🚨 Hazing Victims in Butte County, South Dakota: You Are Not Alone — We Can Help

Butte County families: If your child has been hazed at a fraternity, sorority, sports team, or any student organization near Butte County, South Dakota, you have legal rights — and we can help you enforce them.

We are Attorney 911. Based in Texas, but fighting for hazing victims nationwide, including Butte County. We are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston — the same fraternities that operate near Butte County. The same culture of abuse exists at institutions across America. We know how to stop it.

If your child has been waterboarded, forced to exercise until they collapse, struck with paddles, humiliated, or otherwise abused as part of “initiation,” that is not tradition — that is assault. And we will hold the people responsible accountable.

🏢 Who We Are: Butte County’s Hazing Litigation Experts

Attorney 911 Legal Emergency Lawyers™ is a Texas-based personal injury and criminal defense law firm with offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. We serve hazing victims nationwide, including Butte County, South Dakota.

Why Butte County Families Choose Attorney 911:

Our attorneys:

• Ralph Manginello — 25+ years of litigation experience; former insurance defense attorney
• Lupe Pena — Former national defense firm attorney; personal injury and catastrophic injury expert

We don’t just talk about hazing. We’re fighting it right now. And we’ll fight for Butte County families too.

🚨 The Hazing Crisis: This Is Happening Near Butte County, South Dakota

Hazing is not limited to big universities in Texas or the coasts. It is happening at colleges and universities near Butte County, South Dakota. The same national fraternities that waterboarded our client in Houston operate chapters at institutions across the region. The same culture of abuse exists.

What Hazing Looks Like Near Butte County:

✅ Physical abuse — beatings, paddling, extreme exercise until collapse
✅ Forced consumption — alcohol, food, or other substances until vomiting
✅ Waterboarding and simulated drowning — torture disguised as “tradition”
✅ Psychological torture — humiliation, isolation, threats
✅ Sleep deprivation — forced late-night activities causing exhaustion
✅ Sexual humiliation — forced nudity, carrying sexual objects

This is not “boys being boys.” This is not “building brotherhood.” This is abuse. This is assault. This is illegal.

The Medical Consequences Are Real:

• Rhabdomyolysis — muscle breakdown leading to kidney failure (our current client suffered this)
• Acute alcohol poisoning — can be fatal
• Traumatic brain injury — from beatings or falls
• Hypothermia or heat stroke — from exposure
• PTSD, anxiety, depression — long-term psychological damage
• Death

If your child has been hazed near Butte County, they may be at serious medical risk — even if they don’t realize it yet.

⚠️ The Landmark Case: This Is What We’re Fighting Right Now — And We’ll Fight for Butte County Too

We are currently representing Leonel Bermudez in a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston.

What Happened to Our Client:

Leonel Bermudez, a “ghost rush” (not even enrolled at UH yet), accepted a bid to join Pi Kappa Phi in September 2025. Over the next seven weeks, he was subjected to systematic abuse including:

• Waterboarding with a garden hose — simulated drowning
• Forced to perform 500 squats and 100+ pushups as punishment
• Struck with wooden paddles
• Forced to eat milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting
• Forced to continue running sprints while in physical distress after vomiting
• Forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass
• Another pledge lost consciousness during a workout — they kept going

On November 3, 2025, Bermudez was punished for missing an event. He was forced to do extreme exercises until he could not stand without help. He crawled up the stairs when he got home. His condition worsened over the next three days. On November 6, his mother rushed him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. He spent three nights and four days in the hospital.

Why This Matters for Butte County Families:

1. Pi Kappa Phi has 150+ chapters across America — including near Butte County, SD
2. The same hazing that hospitalized our client happens at Butte County-area fraternities
3. Universities near Butte County face the same liability failures as UH
4. If your child is being hazed, we will fight for you just like we’re fighting for Bermudez

This is not an isolated incident. This is a pattern. And we know how to break it.

💰 Precedent Cases: Hazing Victims Win Millions — Butte County Victims Can Too

Hazing cases result in multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. Here’s what juries and courts have awarded in recent years:

These results are possible for Butte County victims too. The same legal strategies apply.

