The Complete Guide to Hazing Lawsuits & Campus Accountability for Bartonville, Denton County Families

If you are a parent in the Town of Bartonville, watching your child leave for the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas A&M in College Station, or any of Texas’s major universities, you trust they are entering a safe environment for learning and growth. That trust is shattered in an instant when you receive a call that your son or daughter has been hospitalized after a “pledge event” or has become withdrawn and injured due to rituals tied to a fraternity, sorority, Corps program, or campus organization.

Right now, in Houston, a case unfolds that every Texas family should know about. In late 2025, Attorney911 filed a $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student and Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter pledge. The complaint alleges a campaign of humiliation, forced consumption, and extreme physical abuse that led to rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney failure, and a four-day hospitalization. As reported by Click2Houston and ABC13, Bermudez was subjected to degrading “pledge fanny pack” rules, forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass, sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and made to perform hundreds of squats and push-ups until his body broke down. The chapter has since been shut down, and the lawsuit names the University of Houston, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, its housing corporation, and 13 individual members.

This is not an isolated incident. It is a Texas case, happening at a Texas public university, being fought by our Texas-based firm. It represents the lethal intersection of tradition, coercion, and institutional failure that families in Bartonville, Argyle, Flower Mound, and across Denton County must understand.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES:

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for medical emergencies.
• Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911).

In the first 48 hours:

1. Get Medical Attention: Even if the student insists they are “fine,” seek professional care. Document everything.
2. Preserve Evidence: Screenshot group chats (GroupMe, iMessage, WhatsApp), photograph injuries from multiple angles, and save any physical items.
3. Write It Down: Document names, dates, locations, and what happened while memories are fresh.
4. Do NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
   • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
   • Post details on public social media.
   • Allow your child to delete messages or “clean up” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. Call Attorney911 at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.

This guide is written for you—the parents and families in Bartonville and surrounding Denton County communities. We will explain what modern hazing truly looks like, the Texas and federal laws designed to stop it, the national patterns repeating here in our state, and the specific landscapes at universities where your children study. Our goal is to arm you with knowledge and show you that accountability is possible.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Denton County

For Bartonville families, hazing might conjure images of movie pranks or outdated rumors. Today’s hazing is a calculated, often digitally coordinated form of abuse that endangers students physically and psychologically. It is defined under Texas law as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of initiation or affiliation with a group. Crucially, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

Hazing now operates on a dangerous continuum:

1. Digital Control & Coercion: Pledges in Denton, at UNT or TWU, are often subjected to 24/7 surveillance via group chats (GroupMe, Discord). They face demands for immediate responses at all hours, sleep deprivation from late-night “mandatory” calls, and humiliation through controlled social media posts. Their locations may be tracked via apps.
2. Forced Consumption & Physical Endurance: This is what nearly killed Leonel Bermudez at UH. It includes forced alcohol consumption during “lineups” or “family tree” games, coerced eating of disgusting or excessive amounts of food (milk, hot dogs, raw eggs), and extreme calisthenics (“smokings”) like the 100+ push-ups and 500 squats described in the lawsuit. The result can be acute alcohol poisoning, rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown), or internal injuries.
3. Psychological Torment & Humiliation: This involves systematic verbal abuse, isolation from non-members, assignment of derogatory names, forced servitude (like being an on-call driver), and public degradation. At Texas A&M, a 2023 Corps of Cadets lawsuit alleged a cadet was bound in a “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth.
4. Sexualized Violence & Assault: This includes forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, and in the most horrific cases, sexual assault. These acts are often framed as “traditions” or “bonding.”

Hazing is not confined to fraternities. It persists in sororities, athletic teams, spirit groups like the UNT Talons, marching bands, the Corps of Cadets at A&M, and other campus organizations. For Bartonville parents, understanding that hazing is a pattern of power-based abuse, not “boys being boys,” is the first step toward protecting your child.

The Texas & Federal Legal Framework: Laws That Protect Your Child

Texas has specific statutes to combat hazing, and federal laws provide additional avenues for accountability. For a case involving a Bartonville student at a Texas school, this legal framework is your foundation.

Texas Education Code Chapter 37: The Anti-Hazing Statute

Texas law is clear and powerful. Key provisions include:

• Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, that endangers a student’s physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with an organization.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. It becomes a Class A misdemeanor if it causes bodily injury and a state jail felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Consent is NOT a Defense: Texas Education Code § 37.155 states unequivocally that the victim’s consent to the hazing activity is not a defense to prosecution. This legally dismantles the common excuse, “They wanted to do it.”
• Individual & Organizational Liability: Both the individuals who haze and the organization that authorizes or knowingly permits hazing can be prosecuted. Organizations can face fines up to $10,000 and loss of university recognition.
• Immunity for Reporters: Individuals who in good faith report hazing to school officials or law enforcement are immune from civil or criminal liability.

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

• Title IX: When hazing involves sexual harassment, assault, or gender-based discrimination, it triggers a university’s Title IX obligations to investigate and provide a safe environment.
• Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain crimes, including assaults and hazing-related incidents, in annual security reports.
• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): This new federal law requires colleges receiving federal aid to publicly report hazing incidents and strengthen prevention programs, increasing transparency for families.

Civil Lawsuits: The Path to Accountability & Compensation

A criminal case, brought by the state, seeks punishment. A civil lawsuit, which we file on behalf of victims and families, seeks to make the victim whole and hold all responsible parties accountable. In a civil hazing case, we can pursue damages from:

• The individuals who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
• The local chapter as an entity.
• The national fraternity/sorority headquarters for negligent supervision and failure to enforce its own policies.
• The university for negligent oversight, particularly if it knew of prior incidents and failed to act.
• Property owners of off-campus houses where hazing occurred.
• Third-party vendors who provided alcohol to minors.

