa Phi case, we are seeking $10 million – and we will seek the same for Edwards County families.

📋 What to Do If Your Child Was Hazed in Edwards County

If your child was hazed in Edwards County or at a Kansas university, time is critical. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and legal deadlines expire. Follow these steps immediately:

1️⃣ Seek Medical Attention

• Even if injuries seem minor, get checked by a doctor.
• Hazing injuries like rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) can be life-threatening if untreated.
• Document everything – medical records are crucial evidence.

2️⃣ Preserve All Evidence

• Take photos/videos of injuries at all stages of healing.
• Save all communications (texts, GroupMe, Snapchat, Instagram DMs, emails).
• Document witness names and contact info.
• Keep all pledge materials (manuals, schedules, rules).
• Do NOT delete anything – even if it seems embarrassing or irrelevant.

3️⃣ Do NOT Talk to the Fraternity, Sorority, or University Alone

• They will try to control the narrative and minimize liability.
• They may pressure you to sign documents or accept a low settlement.
• Anything you say can be used against you.

4️⃣ Do NOT Post on Social Media

• Insurance companies and defense attorneys will use your posts against you.
• Even innocent posts like “I’m fine” can be twisted to claim you weren’t really hurt.
• Stay off social media until your case is resolved.

5️⃣ Contact an Experienced Hazing Lawyer Immediately

• Kansas has a 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims.
• Evidence disappears fast – texts get deleted, memories fade, fraternities destroy records.
• The sooner you act, the stronger your case will be.

📞 Call Attorney 911 Now: 1-888-ATTY-911

🔥 Why Edwards County Families Choose Attorney 911

1️⃣ We Are Fighting This Battle RIGHT NOW

• We are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston.
• We know exactly how these cases work – the defendants, the defenses, the insurance tactics.
• We are not theoretical – we are in the fight today.

2️⃣ Former Insurance Defense Attorneys – We Know Their Playbook

• Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena are former insurance defense attorneys.
• We know exactly how insurance companies try to minimize claims.
• We know how to dismantle their defenses and maximize your compensation.

3️⃣ Nationwide Reach – We Can Help Edwards County Families Anywhere

• Based in Texas, but we serve hazing victims nationwide.
• Federal court authority – we can pursue cases in federal jurisdiction.
• Dual-state bar licenses (Texas and New York) – strategic advantage for national fraternity cases.
• We travel to Edwards County for depositions, trials, and client meetings.

4️⃣ No Upfront Costs – We Work on Contingency

• You pay $0 upfront.
• We only get paid if we win your case.
• No risk to you – we take the financial risk so you can fight for justice.

5️⃣ We Speak Spanish – Se Habla Español

• Hazing affects all communities, including Hispanic students and families.
• We provide full legal services in Spanish – no language barriers to justice.

6️⃣ Proven Results in High-Stakes Cases

• BP Texas City explosion litigation – mass tort experience against major corporations.
• Multi-million dollar personal injury settlements – we know how to win big.
• Federal court experience – we can take your case to the highest levels.

7️⃣ We Understand the Culture – Because We’ve Been There

• Ralph Manginello is a former athlete and coach – he understands team dynamics, locker room culture, and the pressures that lead to hazing.
• We know how fraternities operate – the secrecy, the peer pressure, the institutional cover-ups.
• We know how to expose the truth and hold the right people accountable.

🎯 What Sets Us Apart for Edwards County Families

We Don’t Just Sue – We Send a Message

We are not just fighting for compensation. We are fighting to change the culture that allows hazing to continue.

In our Pi Kappa Phi case, we are exposing:

• Waterboarding as torture – not “tradition”
• Forced exercise causing kidney failure – not “character building”
• Universities that own fraternity houses – and do nothing to stop abuse
• National organizations that know about hazing – and fail to act

We will bring the same fight to Kansas.

We Protect Our Clients

Hazing victims often fear retribution for speaking out. Our client in the Pi Kappa Phi case told us:

“I’m fearful of doing an interview due to retribution.” – Leonel Bermudez

We understand that fear. And we protect our clients.

• Confidential consultations – no one will know you contacted us.
• Aggressive legal strategy – we don’t back down from powerful institutions.
• Media strategy – we control the narrative to protect you.

We Fight for the Maximum Possible Compensation

Insurance companies will try to lowball you. They will offer $5,000 or $10,000 and hope you accept.

We don’t let that happen.

• We know what your case is really worth.
• We know how to negotiate with insurance companies.
• We know when to take a case to trial – and we’re not afraid to do it.

Our goal is not just to win – it’s to win big.

📞 Edwards County Families: Call Now for Justice

If your child was hazed in Edwards County, Fort Hays State University, Dodge City Community College, Garden City Community College, Pratt Community College, or anywhere in Kansas, we can help.

📞 Call Attorney 911 Now: 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com
🌐 Website: attorney911.com

Free, confidential consultation – no obligation.
No upfront costs – we only get paid if we win.
We travel to Edwards County – distance is not a barrier.

🚨 Act Now – Before It’s Too Late

Hazing is not a rite of passage. It’s not tradition. It’s not brotherhood.

It’s abuse. It’s illegal. And it must stop.

If your child was hazed in Kansas, you have legal rights. But you must act quickly.

📞 Call 1-888-ATTY-911 today.
🔥 We are Attorney 911 – and we are fighting for Edwards County families.