🛡️ Snyder County Hazing Victims — Legal Rights & Justice Guide
Attorney 911 — Fighting for Snyder County Students and Families Affected by Hazing
🚨 Hazing Happens in Snyder County Too — And We Will Fight for You
If your child attends Susquehanna University, Bucknell University, or any college near Snyder County, they face the same hazing risks that hospitalized our client at the University of Houston. The same national fraternities and sororities operate in Central Pennsylvania. The same “traditions” of abuse exist here.
We are currently litigating a $10 MILLION hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston. This isn’t theoretical — we’re in the fight right now. And we will bring the same aggressive representation to Snyder County families.
🏢 Who We Are — Snyder County’s Hazing Litigation Experts
Attorney 911 — Legal Emergency Lawyers™
Headquartered in Houston, Texas — Serving Snyder County and Nationwide
We are a personal injury and criminal defense law firm with offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. We proudly serve hazing victims and their families in Snyder County and across America through our federal court authority, dual-state bar licenses, and commitment to traveling wherever justice demands.
Why Snyder County Families Choose Attorney 911
| Advantage | Details | Snyder County Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| 25+ Years Courtroom Experience | Battle-tested trial attorneys | Proven expertise serving Snyder County families |
| Former Insurance Defense Insight | Higher claim leverage — we know their playbook | We know how Snyder County defendants will fight back |
| Federal Court Admissions | U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas | Can pursue Snyder County cases in federal court |
| Dual-State Bar Admission | Texas AND New York licensed | Strategic advantage for Snyder County cases against national organizations |
| Se Habla Español | Bilingual staff serving Spanish-speaking clients | Snyder County Spanish-speaking families welcome |
| Nationwide Hazing Expertise | Currently litigating $10M UH hazing case | Same strategies available for Snyder County victims |
| Will Travel to Snyder County | For depositions, trials, and client meetings | Distance is not a barrier to justice |
📚 What Snyder County Parents Need to Know About Hazing
What Is Hazing?
Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, initiation, affiliation, holding office, or maintaining membership in an organization.
This includes:
- Physical abuse (beatings, paddling, branding)
- Forced consumption (alcohol, food, non-food substances)
- Sleep deprivation
- Psychological torture (humiliation, threats, isolation)
- Sexual abuse
- Extreme physical exertion (like the 500 squats that hospitalized our client)
Hazing Is Illegal in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Anti-Hazing Law (18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2810):
- Hazing is a misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail)
- Aggravated hazing causing serious bodily injury or death is a felony (up to 7 years in prison)
- Consent is not a defense — even if your child “agreed” to participate, it’s still illegal
Common Hazing Myths in Snyder County
❌ “It’s just tradition” — Tradition doesn’t make abuse legal or acceptable
❌ “Boys will be boys” — This is assault, not “boys being boys”
❌ “It builds character” — It builds trauma, not character
❌ “Everyone goes through it” — That doesn’t make it right or legal
❌ “It’s harmless fun” — Our client ended up in the hospital with kidney failure
💰 What Snyder County Hazing Victims Can Sue For
Economic Damages (Financial Losses)
- Medical bills — Hospital stays, ER visits, specialists, therapy
- Future medical expenses — Ongoing treatment, potential dialysis or transplant
- Lost wages — Time missed from work during recovery
- Lost academic investment — Tuition, fees, scholarships lost
- Educational disruption — Costs of transferring schools or delayed graduation
Non-Economic Damages (Pain and Suffering)
- Physical pain — From injuries sustained during hazing
- Mental anguish — PTSD, anxiety, depression from abuse
- Emotional distress — Humiliation, shame, fear of retribution
- Loss of enjoyment of life — Inability to participate in normal activities
- Disfigurement — Permanent scars from branding, burns, or injuries
Punitive Damages (Punishment for Egregious Conduct)
When hazing involves:
- Torture (like waterboarding)
- Reckless disregard for safety (like forcing 500 squats)
- Pattern of abuse (multiple incidents at same organization)
- Institutional cover-up (university/fraternity knew and did nothing)
Punitive damages can reach MILLIONS — they’re meant to punish and deter future hazing.
