The Complete Guide to Hazing Lawsuits in Texas: A Resource for Albany Families

It’s late on a Thursday night at a fraternity house near a major Texas campus. Your child, a bright student from Albany you sent off to pursue their dreams, is struggling to stand. What started as a “pledge brotherhood event” has spiraled into something terrifying. Older members are shouting, phones are out recording, and the air is thick with the smell of alcohol and fear. Your child is being pressured to consume dangerous amounts of liquor, part of a “tradition” everyone insists is normal. They feel trapped—afraid to refuse for fear of being ostracized, afraid to participate because their body is screaming in protest. Back in Albany, you’re asleep, unaware that the nightmare every Texas parent dreads is unfolding in real time.

This isn’t a hypothetical. It’s the reality behind closed doors at universities across Texas, including those where Albany families send their children. Hazing persists because systems of power, tradition, and silence protect it. But the law—and experienced legal advocates—are fighting back.

This comprehensive guide is written for you: the parents, families, and students in Albany and across Shackelford County who need to understand the brutal truth about modern hazing, your legal rights under Texas law, and the path to accountability. We will dissect what hazing really looks like in 2025, explain the legal frameworks that can hold organizations responsible, and detail the major cases that have changed the landscape. We will focus on the universities relevant to Albany families and demonstrate why choosing the right legal team is the most critical decision you can make in a crisis.

If you are in an emergency right now: Call 911 for immediate medical help, then call Attorney911 at 1-888-ATTY-911. We provide immediate help—that’s why we are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

For families in Albany, hazing might conjure images of outdated movie tropes: silly pranks or harmless initiations. The modern reality is far more sinister, sophisticated, and dangerous. Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of joining or maintaining membership in a group. Crucially, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense under Texas law.

The Evolution of Harm: From Paddles to Digital Coercion

Hazing has evolved from overt physical brutality to include psychological warfare and digital control. Today’s methods are often designed to leave fewer physical marks while inflicting deep psychological trauma and evading detection.

1. Alcohol and Substance Hazing (The Most Common Killer)
This remains the single greatest cause of hazing deaths nationwide. It is not “just drinking.” It is coerced, forced, or peer-pressured consumption as a condition of acceptance.

• The “Big/Little” Night: A pledge is given a handle of liquor and told to finish it to meet their “Big Brother/Sister.”
• Drinking Games as Punishment: “Bible Study” or trivia where wrong answers mandate shots.
• Lineups: Pledges forced to rapidly consume alcohol in sequence while being screamed at.

2. Physical Hazing Beyond “Workouts”
What is disguised as “conditioning” or “team building” is often sadistic punishment.

• Extreme Calisthenics: “Smokings” involving hundreds of push-ups, squats, or wall-sits until collapse.
• Paddling and Beatings: Still prevalent, especially in certain traditions, causing bruising, tissue damage, and even kidney trauma.
• Sleep and Deprivation Tactics: Mandatory all-night “study sessions,” 3 AM wake-up calls, and being denied food or water.
• Exposure and Endurance: Locked in freezing cold rooms, forced to lie in vomit, or endure extreme outdoor temperatures with inadequate clothing.

3. Sexualized and Humiliating Hazing
These acts are designed to strip away dignity and create paralyzing shame.

• Forced nudity or simulated sexual acts.
• Degrading costumes or roles.
• “Roasted pig” positioning or other sexually explicit bondage.
• Acts involving racial, homophobic, or sexist slurs and role-playing.

4. Digital and Psychological Hazing (The 24/7 Prison)
The smartphone has become a primary hazing tool, creating inescapable control.

• Group Chat Tyranny: Pledges are required to respond instantly to messages at all hours. Failure results in punishment.
• Social Media Humiliation: Forced to post embarrassing content on TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat.
• Geo-Tracking: Required to share live location via apps like Find My Friends.
• Cyberstalking and Harassment: If a pledge tries to quit, they may be targeted with threatening messages.

Where Hazing Happens: It’s Not Just “Fraternities”

While Greek life is a major focus, hazing is a systemic cultural problem in many student organizations:

• Fraternities and Sororities (Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic, NPHC, Multicultural).
• Athletic Teams (from football to cheerleading).
• Military-Style Groups (like the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M).
• Spirit and Tradition Organizations (e.g., Texas Cowboys, mascot programs).
• Marching Bands and Performing Arts Groups.
• Academic and Service Clubs.

For Albany parents, the key takeaway is this: if your child is joining any group that has an initiation or probationary period, you must have candid conversations about these modern hazing tactics. The old warning signs may no longer apply.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability Framework: What Albany Families Need to Know

Texas has specific laws governing hazing, but navigating them requires understanding both the criminal statutes and the civil liability pathways that allow families to seek justice and compensation.

