🚨 Hazing Victims in Hardeman County: You Are Not Alone. We Are Fighting Back.

Hardeman County parents and students: If your child has been hazed at a fraternity, sorority, sports team, or any student organization near Hardeman County, you need to know this — hazing is not tradition. It is not bonding. It is not harmless.

It is abuse. It is torture. And it can kill.

Right now, our attorneys are fighting a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston because a young man was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats until his muscles broke down, and hospitalized with kidney failure during fraternity hazing.

This same fraternity has chapters at universities near Hardeman County.
This same university failed to stop hazing — and so do institutions near Hardeman County.
The same “traditions” that hospitalized our client exist at Hardeman County-area fraternities and sororities.

You have rights. You have power. And you have us.

🏥 What Hardeman County Parents Need to Know About Hazing

1. Hazing is Not Just “Kids Being Kids”

The hazing that hospitalized our client included:

• Waterboarding with a garden hose — simulated drowning, a form of torture
• Forced to do 500 squats and 100 pushups until he couldn’t stand
• Struck with wooden paddles — physical assault
• Forced to eat until vomiting — then forced to keep running
• Stripped to underwear in cold weather — humiliation and exposure
• Carrying sexual objects at all times — sexual humiliation

This is not tradition. This is abuse.

2. Hazing Causes Serious, Permanent Harm

Our client was hospitalized for four days with:

• Rhabdomyolysis — muscle breakdown that can cause kidney failure
• Acute kidney failure — life-threatening condition requiring intensive treatment
• Severe muscle pain and inability to walk

Other hazing victims have suffered:

• Alcohol poisoning (some have died)
• Traumatic brain injuries from beatings or falls
• Heat stroke or hypothermia from exposure
• Sexual assault
• Death — since 2000, there has been at least one hazing death every year in America

3. Universities Near Hardeman County Are Failing to Protect Students

The University of Houston owned the fraternity house where our client was tortured. They had a student hospitalized from hazing in 2017 — and did nothing to prevent it from happening again.

Universities near Hardeman County have the same power — and the same failures.

They know hazing happens. They have the authority to stop it. They choose not to — until someone gets hurt or killed.

4. Fraternities Near Hardeman County Have the Same Culture

Pi Kappa Phi has 150+ chapters across America, including at universities near Hardeman County. If the UH chapter was waterboarding students, how many other chapters are doing the same?

Other national fraternities with chapters near Hardeman County have paid millions in hazing settlements:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): $10.1 million settlement (Stone Foltz case)
• Phi Delta Theta: $6.1 million jury verdict (Max Gruver case)
• Beta Theta Pi: $110+ million settlement (Timothy Piazza case)

The same Greek letters on Hardeman County-area campuses have the same dangerous culture.

5. Consent Is Not a Defense Under Texas Law

Fraternities will argue: “He agreed to participate. He knew the risks. He could have left.”

Texas law says: CONSENT IS NOT A DEFENSE.

Texas Education Code § 37.154 is clear:

“It is not a defense to prosecution for an offense under this subchapter that the person against whom the hazing was directed consented to or acquiesced in the hazing activity.”

No one can consent to being tortured.

💔 What Happened to Leonel Bermudez — And What Could Happen to Your Child

Leonel Bermudez accepted a bid to join Pi Kappa Phi at the University of Houston in September 2025. He wasn’t even enrolled at UH yet — he was a “ghost rush,” expected to transfer for the upcoming semester.

What followed was seven weeks of systematic abuse:

The Hazing Activities:

• Waterboarded with a garden hose — simulated drowning
• Forced to do 500 squats and 100+ pushups as punishment
• Struck with wooden paddles — physical assault
• Forced to eat milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting — then forced to keep running
• Stripped to underwear in cold weather — exposure and humiliation
• Carried a fanny pack with sexual objects at all times — sexual humiliation
• Another pledge was hog-tied face-down on a table for over an hour
• A pledge lost consciousness during a workout — they kept going

The Breaking Point:

On November 3, 2025, Bermudez was punished for missing an event. He was forced to:

• Run two miles as a warmup
• Do 100+ pushups
• Do 500+ squats
• Run “suicides” (sprint drills)
• Do bear crawls and wheelbarrows
• Crawl 100 yards repeatedly
• Recite the fraternity creed while exercising

He was threatened with expulsion if he stopped.

He became so exhausted he could not stand without help. When he got home, he crawled up the stairs. The next day, he couldn’t move. His condition worsened. On November 6, his mother rushed him to the hospital.

Diagnosis: Rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure.

Hospitalization: 3 nights, 4 days.

The Aftermath:

• Pi Kappa Phi immediately suspended and closed the chapter — they knew the lawsuit was coming
• The University of Houston called the conduct “deeply disturbing” and a “clear violation of our community standards”
• Our attorneys filed a $10 million lawsuit on November 21, 2025

This happened in Houston. It could happen to your child in Hardeman County.

⚖️ Your Legal Rights as a Hardeman County Hazing Victim

1. You Can Sue for Damages

If your child was hazed, you can pursue compensation for:

• Medical bills — hospital stays, treatments, therapy
• Lost wages — time missed from work or school
• Pain and suffering — physical and emotional trauma
• Future medical expenses — ongoing treatment, potential complications
• Punitive damages — to punish egregious conduct and prevent future hazing

In Texas, there is NO CAP on pain and suffering damages in personal injury cases.

