🚨 Hazing Victims in Cocke County Deserve Justice — Attorney 911 Fights for Your Family

If your child was hazed at a college or university near Cocke County, you are not alone. What happened to Leonel Bermudez at the University of Houston happens at schools across Tennessee — including near Cocke County. And we are fighting back.

At Attorney 911, we are currently representing a hazing victim in a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and the University of Houston. Our client was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats until his muscles broke down, and hospitalized with kidney failure — all because he wanted to join a brotherhood.

This same hazing happens at colleges and universities near Cocke County. The same fraternities operate near Cocke County. And we will fight for Cocke County families with the same fury we’re bringing to this case.

⚠️ What Hazing Looks Like in Tennessee

Hazing isn’t just “boys being boys.” It’s abuse, torture, and sometimes murder disguised as tradition. At the University of Houston, our client was:

• Waterboarded with a garden hose — simulated drowning, a form of torture
• Forced to eat until he vomited, then made to keep running through his own vomit
• Struck with wooden paddles — physical assault with weapons
• Forced to do 500 squats, 100 pushups, and extreme workouts — until he collapsed and couldn’t stand
• Hog-tied face-down on a table with an object in his mouth — another pledge suffered this humiliation
• Threatened with expulsion if he stopped — psychological coercion

This isn’t tradition. This is a crime.

And it happens right here in Tennessee — at universities and colleges near Cocke County.

🏛️ Hazing at Tennessee Schools — The Reality

Tennessee has multiple universities with active Greek life programs, including:

• University of Tennessee (Knoxville) — One of the largest Greek systems in the country
• Tennessee Tech University (Cookeville) — Close to Cocke County, with active fraternities and sororities
• East Tennessee State University (Johnson City) — Greek organizations with documented hazing risks
• Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City) — Smaller school, but Greek life still present
• Walters State Community College (Morristown) — Even community colleges have Greek organizations with hazing risks

The same national fraternities involved in the UH case have chapters across Tennessee:

• Pi Kappa Phi — Has multiple Tennessee chapters
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) — Documented hazing incidents nationwide
• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) — Involved in lawsuits and criminal cases
• Beta Theta Pi — Responsible for the Timothy Piazza death at Penn State
• Phi Delta Theta — Responsible for the Max Gruver death at LSU

If your child pledges a fraternity or sorority near Cocke County, they face the same risks that hospitalized our client in Houston.

⚖️ Tennessee Hazing Laws — What You Need to Know

Tennessee has strong anti-hazing laws that protect students — including those near Cocke County.

Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-7-123 — Hazing

Definition:
Hazing means any intentional or reckless act that:

• Endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student
• Is done for the purpose of pledging, initiation, admission, or affiliation with any organization

Criminal Penalties:

• Class A Misdemeanor — Up to 11 months, 29 days in jail; up to $2,500 fine
• Class E Felony — If hazing causes serious bodily injury or death (1-6 years in prison; up to $3,000 fine)

Consent is NOT a Defense:

“It is not a defense that the person hazed consented to the conduct.”

This is critical: Even if your child “agreed” to participate, Tennessee law says consent doesn’t matter.

💔 When Hazing Turns Deadly — Tennessee Cases

Hazing doesn’t just cause injuries — it kills. In recent years:

• 2021 — University of Tennessee: A student was hospitalized after a fraternity hazing incident involving excessive alcohol consumption.
• 2019 — Tennessee Tech University: Multiple fraternity members were suspended for hazing violations.
• 2017 — Vanderbilt University: A student was hospitalized after a hazing incident involving forced alcohol consumption.
• Nationwide: Since 2000, there has been at least one hazing death every year in the U.S.

The same fraternities that hazed our client in Houston have chapters near Cocke County. Your child could be next.

🏥 The Medical Reality of Hazing — What It Does to the Body

Hazing causes serious, sometimes permanent injuries — just like what happened to our client:

Our client suffered rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure from being forced to do 500 squats and other extreme exercises. This same injury could happen to a student near Cocke County.

📞 What to Do If Your Child Was Hazed in Cocke County

If your child was hazed at a college or university near Cocke County, act immediately. Evidence disappears fast, and you have a limited time to protect your child’s rights.