Texas Education Code Chapter 37: The Criminal Foundation

The Texas hazing statute provides the backbone for criminal prosecution and defines prohibited conduct.

• Definition (§37.151): Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, directed against a student that endangers mental or physical health or safety for the purpose of pledging, initiating, affiliating with, or maintaining membership in an organization.
• Key Point: Location doesn’t matter. Hazing at an off-campus Airbnb, a park, or a private residence is still illegal.
• Criminal Penalties (§37.152):
  • Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine).
  • Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
  • State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Critical Protections:
  • Consent is NOT a Defense (§37.155): It does not matter if your child “agreed” to participate. The law recognizes the power imbalance and coercion inherent in hazing.
  • Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting (§37.154): Individuals who report hazing in good faith to authorities are immune from civil or criminal liability for the report itself. Many universities also have medical amnesty policies to encourage calling 911.

Civil Liability: The Path to Accountability and Recovery

A criminal case, prosecuted by the state, seeks punishment. A civil lawsuit, filed by the victim or their family, seeks to recover damages and force systemic change. They can proceed simultaneously.

Who Can Be Held Civilly Liable in a Hazing Case?

1. The Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, facilitated, or carried out the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: The fraternity, sorority, or club as an entity.
3. The National Organization: Headquarters can be liable for negligent supervision, failure to enforce policies, or having knowledge of a pattern of dangerous behavior. Their deep-pocketed insurance policies are often key targets.
4. The University: Schools can be sued for negligent supervision, premises liability, or violating duties under Title IX or the Clery Act. Public universities (like UT or Texas A&M) have some sovereign immunity hurdles, but exceptions exist for gross negligence.
5. Third Parties: Property owners of unsafe houses, bars that illegally furnished alcohol, or security companies that failed to act.

Federal Law Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and the Stop Campus Hazing Act

• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment, assault, or gender-based discrimination, federal Title IX regulations impose strict duties on universities to investigate and address the climate.
• Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain crimes, including hazing-related assaults and alcohol offenses, in annual security reports.
• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): This new federal law requires colleges receiving federal aid to improve hazing transparency, publicly report incidents, and strengthen prevention programs by 2026.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Blueprint for Texas Lawsuits

The tragic cases that make national headlines are not isolated incidents; they are templates. The same patterns of forced drinking, humiliation, cover-ups, and institutional failure repeat from campus to campus. For Albany families, these cases prove that accountability is possible and show what a powerful legal strategy looks like.

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern: Fatal Traditions

• Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017): A bid-acceptance night of extreme drinking led to fatal falls. Security camera footage showed brothers delaying help for hours. The result: dozens of criminal charges, a watershed civil settlement, and Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law. Lesson: Delay in seeking medical care dramatically increases liability and public outrage.
• Max Gruver – LSU, Phi Delta Theta (2017): Died from alcohol toxicity after a “Bible study” drinking game. Lesson: This directly led to Louisiana’ felony hazing statute, the Max Gruver Act, showing how one case can change state law.
• Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha (2021): Forced to drink a bottle of whiskey during a “Big/Little” event. The result: a $10 million+ settlement from the national fraternity and university, and criminal convictions. Lesson: Nationals and universities both pay heavily for foreseeable, repeated ritualistic drinking.

The Physical & Ritualized Violence Pattern

• Chun “Michael” Deng – Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi (2013): Died from traumatic brain injury after a violent, blindfolded “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. Lesson: Nationals can face criminal organizational liability and be banned from states. Off-campus location is no defense.

The Catastrophic Injury Pattern: Lives Forever Altered

• Danny Santulli – University of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta (2021): Forced drinking led to permanent, catastrophic brain injury. He requires 24/7 care for life. The result: confidential multi-million-dollar settlements with over 20 defendants. Lesson: Non-fatal hazing can result in damages that dwarf even wrongful death cases due to lifetime care costs.

The Athletic Hazing Scandal Pattern

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Allegations of systemic, sexualized hazing led to firings, numerous lawsuits, and confidential settlements. Lesson: Hazing is not a “Greek life problem”—it is an institutional culture problem that exists wherever power imbalances are unchecked.

What This Means for Albany: The fraternities and sororities on Texas campuses are chapters of these same national organizations. The patterns are identical. When we take on a hazing case, we use these national precedents to prove that the harm was foreseeable and that the organizations failed in their duty to prevent it.

Texas University Focus: Where Albany Families Send Their Students

Families in Albany and Shackelford County have deep educational ties across Texas. Students attend local colleges, regional universities, and the state’s flagship institutions. Understanding the hazing landscape at these schools is critical.

