If you’re reading this in Carroll County, your family may be facing one of the most terrifying moments of your life. Your child went off to college, expecting to make friends, learn, and grow. Instead, they were subjected to brutal hazing, leaving them traumatized, injured, or worse. We understand what you’re going through. We’re here to help families in Carroll County fight back against the fraternities, sororities, and universities that allowed this to happen.

We are Attorney911, and our firm is actively leading the charge against egregious hazing in America. While our headquarters are in Houston, our reach extends to Carroll County and nationwide, bringing aggressive, data-driven legal strategies to families just like yours. We understand that hazing isn’t a Texas problem, it’s a national crisis, and its painful reality impacts students and families from Carroll County who attend colleges and universities across the state and beyond.

The Haunting Echoes of Abuse: What Modern Hazing Really Looks Like

When you think of hazing, you might picture harmless pranks or forced calisthenics. We want to be clear: this is not what hazing looks like today. Modern hazing rituals are often systematic, prolonged, and constitute outright torture, leaving deep physical and psychological scars. It’s imperative for parents in Carroll County to understand the full scope of this danger, because it is happening right now, at reputable institutions, to students just like yours.

Consider the recent, horrifying experience of Leonel Bermudez in Houston, a case our firm is actively litigating. This is not ancient history; this occurred just weeks ago, in the fall of 2025. Leonel, a prospective transfer student—a “ghost rush”—who wasn’t even enrolled at the University of Houston yet, accepted a bid to join the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. What followed was an ordeal spanning weeks, culminating in his hospitalization for severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure.

Among the brutal acts alleged in our $10 million lawsuit:

• Simulated Waterboarding: Leonel was sprayed repeatedly in the face with a garden hose, mimicking drowning, a tactic internationally recognized as torture. He was forced to run continuously under the threat of more waterboarding.
• Extreme Physical Punishment: He was forced to endure over 100 pushups, 500 squats, high-volume “suicides” (running drills), bear crawls, wheelbarrows, and repeated 100-yard crawls. This forced exertion pushed his body beyond its limits, leading to acute kidney failure. At one point, he was so exhausted he couldn’t stand without help. These severe workouts, described in detail by the Houston Chronicle, also included “save-you-brother” drills and two-mile warmups.
• Physical Assault: The lawsuit details Leonel being struck with wooden paddles, a clear act of assault and battery.
• Forced Consumption Until Vomiting: He was made to consume large quantities of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until he vomited. Then, in a horrific display of degradation, he was forced to run sprints while clearly in physical distress and lie in his own vomit-soaked grass.
• Psychological Torture: This wasn’t just physical. Leonel was made to carry a fanny pack containing objects of a sexual nature at all times. He, and other pledges, were routinely threatened with physical punishment and expulsion from the fraternity if they didn’t comply. One incident involved another pledge being hog-tied face-down on a table with an object in his mouth for over an hour.
• Sleep Deprivation: Leonel was driven to exhaustion by being forced to drive fraternity members during early morning hours.

When Leonel finally made it home after these rituals, he crawled up the stairs and collapsed. His condition worsened over the next two days, until his mother, horrified to see him passing brown urine—a tell-tale sign of muscle breakdown—rushed him to the hospital. He spent three nights and four days hospitalized, receiving intensive treatment for life-threatening rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure. As our managing partner, Ralph Manginello, recounted to ABC13, “When he finally made it home, he crawled up the stairs and went to bed. The next day, he was really sore and couldn’t really move. The next day was worse, and the next day, his mom rushed him to the hospital, and he had some kidney failure.”

This deeply disturbing case, widely reported by ABC13 Houston, KHOU 11, the Houston Chronicle, and Houston Public Media, illustrates the extreme and dangerous nature of modern hazing. This isn’t theoretical; this isn’t isolated. It’s happening now, and families in Carroll County need to know that these horrific rituals are a reality wherever Greek life exists.

While Leonel’s ordeal occurred in Houston, the same national fraternities with these “traditions” have active chapters at various universities to which students from Carroll County matriculate. Whether your child attends the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia Tech or Emory in Atlanta, or colleges across the Southeast, they face the same risks. The danger isn’t confined to a single state; it’s a pervasive issue within Greek organizations nationwide.

The Unseen Dangers: Beyond the Stereotypes

Many parents and students underestimate the true nature and prevalence of hazing. It’s often dismissed as “boys being boys” or “just tradition,” but the reality is far more insidious and dangerous.

