Cumberland County Hazing Lawyers – Protecting Students & Families from Fraternity Abuse

Hazing Doesn’t Stop at State Lines – Neither Do We

If your child was hazed at a college or university near Cumberland County, North Carolina, you’re not alone. The same fraternities that waterboarded, beat, and hospitalized students in Texas operate here in North Carolina. The same negligent universities that ignore hazing culture exist right here in Cumberland County. And the same legal rights that won a $10 million lawsuit in Houston apply to Cumberland County families.

At Attorney 911, we’re fighting this battle right now. We’re representing a student who was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats until his muscles broke down, and hospitalized with kidney failure after hazing at Pi Kappa Phi. This didn’t happen in some far-off state—it happened at a major university, and it’s happening at schools near Cumberland County too.

You have rights. You have options. And you don’t have to fight this alone.

What Is Hazing? It’s Not “Tradition”—It’s Abuse

Hazing isn’t harmless pranks or team-building exercises. It’s systematic abuse disguised as “tradition.” In our current case, fraternity members:

✔ Waterboarded a student with a garden hose – simulating drowning, a form of torture
✔ Forced him to do 500 squats and 100 pushups – until he couldn’t stand
✔ Struck him with wooden paddles – physical assault with weapons
✔ Forced him to eat until he vomited – then made him lie in his own vomit
✔ Threatened expulsion if he refused – psychological coercion
✔ Hospitalized him with kidney failure – life-threatening consequences

The fraternity called it “brotherhood.” We call it assault, battery, and reckless endangerment.

This isn’t just happening in Texas. It’s happening at universities near Cumberland County.

Universities Near Cumberland County Have the Same Problems

Fayetteville State University (FSU) – Just Miles from Cumberland County

• Greek Life Presence: Active fraternities and sororities, including Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and others with documented hazing histories nationwide
• Hazing Risk: Same national organizations that paid millions in settlements operate at FSU
• Institutional Negligence: Universities have a duty to protect students—when they fail, they’re liable

Methodist University (MU) – Cumberland County’s Backyard

• Greek Life: Multiple fraternities and sororities with potential hazing risks
• Small-School Vulnerability: Smaller universities often lack resources to monitor Greek life effectively
• Same National Fraternities: Organizations with hazing deaths in other states have chapters at Methodist

UNC Pembroke – Within Driving Distance of Cumberland County

• Greek Life: Active chapters of major national fraternities
• Hazing History: Universities in North Carolina have faced hazing scandals before
• Same Liability: If hazing happens here, the same legal strategies apply

These aren’t just names on a map. These are real schools where real students are at risk—right now.

Who Is Liable for Hazing in Cumberland County?

When hazing happens, everyone involved can be held accountable:

In our current case, we’re suing:

• The fraternity chapter
• The national organization
• The university
• Individual members
• A former member and his spouse (who hosted hazing)

The same strategy works for Cumberland County families.

What Can Cumberland County Families Recover?

Hazing victims and their families are entitled to full compensation for:

1. Medical Expenses

• Hospital bills (our client was hospitalized for 4 days)
• Emergency room costs
• Future medical care (kidney monitoring, potential dialysis)
• Therapy for PTSD, anxiety, depression

2. Pain and Suffering

• Physical pain from beatings, forced exercise
• Emotional trauma from waterboarding, humiliation
• Fear of retribution (our client is afraid to speak out)
• Loss of enjoyment of college experience

3. Punitive Damages

• When conduct is egregious, juries award additional money to punish defendants
• Waterboarding = torture
• 500 squats causing kidney failure = reckless disregard
• Punitive damages send a message: This cannot happen again.

4. Wrongful Death (If Applicable)

• If hazing results in death, families can sue for:
  • Loss of companionship
  • Funeral expenses
  • Lost future earnings
  • Punitive damages

Cumberland County Hazing Cases Can Win – Here’s the Proof

$10.1 Million – Stone Foltz (Pi Kappa Alpha, Bowling Green State)

• What Happened: Forced to drink entire bottle of alcohol; died from alcohol poisoning
• Who Paid: University ($2.9M) + Fraternity ($7.2M)
• Why It Matters: Shows universities and fraternities will pay millions for hazing

$6.1 Million – Maxwell Gruver (Phi Delta Theta, LSU)

• What Happened: Forced drinking game; BAC 0.495 (6x legal limit); died
• Who Paid: $6.1 million jury verdict
• Why It Matters: Juries award millions when hazing causes death

$110+ Million – Timothy Piazza (Beta Theta Pi, Penn State)

• What Happened: Forced to drink 18 drinks in 82 minutes; fell down stairs; fraternity waited 12 hours to call 911
• Who Paid: Confidential settlement (estimated $110M+)
• Why It Matters: Security cameras captured everything—strong evidence wins big

$10 Million (Pending) – Leonel Bermudez (Pi Kappa Phi, University of Houston)

• What Happened: Waterboarded, 500 squats, wooden paddles, hospitalized with kidney failure
• Who We’re Suing: Fraternity, university, individuals
• Why It Matters: This is the case we’re fighting right now—and we’ll fight just as hard for Cumberland County families

