🚨 Hazing Lawyers for Deuel County, South Dakota Families

Justice for Students Abused in Fraternities, Sororities, and Campus Organizations

If your child was hazed at a college or university near Deuel County, South Dakota, Attorney 911 can help — no matter where you are.

We are currently fighting a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston, where a student was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats, and hospitalized with kidney failure. The same fraternities operate at universities across America — including near Deuel County.

Deuel County families deserve the same aggressive representation we provide in Texas.

🏛️ Hazing Happens at Deuel County-Area Colleges Too

While Attorney 911 is based in Texas, we serve hazing victims nationwide, including students at colleges and universities near Deuel County, South Dakota. These institutions include:

• South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD) – 1.5 hours from Deuel County
• University of South Dakota (Vermillion, SD) – 2.5 hours from Deuel County
• Northern State University (Aberdeen, SD) – 3 hours from Deuel County
• Dakota State University (Madison, SD) – 1 hour from Deuel County
• Presentation College (Aberdeen, SD) – 3 hours from Deuel County
• Lake Area Technical College (Watertown, SD) – 45 minutes from Deuel County

These schools have active Greek life communities where national fraternities and sororities — including Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, and others — maintain chapters. The same organizations that have paid millions in hazing settlements nationwide operate near Deuel County.

If your child was hazed at a fraternity, sorority, sports team, marching band, ROTC, or any student organization near Deuel County, we can help.

⚠️ What Counts as Hazing in South Dakota?

Hazing isn’t just “boys being boys” or “harmless tradition.” Under South Dakota law (SDCL § 22-19A-1), hazing includes any activity that:

• Endangers the physical or mental health of a student
• Involves forced consumption of alcohol, drugs, or food
• Involves physical brutality (paddling, beating, branding, waterboarding, etc.)
• Involves sleep deprivation, exposure to extreme weather, or confinement
• Involves psychological abuse, humiliation, or degradation
• Is required for membership, initiation, or affiliation

In South Dakota, hazing is a CRIME. It can be charged as a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a $2,000 fine. If hazing causes serious bodily injury or death, it can be charged as a felony.

But criminal charges aren’t the only way to seek justice. Victims and families can also file civil lawsuits to recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more.

💔 Real Hazing Cases — This Could Be Your Child

Our Current Case: $10 Million Lawsuit Against Pi Kappa Phi & University of Houston

Victim: Leonel Bermudez (not a UH student yet — a “ghost rush” expected to transfer)
Injuries: Severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure — hospitalized for 4 days
Hazing Activities:

• Waterboarded with a garden hose (simulated drowning)
• Forced to do 500 squats, 100+ pushups, bear crawls, and 100-yard crawls
• Struck with wooden paddles
• Forced to eat until vomiting, then continue running
• Forced to drive fraternity members at all hours — sleep deprivation
• Another pledge lost consciousness during hazing (October 15, 2025)

Defendants:

• Pi Kappa Phi National Organization (failed to supervise despite knowing about “a hazing crisis”)
• UH Beta Nu Chapter (directly organized the hazing)
• University of Houston (owned the fraternity house where hazing occurred)
• Individual members (including chapter president and pledgemaster)

Result So Far:

• Chapter permanently closed by national organization
• $10 million lawsuit filed (November 21, 2025)
• National media coverage (ABC13, KHOU 11, Houston Chronicle, Houston Public Media)

Why This Matters for Deuel County Families:

• Pi Kappa Phi has 150+ chapters nationwide — including in South Dakota
• The same “traditions” that hospitalized our client happen at Deuel County-area fraternities
• Universities near Deuel County have the same duty to protect students — and the same liability when they fail

Precedent Cases: Hazing Victims Win Millions

These cases prove that hazing victims CAN and DO win big. The same legal strategies apply to Deuel County-area cases.

🏥 Medical Consequences of Hazing — What Deuel County Families Need to Know

Hazing isn’t just “roughhousing.” It can cause serious, life-threatening injuries, including:

1. Rhabdomyolysis (Muscle Breakdown)

• Caused by: Extreme physical exertion (e.g., 500 squats, bear crawls, forced calisthenics)
• Symptoms: Severe muscle pain, weakness, dark brown urine (myoglobinuria), kidney failure
• Treatment: Hospitalization, IV fluids, potential dialysis
• Long-term risks: Permanent kidney damage, need for transplant

This is what happened to our client in the Pi Kappa Phi case.

2. Alcohol Poisoning

• Caused by: Forced binge drinking, drinking games, “drink until you pass out” rituals
• Symptoms: Vomiting, confusion, slow breathing, unconsciousness, death
• BAC levels: Can reach 0.40+ — 5x the legal limit for driving
• Treatment: Emergency room, stomach pumping, IV fluids

This is how Stone Foltz, Maxwell Gruver, and Andrew Coffey died.

3. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• Caused by: Beatings, falls (e.g., Timothy Piazza fell down stairs multiple times)
• Symptoms: Confusion, memory loss, seizures, permanent disability
• Treatment: Emergency surgery, long-term rehabilitation

4. Hypothermia / Heat Stroke

• Caused by: Forced exposure to cold or heat (e.g., stripping in winter, running in summer)
• Symptoms: Shivering, confusion, organ failure, death

5. Psychological Trauma (PTSD, Anxiety, Depression)

• Caused by: Humiliation, degradation, waterboarding, sexual abuse, threats
• Symptoms: Nightmares, flashbacks, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts
• Treatment: Long-term therapy, medication

Our client is “fearful of doing an interview due to retribution” — this fear is real and is itself evidence of psychological harm.

⚖️ Who Is Liable for Hazing in Deuel County?

When hazing happens, multiple parties can be held legally responsible, including:

1. The Local Chapter

• Directly organized and conducted the hazing
• Chapter officers (president, pledgemaster) can be sued personally
• Example: In the Stone Foltz case, the chapter president was held personally liable for $6.5 million

2. The National Fraternity/Sorority Organization

• Failed to supervise the local chapter
• Knew or should have known about hazing risks
• Example: Pi Kappa Phi National knew about Andrew Coffey’s death (2017) but failed to prevent Leonel Bermudez’s hospitalization (2025)

3. The University/College

• Failed to monitor Greek life
• Owned or controlled property where hazing occurred
• Knew or should have known about hazing risks
• Example: University of Houston owned the Pi Kappa Phi house where our client was waterboarded

4. Individual Members

• Participated in hazing
• Failed to stop hazing
• Example: In the Timothy Piazza case, 18 fraternity members were criminally charged

5. Alumni & Housing Corporations

• Allowed hazing at their homes
• Provided financial support to the chapter
• Example: In our case, a former member and his spouse are named defendants because hazing occurred at their residence

💰 What Compensation Can Deuel County Families Recover?

Hazing victims and their families can recover economic and non-economic damages, including:

Economic Damages (Financial Losses)