The Local & Regional Connection: Schools Near Albany

While Albany itself is a tight-knit community, its students often pursue higher education at institutions within a manageable distance, where Greek life and organizational culture still pose risks.

• Texas Tech University (Lubbock): A major university with a significant Greek system and a history of hazing investigations. Albany students seeking a large public university experience often look to Texas Tech.
• Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University (Abilene): These private institutions in the nearby Abilene metro have active Greek life and student organizations. Hazing incidents at such schools often receive less public scrutiny but can be just as severe.
• Cisco College, Ranger College: Even community colleges and two-year programs can have club hazing issues.

When hazing occurs at these schools, Albany families may be dealing with law enforcement and courts in Lubbock, Abilene, or other counties. Having a Texas-based firm with statewide reach is essential.

Major Statewide Hubs: The “Big 5” and Beyond

Albany families also send children to Texas’s largest and most prestigious universities, where Greek life is most prominent and systemic.

1. Texas A&M University (College Station)

• Culture: Deep tradition, including the massive Corps of Cadets and a powerful Greek system.
• Documented Incidents:
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case: Pledges allegedly doused with industrial cleaner and other substances, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. The chapter was suspended, and civil lawsuits were filed.
  • Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Lawsuit: A cadet alleged being bound between beds in a degrading, sexualized position as part of hazing. The lawsuit sought over $1 million, highlighting hazing within the military-style program.
• For Albany Families: A&M’s culture of tradition can sometimes shield hazing as “character building.” Legal action must cut through this narrative to expose abuse.

2. University of Texas at Austin

• Culture: A large, prestigious Greek system alongside powerful spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys.
• Transparency Advantage: UT maintains a public Hazing Violations webpage, listing sanctioned organizations.
• Documented Incidents (from UT’s own log):
  • Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): Sanctioned for hazing involving forced milk consumption and excessive calisthenics.
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): Faced lawsuits and suspensions for assaults and hazing, including a case where an Australian exchange student suffered a broken leg and nose.
• For Albany Families: UT’s public record is a double-edged sword—it shows a problem exists, but also provides concrete evidence of prior knowledge that can be used in litigation.

3. University of Houston

• Culture: A large commuter and residential mix with an active, diverse Greek community.
• The Flagship Case – Leonel Bermudez v. Pi Kappa Phi (Beta Nu): This is not just any case; it is the active, high-stakes litigation that defines modern Texas hazing law. In late 2025, UH pledge Leonel Bermudez filed a $10 million lawsuit after hazing that included:
  • A degrading “pledge fanny pack” rule.
  • Extreme physical abuse: sprints, bear crawls, being sprayed with a hose “like waterboarding.”
  • Forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting.
  • A November 3rd “workout” of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats that led to rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, causing brown urine and a 4-day hospitalization.
• The defendants include UH, the UH System Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi Nationals, the chapter housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The chapter was swiftly shut down. We represent Leonel Bermudez. This case proves we are already on the front lines, fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country right now.
• For Albany Families: This case is your proof that catastrophic hazing happens at Texas universities and that our firm has the expertise and tenacity to take on the entire system—the individuals, the chapter, the nationals, and the university itself.

4. Baylor University & Southern Methodist University (SMU)
As private institutions, their disciplinary processes are less transparent, but hazing still occurs in their Greek and athletic systems. Lawsuits against private schools face different legal hurdles than public ones, requiring specialized knowledge.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: The Data Behind the Letters

At Attorney911, we don’t just take cases; we build them on an unprecedented foundation of data. We maintain a proprietary Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine built from public records, giving us—and our clients—a critical strategic advantage. For Albany families, this means we start your case with knowledge, not guesswork.

Our Public Records Directory: Seeing the Full Board

When a hazing incident occurs, most families see only the local chapter. We see the entire ecosystem of liability. Our engine combines:

• IRS B83 Data: Over 125 Texas-registered Greek organizations (house corporations, alumni chapters, honor societies) with their official EINs, legal names, and addresses.
• Texas University Data: 96 campus locations.
• Metro-Level Organization Data: Tracking of 1,423 Greek-related entities across 25 Texas metros.

What This Means for Your Case:
We can immediately identify every potentially liable entity behind a fraternity or sorority. For example, beyond the local chapter of “ABC Fraternity,” there may be a separate Texas-based housing corporation that owns the house (and its insurance), an alumni chapter that funds activities, and a national headquarters that sets policy. We find them all.