Hazing is endemic, not exceptional. Statistics paint a grim picture:

• 55% of students involved in Greek organizations experience hazing.
• 40% of student athletes report hazing as part of their initiation.
• Since 2000, there has been at least one hazing death every year in the United States.
• 95% of students who are hazed do NOT report it, often due to fear of retaliation, shame, or loyalty to the organization.

The types of hazing activities observed in the Bermudez case parallel those seen in universities across the country, where young men and women from communities like Carroll County go for their education. These acts go far beyond harmless initiation rites; they are assaults, batteries, forms of torture, and reckless endangerment that can, and often do, lead to severe injury or death.

The systematic nature of these abuses is designed to break down a person, exerting psychological control as much as physical dominance. Sleep deprivation, prolonged exertion, and constant humiliation create an environment where victims are vulnerable and less able to resist. It’s an environment that preys on the desire for acceptance and belonging.

Holding All Responsible Parties Accountable

When a student from Carroll County is subjected to hazing, it’s rarely just the individual perpetrators who are to blame. Our legal strategy, honed through extensive experience, targets every entity that contributed to the harm, ensuring that multiple layers of responsibility are exposed and compensated. In the Bermudez case, we are pursuing an aggressive, data-driven lawsuit against numerous defendants:

• The Local Chapter: The Beta Nu Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at the University of Houston directly organized and carried out the hazing.
• Chapter Officers: Key leaders, including the fraternity president and pledgemaster, who directed and condoned the activities.
• Individual Members: Current and former members who actively participated in or witnessed and failed to stop the hazing. This includes a former member and his spouse at whose private residence some of the hazing took place, making them liable under premises liability.
• The National Fraternity Organization: Pi Kappa Phi National Headquarters is a primary defendant. Our lawsuit alleges they “failed to enforce anti-hazing rules and policies despite knowledge of ‘a hazing crisis.'” They had actual notice of the dangers of their chapters, especially after the tragic death of Andrew Coffey at their Florida State University chapter in 2017. Despite having eight years to implement effective safeguards, they failed.
• The University: The University of Houston and its Board of Regents are also named defendants. This is crucial because UH owned and controlled the fraternity house where much of the hazing occurred, giving them a direct responsibility. Furthermore, UH had prior knowledge of severe hazing on its campus, specifically a 2017 incident where a Pi Kappa Alpha pledge was hospitalized with a lacerated spleen. Despite this, they failed to implement effective oversight, allowing another student to be brutally hazed years later.

For Carroll County families, this means that every entity with a degree of control or responsibility can be named in a lawsuit. Whether it’s the local chapter operating at a university in Georgia, the national organization with its headquarters perhaps thousands of miles away, or the university itself with its facilities and oversight, we meticulously build a case against all liable parties. We don’t just sue the “college kids”; we target the “deep pockets”—the national organizations and universities with significant assets and insurance, ensuring meaningful accountability.

Justice Has a Price: Multi-Million Dollar Precedents

For families in Carroll County seeking justice, it’s vital to understand that significant financial outcomes are not only possible but have been achieved in similar hazing cases across the country. These multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements send a clear message: hazing has a steep economic cost, and institutions that enable it will pay dearly.

These cases establish powerful precedents that inform our $10 million lawsuit for Leonel Bermudez and demonstrate what is attainable for others:

• Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State University / Pi Kappa Alpha (2021): Stone Foltz died from alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink an entire bottle of alcohol during a hazing ritual. His family received over $10.1 million in settlements from Bowling Green State University and the Pi Kappa Alpha national fraternity and its members. A recent December 2024 judgment also found the former chapter president, Daylen Dunson, personally liable for $6.5 million. This case is significant because both the university and the national fraternity paid substantial sums, directly supporting the valuation of our Bermudez case.
• Maxwell Gruver – Louisiana State University / Phi Delta Theta (2017): Max Gruver died from acute alcohol poisoning with a BAC of 0.495 after a forced drinking game. His family was awarded a $6.1 million jury verdict. This tragic case also led to the passage of the Max Gruver Act, making hazing a felony in Louisiana, showing the power of civil litigation to drive legislative change.
• Timothy Piazza – Penn State University / Beta Theta Pi (2017): Timothy Piazza died from a traumatic brain injury and internal bleeding after consuming 18 drinks in 82 minutes and falling down stairs repeatedly. Fraternity brothers waited 12 hours before calling 911. The family reached confidential settlements estimated at over $110 million, and the case led to Pennsylvania’s stringent Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law. The extensive settlement highlights the potential for astronomical damages when evidence of egregious misconduct is strong, as it is in the Bermudez case.
• Adam Oakes – Virginia Commonwealth University / Delta Chi (2021): Adam Oakes died from alcohol poisoning during a hazing ritual. His family recently reached a $4+ million settlement in October 2024, after originally seeking $28 million. This further underscores the high value placed on hazing-related injuries and deaths.
• Andrew Coffey – Florida State University / Pi Kappa Phi (2017): In a haunting parallel to our active case, Andrew Coffey died from alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink an entire bottle of bourbon in a Pi Kappa Phi hazing event. This occurred eight years before Leonel Bermudez’s hospitalization within the same national fraternity. His family reached a confidential settlement, and nine fraternity members faced criminal charges. This earlier incident provides critical “pattern of negligence” evidence against Pi Kappa Phi National in the Bermudez lawsuit.