2. Who Can Be Held Liable?

We sue everyone responsible for hazing:

• The local fraternity/sorority chapter — they organized the hazing
• The national organization — they failed to supervise and enforce anti-hazing policies
• The university — they failed to protect students despite knowing hazing occurs
• Individual members — anyone who participated in or facilitated the hazing
• Property owners — if hazing occurred at a private home, the homeowner may be liable

In our Pi Kappa Phi case, we are suing:

• Pi Kappa Phi National
• The local chapter
• The housing corporation
• The University of Houston (they owned the house!)
• The fraternity president
• The pledgemaster
• Current and former members
• A former member and his spouse (hazing occurred at their home)

3. Texas Hazing Laws Protect You

Texas has strong anti-hazing laws:

• Hazing is a crime — up to 1 year in jail for causing serious bodily injury
• Organizations can be fined up to $10,000 and lose permission to operate
• Consent is not a defense — even if your child “agreed” to participate
• Universities must report hazing — failure to report is a crime

4. You Have Time to Act — But Not Much

• Personal injury: 2 years from the date of injury
• Wrongful death: 2 years from the date of death

Evidence disappears quickly. Witnesses forget. Organizations destroy records.

If your child was hazed, call us NOW.

📞 Hardeman County Families: Call Us Before It’s Too Late

Legal Emergency Hotline for Hardeman County Hazing Victims:

📞 1-888-ATTY-911

Email: ralph@atty911.com
Website: attorney911.com

Why Choose Attorney 911 for Your Hardeman County Hazing Case?

✅ We Are Fighting This Fight RIGHT NOW — Our attorneys are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston. Hardeman County families get the same aggressive representation.

✅ Former Insurance Defense Attorneys — We know how insurance companies and institutions think. We’ve seen their playbook — and we use that knowledge to dismantle their defenses.

✅ Federal Court Authority — We can pursue your Hardeman County case in federal court if needed.

✅ Dual-State Bar Licenses — Texas AND New York — strategic advantage for cases against national fraternities.

✅ We Speak Spanish — Hardeman County Spanish-speaking families welcome. Se habla español.

✅ We Come to Hardeman County — For depositions, trials, and client meetings, our attorneys travel to Hardeman County. Distance is not a barrier.

✅ Contingency Fee — $0 upfront. We don’t get paid unless you get paid.

✅ Proven Track Record — We’ve won millions for personal injury victims, including in cases against massive institutional defendants.

✅ We Care — We see your child as a person, not a paycheck. We fight hard because we truly care.

🛡️ What to Do If Your Child Is Hazed in Hardeman County

1. Get Medical Attention Immediately

• Even if injuries seem minor, get checked by a doctor
• Some injuries (like rhabdomyolysis) don’t show symptoms right away
• Medical records are critical evidence

2. Preserve All Evidence

• Take photos of injuries at all stages of healing
• Save all communications — texts, GroupMe chats, Snapchats, emails
• Document everything — dates, times, locations, what happened
• Get witness names and contact information
• Do not delete anything — even if it seems embarrassing

3. Do NOT Talk to the Organization Without Legal Counsel

• The fraternity/sorority will try to control the narrative
• They may offer a quick settlement — it will be too low
• They may pressure you to sign documents — don’t sign anything
• Anything you say can be used against you

4. Do NOT Post on Social Media

• Insurance companies and defendants will use your posts against you
• Even posts that seem unrelated (like party photos) can be twisted
• Stay off social media until your case is resolved

5. Call Attorney 911 Immediately

• 1-888-ATTY-911
• The sooner we’re involved, the stronger your case will be
• We will handle all communications with the organization and their lawyers

🎯 To Fraternities and Sororities Near Hardeman County: We Are Watching

Pi Kappa Phi. Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Pi Kappa Alpha. Phi Delta Theta. Beta Theta Pi. Kappa Sigma. Sigma Chi. Sigma Nu. Delta Tau Delta. Chi Psi. Phi Gamma Delta. And every other national Greek organization with chapters near Hardeman County:

We are watching. We are documenting. We are building cases.

The same legal strategies that secured $10 million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapters.

If your Hardeman County-area chapter harms students, we will pursue every liable entity — the national organization, the local chapter, the housing corporation, the alumni, and every individual member.

We already shut down the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter at UH. Your chapter could be next.

🏛️ To Universities Near Hardeman County: The Same Liability Applies to You

University of North Texas. Texas Tech University. West Texas A&M University. Midwestern State University. Tarleton State University. Angelo State University. And every other university near Hardeman County with Greek life:

The University of Houston owned the fraternity house where our client was waterboarded. They had a student hospitalized from hazing in 2017 — and did nothing to prevent it from happening again.

Your institution has the same liability.

You own the property. You have the power to regulate. You have the duty to protect.

If you fail to stop hazing at your fraternities and sororities, you will be held accountable.

📢 Enough Is Enough. Hardeman County Families Deserve Justice.

To the Hardeman County community:

Hazing has been happening for decades. Students have been hospitalized. Students have died. And institutions have gotten away with it by calling it “tradition.”

No more.

Tradition does not justify torture.
Tradition does not justify abuse.
Tradition does not justify death.

If your child was hazed in Hardeman County, you have the power to stop it from happening to the next student.

Call us. Let’s fight back together.

Hardeman County Hazing Victims: Call Now for a Free Consultation

📞 1-888-ATTY-911

Email: ralph@atty911.com
Website: attorney911.com

We serve Hardeman County and all of Texas. We come to you. We fight for you. We win for you.

Attorney 911 — Legal Emergency Lawyers™
Houston | Austin | Beaumont
Serving Hardeman County and Nationwide

Your child was hazed. Now it’s time for justice.