Sample Entities from Our Database Relevant to Statewide Schools:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity – EIN 742911848 – Fort Worth, TX 76244
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc – EIN 741380362 – Fort Worth, TX 76147
• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – EIN 746064445 – Nederland, TX 77627 (Epsilon Kappa Chapter)
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – Multiple EINs across Texas campuses.
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – EIN 364091267 – Waco, TX 76710

This directory is part of how we built the Bermudez case against Pi Kappa Phi, ensuring no responsible entity escapes accountability. For an Albany family, it means we come to the table knowing more about the opposing organization than they might expect, allowing for faster, more targeted investigations and stronger settlement leverage.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

Winning a hazing case requires a meticulous, multi-front strategy that addresses immediate evidence preservation, long-term investigation, and a comprehensive damages assessment.

Phase 1: The Critical 48-Hour Evidence Preservation Window

Digital evidence disappears at the speed of a “delete” button. Our immediate focus is preserving:

• Group Chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage): Screenshots of entire threads with timestamps.
• Social Media: Posts, stories, DMs, and comments on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook.
• Photos/Videos of Injuries: Documented from multiple angles with scale.
• Medical Records: ER reports, lab results (especially critical for conditions like rhabdomyolysis), and psychological evaluations.
• Witness Lists: Names and contact information for other pledges, members, and bystanders.

We have a proven network of digital forensics experts who can recover deleted messages and data that the organization thinks is gone forever.

Phase 2: Investigative Strategy and Discovery

We use legal tools to uncover what the organizations want to hide:

• Subpoenaing National Fraternity Records: To expose prior incident reports, risk management failures, and communication about the chapter.
• Obtaining University Disciplinary Files: To prove the school knew or should have known about a pattern of misconduct.
• Deposing Members and Officers: Under oath, the truth emerges about who knew what and when.

Phase 3: Calculating Damages – The Full Scope of Harm

We work with economists, life-care planners, and medical experts to build a comprehensive picture of your family’s losses, which can include:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (past and future), lost educational expenses, and loss of future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional trauma, PTSD, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the profound loss of companionship and guidance for parents and siblings.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of particularly egregious or reckless conduct, we seek damages intended to punish the defendants and deter future behavior.

Practical Guide for Albany Parents and Students

If You Suspect Hazing – Immediate Steps:

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: If there is any immediate danger or injury, call 911.
2. Preserve ALL Evidence: Do not delete texts, messages, or photos. Take screenshots. Write down everything you remember.
3. Seek Medical Attention: Even without obvious injury, a medical exam can document psychological trauma and baseline health. Mention the hazing to the doctor.
4. Contact an Attorney BEFORE Reporting: Once you report to the university, the organization’s defense machinery activates. We can help you report strategically while protecting your rights. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case:

• Deleting digital evidence.
• Confronting the fraternity/sorority directly (they will circle the wagons).
• Signing anything from the university or an insurance adjuster without an attorney.
• Posting about the incident on social media.
• Waiting to see how the university “handles it.” Internal discipline is not real accountability.

Why Attorney911 is the Right Firm for Albany Hazing Cases

When your family is in crisis, you need more than a lawyer; you need advocates who understand the systems arrayed against you and have a proven record of breaking them.

We Are Already Fighting Texas’s Biggest Hazing Case. Our lead attorneys, Ralph Manginello and Mr. Lupe Peña, are actively litigating the Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit. This isn’t historical—it’s current. We are in the trenches right now against a major university and a national fraternity, fighting for a young man who nearly lost his life to kidney failure from hazing. We know the playbook because we are writing it.

Our Unique, Insurmountable Advantages:

1. Insider Insurance Knowledge (Mr. Lupe Peña’s Defense Background): Mr. Peña spent years as an insurance defense attorney for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers value claims, fight coverage, and use delay tactics. He used to run their playbook; now he dismantles it for our clients.
2. Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants (Ralph Manginello’s BP Litigation): Ralph was one of the few Texas attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets of national fraternities or university legal teams. We’ve faced Goliaths before.
3. The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: As detailed above, our proprietary data system gives us an investigative head start no other firm can match.
4. Dual Civil & Criminal Capability: Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the criminal side of hazing cases, allowing us to effectively advise clients navigating parallel proceedings.
5. A Full-Service, Expert-Backed Practice: From our work in wrongful death and catastrophic injury to maritime and refinery disasters, we have the resources, expert network, and trial experience to build the strongest possible case.

Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation

If hazing has impacted your family in Albany, Shackelford County, or anywhere in Texas, you do not have to face this alone. The institutions involved will have teams of lawyers. You deserve a team that fights for you with equal fervor and superior strategy.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) today.

• Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct: (713) 528-9070
• Website: https://attorney911.com
• Se Habla Español: Contact Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com

We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. We will listen to your story, review any evidence you have, explain your legal options in clear terms, and map out a potential path forward. We work on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we win your case.

Let us help you turn this crisis into a catalyst for accountability, recovery, and change.

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.