⚖️ Legal Rights for Butte County Hazing Victims

South Dakota Hazing Law:

South Dakota Codified Laws § 13-53-20 defines hazing as:

“Any activity which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with any organization operating under the sanction of a postsecondary institution.”

This includes:

• Physical brutality
• Forced consumption of food, alcohol, or drugs
• Sleep deprivation
• Any activity that creates unreasonable risk of harm

Criminal Penalties in South Dakota:

• Hazing is a Class 1 misdemeanor — up to 1 year in jail and $2,000 fine
• If hazing causes serious bodily injury — Class 6 felony — up to 2 years in prison
• If hazing causes death — Class 5 felony — up to 5 years in prison

Civil Liability:
You can sue for:

• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Lost wages
• Punitive damages

Consent is NOT a defense — even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law says consent doesn’t matter.

Who Is Liable for Butte County Hazing?

We pursue every responsible party, including:

We sue everyone responsible — not just the students, but the institutions that enable them.

📋 What Butte County Families Should Do If Their Child Is Hazed

IMMEDIATE ACTION STEPS:

1. Get Medical Attention

   • Even if injuries seem minor, get checked immediately
   • Rhabdomyolysis and other conditions may not show symptoms right away
   • Medical records are critical evidence

2. Preserve All Evidence

   • Do not delete anything — texts, social media, photos, videos
   • Take screenshots of all communications about hazing
   • Photograph injuries at all stages of healing
   • Save clothing or other physical evidence
   • Get names and contact information of witnesses

3. Do NOT Talk to the Organization

   • Do not confront fraternity/sorority leadership
   • Do not give statements to university administrators alone
   • Do not sign anything from the organization

4. Do NOT Post on Social Media

   • Anything you post can be used against you
   • Do not post about the incident
   • Do not post party photos
   • Do not engage with Greek life members online

5. Contact an Attorney Immediately

   • Call Attorney 911: 1-888-ATTY-911
   • We offer free consultations for Butte County families
   • We work on contingency — you pay nothing unless we win

🎯 Why Butte County Families Need Attorney 911

1. We Understand the Culture

We know Greek life. We know the power dynamics. We know how hazing works. We know how to expose it.

2. We Have Proven Results

We are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit. We have experience with:

• Rhabdomyolysis cases
• University liability
• National fraternity litigation
• Multi-million dollar settlements

3. We Fight for Maximum Compensation

We pursue:

• Medical expenses — past and future
• Pain and suffering — physical and emotional
• Lost wages — current and future earning capacity
• Punitive damages — to punish egregious conduct
• Institutional change — to prevent future hazing

4. We Protect Our Clients

Our client is “fearful of doing an interview due to retribution.” We understand the intimidation culture of hazing. We protect our clients from retaliation.

5. We Serve Butte County Families

While we’re based in Texas, we represent hazing victims nationwide, including Butte County, SD. We offer:

• Video consultations
• Remote case management
• Willingness to travel to Butte County for depositions and trials
• Federal court authority to pursue cases anywhere in America

Distance is not a barrier to justice.

📞 Butte County Families: Call Us Today — Free Consultation

If your child has been hazed near Butte County, South Dakota, call us immediately.

📞 1-888-ATTY-911 (24/7)
📧 ralph@atty911.com
🌐 attorney911.com

We work on contingency — you pay nothing unless we win your case.

The clock is ticking. South Dakota has a 3-year statute of limitations for personal injury cases. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget. Contact us today.

🔥 Our Message to Fraternities Near Butte County:

To Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and every fraternity operating near Butte County:

We are watching. The same legal strategies that secured $10+ million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapter. If you haze students near Butte County, we will pursue every liable entity.

We already shut down the Beta Nu chapter at University of Houston. Your chapter could be next.

🛡️ Our Promise to Butte County Families:

“If your child has been hazed, we will fight for you. We will expose the truth. We will hold every responsible party accountable. And we will make sure this never happens to another Butte County family.”

Enough is enough. Butte County families — call us today.

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