These cases send an unmistakable message: universities and national Greek organizations can, and will, be held accountable for millions when they fail to protect students from hazing. For families in Carroll County, these precedents prove that the fight for justice is not only worthwhile but can lead to significant compensation and impact lasting change. The same legal strategies, aggressive representation, and commitment to holding powerful institutions accountable that won these cases will be brought to bear on behalf of Carroll County victims.

Your Protections Under the Law: Consent is Not a Defense

Understanding your legal rights is the first step toward seeking justice. While our firm is headquartered in Texas, Carroll County families can benefit from our expertise, particularly because many states, including Georgia, have anti-hazing laws designed to protect students.

In Texas, where our landmark Bermudez case is filed, the Education Code § 37.151-37.157 explicitly defines hazing and outlines severe penalties. Importantly, the statute clarifies that hazing involves any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers a student’s mental or physical health for the purpose of affiliation or membership in an organization. The specific hazing acts our client endured in Houston — including physical brutality like striking with paddles, forced calisthenics causing extreme risk of harm, sleep deprivation leading to exhaustion, exposure to elements like waterboarding, and forced consumption of food until vomiting — directly fall under this definition.

Perhaps most critically, Texas Education Code § 37.154 explicitly states: “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.” This is a powerful legal shield for victims. Fraternities, sororities, and universities often try to deflect blame by claiming the victim “consented” or “knew what they were getting into.” The law in Texas, and in many other states, unequivocally rejects this argument. You cannot consent to being assaulted, tortured, or criminally endangered.

Beyond criminal penalties, civil lawsuits allow victims in Carroll County to pursue compensation through several legal theories, including:

• Negligence: Holding universities and national organizations accountable for failing in their duty of care to protect students.
• Premises Liability: When hazing occurs on property owned or controlled by the university or fraternity housing corporation, as in the University of Houston case.
• Negligent Supervision: When national organizations fail to adequately supervise local chapters or universities fail to monitor Greek life activities.
• Assault and Battery: Direct claims against individuals who physically harmed the victim.
• Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress: For outrageous conduct causing severe emotional harm.

These civil claims are often the most impactful, providing victims with crucial compensation for medical bills, psychological therapy, lost academic opportunities, and immense pain and suffering. Importantly, whether the hazing occurs at a university in Georgia or another state, federal civil rights claims and negligence claims often apply broadly, allowing our federal court authority to pursue justice wherever it’s needed.

Why Attorney911 is Your Unrivaled Partner in Hazing Litigation

When your family in Carroll County is grappling with the trauma of hazing, choosing the right legal representation is paramount. Attorney911 offers a unique blend of empathy, aggressive advocacy, and unparalleled expertise that sets us apart. We aren’t just personal injury lawyers; we are specialists in hazing litigation, actively fighting this battle.

Here’s why families in Carroll County should choose us:

• Active Hazing Litigation: We aren’t theoretical. We are currently litigating Bermudez v. Pi Kappa Phi and University of Houston, a $10 million lawsuit. This real, active case demonstrates our commitment, experience, and the aggressive strategies we employ specifically for hazing victims. What we’re doing for Leonel Bermudez, we’re ready to do for your child.
• Inside Knowledge of Defense Tactics: Our firm boasts attorneys with critical insider experience. Both Ralph Manginello and Lupe Peña are former insurance defense attorneys. They spent years on the other side, learning precisely how insurance companies and large institutions—like universities and national fraternities—think, strategize, and attempt to minimize or deny claims. This invaluable insight means we know their playbook inside and out, allowing us to dismantle their defenses and maximize your recovery.
• Federal Court Authority and Nationwide Reach: Hazing doesn’t respect state lines. Our attorneys are admitted to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, granting us federal court authority that can be crucial in cases against national organizations. Additionally, Ralph Manginello holds dual-state bar admissions in Texas AND New York, a strategic advantage for cases involving national fraternities often headquartered or incorporated in other states. This means that whether your child was hazed at a university in Georgia or elsewhere, we have the legal standing and willingness to pursue justice. We travel to Carroll County for depositions, meetings, and trials when necessary, and offer remote consultations for your convenience.
• Proven Track Record in High-Stakes Litigation: Ralph Manginello’s 25+ years of courtroom experience includes involvement in the multi-billion dollar BP Texas City Explosion litigation, demonstrating our capability to take on massive corporate defendants. This experience in complex, high-stakes litigation is directly transferable to hazing cases against well-funded national fraternities and universities. We have secured multi-million dollar settlements and jury verdicts for clients across various catastrophic injury cases.
• Specialized Expertise in Rhabdomyolysis: The severe rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure suffered by Leonel Bermudez is a specific medical condition that Ralph Manginello has successfully litigated before. This niche expertise ensures a deep understanding of the medical nuances and damages involved in such life-altering injuries.
• Bilingual Services (Se Habla Español): Lupe Peña is fluent in Spanish, allowing us to provide comprehensive legal services to Hispanic families in Carroll County without language barriers. This ensures that every family, regardless of language preference, receives clear communication and dedicated representation.
• No Upfront Costs (Contingency Fee): We understand that confronting powerful institutions can be financially daunting. That’s why we take hazing cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay absolutely nothing upfront, and we only get paid if we win your case. This aligns our interests with yours and ensures that financial constraints are never a barrier to justice for Carroll County families. “We don’t get paid unless YOU get paid,” precisely as explained in our “How Contingency Fees Work” video.
• Empathetic and Aggressive Advocacy: We balance a warm, empathetic approach with relentless aggression against those who harm your child. We treat your family like our own, ensuring open communication and support throughout the challenging legal process, as echoed by numerous client testimonials. “You are FAMILY to them and they protect and fight for you as such,” as one client put it. At the same time, we’re described as “a true PITT BULL and fighter” by another, embodying the tenacity required to pursue justice.

We aren’t just fighting abstract legal battles; we are fighting for real families in real time. Lupe Peña articulated our firm’s mission perfectly when he told ABC13, “If this prevents harm to another person, that’s what we’re hoping to do. Let’s bring this to light. Enough is enough.”

What to Do Right Now: Immediate Steps for Carroll County Families

If your child has been subjected to hazing, the moments immediately following the incident are critical. Taking the right steps can significantly impact the strength of your case. We understand you’re scared and overwhelmed, but acting quickly and decisively is paramount. Here’s what we urge every Carroll County family to do:

1. Seek Immediate Medical Attention: Your child’s health is the absolute priority. If they have physical injuries, psychological trauma, or any symptoms from drinking or physical exertion, get them to a doctor or emergency room immediately. Insist on a thorough medical examination and make sure that the medical professionals document everything, clearly indicating that the injuries were a result of hazing. Even if symptoms seem minor, hidden injuries like concussions or rhabdomyolysis can have delayed onset. As our video “Why Seeing a Doctor Right After an Accident Is Critical” emphasizes, any delay in treatment can be used by the defense to claim your child wasn’t seriously hurt.
2. Preserve All Evidence: Hazing is often hidden, but digital footprints remain.
   • Photos and Videos: Take pictures of any injuries, bruises, cuts, or signs of physical trauma. If there are any photos or videos of the hazing itself, save them immediately.
   • Communications: This is crucial. Save every text message, GroupMe chat, Snapchat conversation, Instagram DM, email, or social media post related to the hazing. This includes instructions, threats, derogatory messages, acknowledgments of hazing, or even seemingly innocent conversations that establish context. Our video “Can You Use Your Cellphone to Document a Legal Case?” highlights how vital these pieces of evidence are.
   • Witness Information: Collect names and contact details of anyone who witnessed the hazing, or other pledges who experienced it. Their testimony can be invaluable.
   • Documents: Keep any “pledge manuals,” schedules, rules, or lists provided by the fraternity or sorority.
   • Financial & Academic Records: Retain medical bills, receipts for therapy, records of lost wages, tuition statements, and any documentation showing academic decline or loss of scholarships due to the hazing.
3. Do NOT Communicate with the Organization or University Alone: Do not speak to fraternity or sorority leaders, university administrators, or their lawyers without consulting us first. They are NOT on your side; their primary goal is to protect the institution, not your child. They may try to get your child to sign documents or make recorded statements that could harm your case. Our video “Never Talk to the Insurance Company After an Accident” applies equally to the institutions involved in hazing.
4. Do NOT Post on Social Media About the Incident: Anything your child or family posts publicly can be used against them. Avoid discussing the hazing on any public platform. As our “Don’t Post on Social Media After an Accident” video warns, anything can be twisted and used by the defense.
5. Contact an Experienced Hazing Litigation Attorney Immediately: This is perhaps the most critical step. The statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death cases in Georgia, like Texas, is generally two years from the date of injury or death. However, waiting jeopardizes your case tremendously. Evidence disappears quickly, witnesses’ memories fade, and organizations destroy records. The sooner you call us, the sooner we can initiate aggressive preservation strategies and begin building your case. Our video “Is There a Statute of Limitations on My Case?” drives home the urgency.