⚖️ Who Is Liable for Snyder County Hazing?
The Fraternity/Sorority Chapter
- Directly organized and conducted hazing
- Chapter officers (president, pledgemaster) can be held personally liable
- Each member who participated can be sued individually
The National Organization
- Failed to supervise local chapter
- Failed to enforce anti-hazing policies
- Knew about prior hazing incidents and did nothing
- Deep pockets — substantial assets and insurance
The University/College
- Failed to monitor Greek life
- Failed to prevent hazing despite prior incidents
- Owned or controlled property where hazing occurred
- Institutional resources — substantial endowments and insurance
Individual Members
- Each person who participated in hazing
- Each person who witnessed and failed to stop it
- Personal assets and homeowner’s insurance may provide coverage
Alumni and Hosts
- Allowed hazing at their homes
- Premises liability for unsafe conditions
📋 What to Do If Your Child Is Hazed in Snyder County
IMMEDIATE ACTION STEPS
- Seek Medical Attention — Even if injuries seem minor, get checked. Some conditions (like rhabdomyolysis) have delayed symptoms.
- Preserve All Evidence —
- Take photos of injuries at all stages
- Save all text messages, GroupMe chats, Snapchats, social media posts
- Write down everything that happened (dates, times, locations, people involved)
- Get names and contact information of witnesses
- Do NOT Talk to the Organization — They will try to control the narrative and destroy evidence.
- Do NOT Post on Social Media — Anything you post can be used against you.
- Do NOT Sign Anything — The organization may try to get you to sign documents waiving your rights.
- Contact an Attorney Immediately — The statute of limitations is typically 2 years. Evidence disappears quickly.
How Snyder County Families Can Reach Us
LEGAL EMERGENCY HOTLINE: 📞 1-888-ATTY-911
Email: ralph@atty911.com
Website: attorney911.com
We offer:
- Free consultations for Snyder County hazing victims
- Video consultations — meet with us remotely
- Travel to Snyder County — for depositions, trials, and client meetings
- Contingency fee representation — $0 upfront; we don’t get paid unless you win
🏛️ Universities Near Snyder County — The Hazing Risk Is Real
Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA — 15 minutes from Snyder County)
- Active Greek Life: Multiple fraternities and sororities
- National Organizations Present: Many major fraternities and sororities operate chapters at Susquehanna
- Hazing Risk: Susquehanna students face the same risks as students nationwide
Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA — 25 minutes from Snyder County)
- Strong Greek Life Presence: Bucknell has a significant Greek system
- National Fraternities/Sororities: Many of the same organizations involved in hazing scandals nationwide
- Hazing History: Bucknell has had hazing incidents in the past
Penn State University (State College, PA — 1 hour from Snyder County)
- Massive Greek System: One of the largest in the country
- Hazing Scandals: Penn State has had multiple high-profile hazing incidents, including the Timothy Piazza case
- Institutional Challenges: Large universities struggle with Greek life oversight
Bloomsburg University (Bloomsburg, PA — 30 minutes from Snyder County)
- Greek Life Presence: Multiple fraternities and sororities
- Hazing Risk: Students at smaller universities face the same risks
Common National Fraternities Near Snyder County
These organizations have chapters at universities near Snyder County and have been involved in hazing incidents nationwide:
| Fraternity | Notable Hazing Incidents |
|---|---|
| Pi Kappa Phi | Andrew Coffey death (2017); Leonel Bermudez hospitalization (2025) — our current $10M lawsuit |
| Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) | Stone Foltz death (2021) — $10.1M settlement |
| Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) | Multiple hazing deaths and injuries |
| Phi Delta Theta | Maxwell Gruver death (2017) — $6.1M verdict |
| Beta Theta Pi | Timothy Piazza death (2017) — $110M+ settlement |
| Kappa Sigma | Multiple hazing incidents |
| Sigma Chi | Recent lawsuit at University of Texas |
If your child is pledging one of these organizations near Snyder County, they face the same risks that hospitalized our client.
🔥 The Pi Kappa Phi Case — What Snyder County Families Need to Know
The Same Hazing Happens in Snyder County
Case: Bermudez v. Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, Inc., et al.