STEP 1: Ensure Safety

• Remove your child from the dangerous situation immediately
• Seek medical attention — even if injuries seem minor
• Document all injuries with photos

STEP 2: Preserve Evidence

• Save all communications — texts, GroupMe, Snapchat, Instagram DMs, emails
• Take screenshots — before anything gets deleted
• Document hazing locations — fraternity house, off-campus locations
• Get witness names and contact info — other pledges, bystanders
• Keep all medical records — hospital visits, doctor notes, therapy records

STEP 3: Do NOT Talk to the Organization

• Do NOT confront the fraternity/sorority
• Do NOT talk to university administrators without legal counsel
• Do NOT sign anything from the organization or university
• Do NOT post on social media about the incident

STEP 4: Contact Attorney 911 Immediately

Cocke County families can reach us 24/7:
📞 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 ralph@atty911.com

We offer:

• Free, confidential consultations for Cocke County families
• No upfront costs — we work on contingency (you pay nothing unless we win)
• Nationwide representation — we travel to Cocke County for your case
• 24/7 availability — hazing emergencies don’t wait

🏆 Why Cocke County Families Choose Attorney 911

1. 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. This isn’t theoretical — we’re in the fight right now. Cocke County families get the same aggressive representation.

2. Former Insurance Defense Attorneys — We Know Their Playbook

Both of our attorneys — Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena — are former insurance defense lawyers. We know how insurance companies, fraternities, and universities try to minimize claims. We use that knowledge to maximize recovery for Cocke County victims.

3. Federal Court Authority — We Can Sue Anywhere

We are admitted to U.S. District Court (Southern District of Texas). This means we can pursue hazing cases in federal court — critical for cases involving national fraternities with chapters across state lines.

4. Dual-State Bar Admission — Texas AND New York

We are licensed in Texas and New York. This gives us strategic advantage when suing national fraternities headquartered outside Tennessee.

5. We Will Travel to Cocke County

We come to you. Whether it’s for depositions, client meetings, or trials, we travel to Cocke County to fight for your family.

6. We Speak Spanish — Se Habla Español

Many hazing victims and families near Cocke County speak Spanish. We provide full legal services in Spanish — no language barriers to justice.

7. Proven Track Record of Multi-Million Dollar Results

We have recovered millions of dollars for victims of personal injury, wrongful death, and institutional negligence. Our experience includes:

• BP Texas City explosion litigation — mass tort experience
• Multi-million dollar car accident and trucking cases
• Wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases
• Federal civil rights litigation

8. We Understand Greek Life Culture

Ralph Manginello is a former athlete, youth coach, and Hall of Fame inductee. He understands:

• Team dynamics
• Locker room culture
• Peer pressure
• The environments where hazing thrives

9. We Don’t Just Talk About Hazing — We Stop It

Lupe Pena 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.”

Your Cocke County case could save lives.

💰 What Your Cocke County Hazing Case Could Be Worth

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

Your Cocke County hazing case could include compensation for:

• Medical bills (past and future)
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish (PTSD, anxiety, depression)
• Lost wages and earning capacity
• Punitive damages (to punish the wrongdoers)
• Wrongful death (if the unthinkable happens)

🎯 Who Can Be Held Liable for Cocke County Hazing

Hazing cases involve multiple defendants — all of whom can be held accountable:

The deep pockets:

• National fraternity/sorority organizations have millions in assets and insurance
• Universities have substantial endowments and insurance
• This is not about suing broke college kids — it’s about holding institutions accountable

⏳ Time Is Running Out — Tennessee Statute of Limitations

Tennessee law limits how long you have to file a lawsuit after hazing:

DO NOT WAIT. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget. Your rights expire.

Contact Attorney 911 today — before it’s too late.

📢 Our Message to Fraternities Near Cocke County

To Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, Beta Theta Pi, Phi Delta Theta, and every fraternity with chapters near Cocke County:

We are watching. We are coming.

The same legal strategies that secured $10 million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapter. If you haze students near Cocke County, we will pursue every liable entity. We will sue the chapter, the nationals, the university, and every individual who participated.

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

🏛️ Our Message to Tennessee Universities

To the University of Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, East Tennessee State, and every college near Cocke County:

You own the property. You have the power. You have the responsibility.

When you own the fraternity house where hazing occurs, you are liable. When you know hazing is happening on your campus and do nothing, you are liable. When you fail to protect your students, you will pay.

The University of Houston owned the house where our client was waterboarded. They will pay. Your university could be next.

🔥 Enough Is Enough — Join the Fight

Cocke County families: Your child did not deserve this.

What happened to them was not “tradition.” It was not “brotherhood.” It was abuse, assault, and institutional failure.

We are fighting back. And we will fight for you.

If your child was hazed at a college or university near Cocke County, contact Attorney 911 immediately:

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

Free consultation. No upfront costs. We don’t get paid unless you get paid.

Cocke County families: The hazing stops here.