Our client in the Pi Kappa Phi case acted within weeks of his hospitalization, allowing us to file a $10 million lawsuit and begin the process of accountability. This immediate action is precisely how you protect your legal rights and maximize your chances of justice.

The Carroll County Hazing Intelligence Database: We Know Who They Are

Carroll County, Georgia, like many communities across the nation, sends its young people to colleges and universities where Greek life is a prominent feature. Whether they attend the University of West Georgia, Georgia Tech, Emory University, or institutions further afield, these national fraternities and sororities operate with chapters throughout the state and country. We don’t just know about these organizations; we possess a comprehensive intelligence database designed to identify and track every entity involved.

We maintain one of the most exhaustive private directories of Greek organizations, their corporate structures, and their national affiliations. When hazing happens, we don’t guess who might be responsible – we already know. We understand the intricate web of liability that includes:

• National headquarters with their significant assets and insurance.
• Local chapter entities.
• Alumni associations that provide oversight and funding.
• Housing corporations that own the properties where hazing often occurs.

For example, our intelligence includes IRS B83 data on registered Greek organizations, detailing their exact legal names, Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), and addresses. When we identify a Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc. with EIN 462267515 in Frisco, Texas, we know this is the very entity behind the University of Houston chapter that we sued, proving our ability to identify who to hold accountable. We track thousands of Greek-related organizations across major metropolitan areas, recognizing that the very same fraternities with documented histories of hazing deaths, like Pi Kappa Alpha, Beta Theta Pi, and Pi Kappa Phi, maintain chapters throughout Georgia.

This meticulous data collection allows us to pinpoint every single entity that can be held responsible. When your child is hazed, the fraternity and university might try to claim they are “just college kids” or a “social club.” We know better. Behind those Greek letters are tax-exempt corporations with EINs, bank accounts, real estate holdings, and multi-million dollar insurance policies. We track them all, and we know exactly who to sue.

Contact Attorney911 Today: Your First Call for Justice

If you or your child in Carroll County has been a victim of hazing, you are not alone, and you do not have to fight this battle by yourself. The path to justice may seem daunting, but we are here to guide you every step of the way, leveraging our expertise and aggressive advocacy to achieve the accountability and compensation you deserve.

Your legal emergency is our call. We stand ready to help Carroll County families navigate the complexities of hazing litigation, transforming your pain into purposeful action.

Carroll County Families: Do not wait. Time is critical, and memories fade, and evidence disappears.

Call Our Legal Emergency Hotline Now for a Free Consultation:

📞 1-888-ATTY-911

Available 24/7 for Carroll County hazing emergencies. You can also reach us directly via email at ralph@atty911.com. Visit our website at attorney911.com to learn more about our firm and how we fight for victims like you.

Remember:

• No Upfront Costs: We take all hazing cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay absolutely nothing unless we win your case.
• Nationwide Reach: While our offices are in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, our federal court authority and dual-state bar admissions enable us to represent hazing victims from Carroll County and across the nation, no matter where the incident occurred. Distance is never a barrier to justice; we offer convenient video consultations and travel for depositions, meetings, and trials as needed.
• Confidentiality Assured: We understand the sensitive nature of hazing incidents and will handle your case with the utmost discretion and privacy.

We are Attorney911 – Legal Emergency Lawyers™. We fight for the injured, and we relentlessly pursue justice against those who inflict harm. Let us fight for your family. If this prevents harm to another person, that’s what we’re hoping to do. Enough is enough.

Call us. Let’s send a clear message: Hazing will not be tolerated, and institutions will be held accountable.