Filed: November 21, 2025
Damages Sought: $10,000,000
Attorneys: Ralph Manginello & Lupe Pena — Attorney 911
What Happened:
Leonel Bermudez, a “ghost rush” (not even enrolled at UH yet), accepted a bid to Pi Kappa Phi at the University of Houston. Over the next 7 weeks, he was subjected to systematic hazing that hospitalized him with severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure.
The Hazing Activities:
- Waterboarding with a garden hose (simulated drowning)
- Forced to do 500 squats, 100+ pushups, bear crawls, 100-yard crawls
- Struck with wooden paddles
- Forced to eat milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting
- Forced to continue running while in physical distress after vomiting
- Forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass
- Another pledge collapsed unconscious on October 15 — they kept going
The Result:
- November 3, 2025 — Bermudez collapses after extreme hazing
- November 6, 2025 — Mother rushes him to hospital with kidney failure
- 3 nights, 4 days hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure
- Pi Kappa Phi immediately closes the chapter — they knew the lawsuit was coming
- November 21, 2025 — $10 MILLION LAWSUIT FILED
Why This Matters for Snyder County
- Pi Kappa Phi has chapters at universities near Snyder County — the same organization that waterboarded our client
- The same “traditions” exist at Snyder County fraternities — forced drinking, physical abuse, psychological torture
- Universities near Snyder County face the same liability failures — they know hazing happens but fail to stop it
- Snyder County families can sue for the same damages — $10 million is possible for Snyder County victims
- We are already fighting this battle — and we will fight for Snyder County families too
📢 Messaging to Snyder County Fraternities and Universities
To Fraternities Operating Near Snyder County:
We are watching. The same legal strategies that secured $10+ million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapter.
Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi — if your chapter operates near Snyder County, know that Attorney 911 represents hazing victims across America.
The Beta Nu chapter that hospitalized our client? SHUT DOWN. Charter surrendered. Criminal referrals initiated. Our client’s $10 million lawsuit is ongoing.
That’s what happens when you haze in Snyder County.
To Universities Near Snyder County:
The same institutional negligence that made University of Houston a defendant exists at your campus.
- Susquehanna University
- Bucknell University
- Penn State University
- Bloomsburg University
You know hazing happens. You have the power to stop it. Act now or face the same accountability.
🎯 Snyder County Hazing Warning Signs
Physical Signs
- Unexplained bruises, cuts, or burns
- Difficulty walking or moving
- Extreme fatigue or weakness
- Brown or dark urine (sign of muscle breakdown)
- Vomiting or nausea
- Signs of alcohol poisoning
- Sleep deprivation (dark circles, exhaustion)
Behavioral Signs
- Sudden withdrawal from family and friends
- Increased secrecy about activities
- Fear or anxiety about attending events
- Depression or mood swings
- Decline in academic performance
- Reluctance to talk about Greek life
- Sudden changes in appearance or hygiene
Organizational Signs
- Fraternity/sorority members being unusually secretive
- Late-night meetings or activities
- Members showing signs of fear or intimidation
- New members being treated differently
- Sudden changes in new member behavior after events
📞 Snyder County Families — Contact Us Today
If your child has been hazed at a university near Snyder County, we can help.
LEGAL EMERGENCY HOTLINE: 📞 1-888-ATTY-911
Email: ralph@atty911.com
Website: attorney911.com
We offer:
- Free consultations for Snyder County hazing victims
- Video consultations — meet with us from home
- Travel to Snyder County — for depositions and meetings
- Contingency fee representation — $0 upfront; we don’t get paid unless you win
🛡️ Snyder County Deserves Justice — We Will Fight for You
Hazing is not tradition. It’s not bonding. It’s not character-building.
It is abuse. It is assault. It is illegal.
And it will not be tolerated in Snyder County.
We are Attorney 911. We are Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena. We are fighting this battle right now, and we will fight for Snyder County families.
The same fraternities operate near Snyder County. The same negligence exists at Snyder County universities. The same justice is available.
If your child has been hazed, call us. 1-888-ATTY-911.
Enough is enough.