What Cumberland County Families Should Do Right Now

STEP 1: Get Medical Help Immediately

• Even if injuries seem minor, get checked
• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) can be life-threatening
• Psychological trauma (PTSD, anxiety) needs documentation

STEP 2: Preserve All Evidence

✅ Texts & Social Media: Screenshot everything—GroupMe, Snapchat, Instagram DMs
✅ Photos/Videos: Document injuries, hazing locations, any evidence
✅ Medical Records: Get copies of all hospital/doctor visits
✅ Witnesses: Get names and contact info of anyone who saw what happened

DO NOT:
❌ Delete any messages or posts
❌ Talk to fraternity/sorority leadership without a lawyer
❌ Sign anything from the organization
❌ Post about the incident on social media

STEP 3: Call Attorney 911 – Free Consultation

📞 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 ralph@atty911.com

• No upfront cost – We work on contingency (you pay nothing unless we win)
• We come to you – Travel to Cumberland County for meetings, depositions, trials
• Video consultations – Meet with us remotely if you can’t travel
• 24/7 availability – Hazing emergencies don’t wait for business hours

Why Cumberland County Families Choose Attorney 911

1. We’re Fighting This Battle Right Now

• We’re currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston
• We know the defendants’ playbook—they’ll try to blame the victim, destroy evidence, and lowball settlements
• We don’t let them get away with it

2. Former Insurance Defense Attorneys – We Know Their Tricks

• Both Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena worked for insurance companies before switching sides
• We know how they value claims, delay cases, and try to deny liability
• Now we use that knowledge against them

3. We Travel to Cumberland County

• We have offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, but we serve Cumberland County and all of North Carolina
• We’ll come to you for depositions, client meetings, and trials
• Distance is not a barrier to justice

4. Aggressive, Compassionate Representation

• We’ve seen what hazing does to kids and families
• We don’t see you as a case—we see you as someone who deserves justice
• We fight hard because we care about stopping this culture

5. No Upfront Cost – You Pay Nothing Unless We Win

• Contingency fee – We only get paid if we recover money for you
• No retainer, no hourly fees
• If we don’t win, you owe us nothing

Cumberland County Hazing Victims – You Are Not Alone

Hazing victims often stay silent because of:

• Fear of retaliation (our client is afraid to speak out)
• Shame and embarrassment (they blame themselves)
• Loyalty to the organization (they don’t want to “betray” their brothers/sisters)
• Not realizing it’s illegal (they think it’s “just tradition”)

But silence protects the abusers. Speaking out protects the next victim.

Lupe Pena, our attorney, said it best:

“If this prevents harm to another person, that’s what we’re hoping to do. Let’s bring this to light. Enough is enough.”

Cumberland County Families – The Time to Act Is Now

North Carolina Has a 3-Year Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases

• You have 3 years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit
• Evidence disappears quickly – witnesses forget, messages get deleted, fraternities destroy records
• The sooner you act, the stronger your case

Cumberland County Hazing Victims – Call Us Before It’s Too Late

📞 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 ralph@atty911.com

A Message to Cumberland County Fraternities & Universities

To the Fraternities Operating Near Cumberland County:

We know who you are. We know your corporate structures. We know your national organizations have paid millions in hazing settlements. We know your chapters are doing the same things that hospitalized our client.

If you haze students in Cumberland County, we will find every liable entity. We will sue your chapter, your nationals, your officers, and your members. We will take your insurance policies. We will take your assets.

The Beta Nu chapter at University of Houston is now SHUT DOWN. They surrendered their charter. Criminal referrals have been initiated. That’s what happens when you haze in Texas. The same will happen in North Carolina.

To the Universities Near Cumberland County:

You own the fraternity houses. You collect the rent. You have the power to inspect, regulate, and shut down dangerous chapters. When you fail to act, you’re complicit.

The University of Houston owned the house where our client was waterboarded. They knew about a prior hazing hospitalization in 2017. They did nothing. Now they’re a defendant in a $10 million lawsuit.

FSU, Methodist, UNC Pembroke—will you be next?

To the National Fraternities with Chapters Near Cumberland County:

You’ve paid millions in settlements for hazing deaths and injuries. You’ve dissolved chapters only to let them reopen later. You’ve claimed to take hazing seriously—but students keep getting hurt.

Pi Kappa Phi had a student die in 2017. Eight years later, another student was hospitalized. They didn’t learn. Neither did you.

We’re watching. The law is watching. And when you haze students in Cumberland County, we will hold you accountable.

Cumberland County Families – We’re Ready to Fight for You

This isn’t just a legal case. It’s a movement.

Every time a fraternity hazes a student, they’re betting that the victim will stay silent. They’re betting that the university will protect them. They’re betting that no one will hold them accountable.

We’re here to prove them wrong.

If your child was hazed at Fayetteville State University, Methodist University, UNC Pembroke, or any school near Cumberland County, we’re ready to fight for you.

Call us now. The consultation is free. The fight for justice starts today.

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

Attorney 911 – Legal Emergency Lawyers™
Serving Cumberland County from Houston, Austin & Beaumont