Damages in a civil case can include compensation for medical bills, future care, psychological trauma, pain and suffering, lost educational opportunities, and, in wrongful death cases, the profound loss to the family.

National Hazing Patterns: The Blueprint for Tragedy

The hazing that harms Texas students is not new or unique. It follows deadly blueprints set in other states. Understanding these patterns shows that these tragedies are foreseeable—and preventable.

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern: Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Florida

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died after a bid-acceptance night of forced drinking. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. The case led to criminal convictions and Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died during a “Bible study” drinking game. His death spurred Louisiana’s Max Gruver Act, creating felony hazing charges.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): A $10 million settlement followed his death from being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. The chapter president was later ordered to pay $6.5 million personally.

The Physical Ritual Pattern: New York

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from traumatic brain injury after a blindfolded, violent “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. The national fraternity was convicted of felony charges and banned from Pennsylvania.

The Systemic Athletic Hazing Pattern: Illinois

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Multiple lawsuits alleged systemic, sexualized hazing within the football program, leading to the head coach’s firing and confidential settlements, proving hazing extends far beyond Greek life.

Why This Matters for Bartonville: These national cases provide the “pattern evidence” that makes hazing foreseeable. When a national fraternity like Pi Kappa Phi (involved in both the Andrew Coffey death at FSU and the Bermudez injury at UH) or Pi Kappa Alpha has a documented history of lethal hazing, its headquarters cannot claim ignorance when the same patterns emerge at a Texas chapter.

The Texas University Landscape: Where Bartonville Families Send Their Kids

Bartonville families are deeply connected to the higher education ecosystem of North Texas and the state. Your children attend local schools like the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University in Denton, commute to larger institutions, or head to flagship campuses across Texas. Each has its own Greek life and organizational culture—and its own hazing history.

The University of North Texas & Texas Woman’s University (Denton)

As the primary public universities in Denton County, UNT and TWU are where many Bartonville students begin their college journeys.

• Campus Snapshots: UNT has a large, active Greek community with Interfraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and Multicultural Greek Council chapters. TWU, while historically a women’s university, also has sororities and student organizations.
• Jurisdiction & Logistics: A hazing incident at UNT or TWU would involve the Denton Police Department and/or UNT Police Department. Civil lawsuits could be filed in Denton County courts. Our firm can navigate these local legal venues to advocate for your family.
• For Bartonville Parents: The proximity means you might see the signs of hazing more directly—unexplained injuries, exhaustion, or behavioral changes when your student comes home. Reporting channels are close at hand through the UNT Dean of Students or TWU Office of Civility and Community Standards.

Texas A&M University (College Station)

Many Bartonville students are drawn to the tradition and network of Texas A&M, including its massive Greek system and the Corps of Cadets.

• Documented Incidents: A&M has faced serious hazing allegations:
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case (2021): Pledges alleged they were doused with industrial-strength cleaner and other substances, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin graft surgery. A lawsuit sought $1 million.
  • Corps of Cadets Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged degrading hazing including being bound in a “roasted pig” position. The lawsuit sought over $1 million in damages.
• Official Response: A&M handles cases through its Student Conduct Office and the Corps’ own discipline system. Their policies prohibit hazing, but as these cases show, enforcement is tested by deeply ingrained traditions.
• Action for Families: If your child is in the Corps or a fraternity at A&M, pay close attention to signs of physical injury or psychological distress. The culture of “toughness” can deter reporting. Legal action may be necessary to break through institutional loyalty.

University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin boasts one of the most transparent hazing reporting systems in the country, which also reveals ongoing issues.

• Public Hazing Violations Log: UT publishes a searchable list of organizations found responsible for hazing. Recent entries include:
  • Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members were directed to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics. Sanction: probation and mandatory education.
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (2023): Under investigation for an alleged assault on an international student that resulted in fractures.
  • Various spirit groups and fraternities cited for forced drinking, physical abuse, and sleep deprivation.
• Why Transparency Matters: This public log is a powerful tool for parents and attorneys. It demonstrates pattern knowledge—the university and national organizations are on notice about specific groups’ behaviors, strengthening negligence claims if they fail to prevent recurrence.

Southern Methodist University (Dallas) & Baylor University (Waco)

These prominent private universities also grapple with hazing within their Greek systems and athletic teams.

• SMU: Notable for a 2017 Kappa Alpha Order chapter suspension due to paddling, forced drinking, and sleep deprivation of pledges.
• Baylor: Faced a 2020 baseball team hazing incident that led to 14 player suspensions, echoing broader cultural challenges the university has faced.

For families with students at these schools, it’s critical to understand that private university status does not preclude accountability. Their internal processes may be less transparent, but civil discovery can uncover the facts.

The Greek Ecosystem: National Organizations with Local Chapters

The fraternities and sororities on Texas campuses are almost always chapters of national organizations. These nationals have extensive, often troubling, histories that follow them to Denton, College Station, Austin, and beyond.

We maintain a Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public records including IRS filings for over 125 Texas-registered Greek organizations and metro-level data tracking over 1,400 Greek entities across 25 Texas metros. This allows us to identify every legally liable entity behind a chapter—from the local house corporation to the national alumni foundation. For example, our data includes entities like:

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc (EIN: 46-2267515 | FRISCO, TX 75035) – IRS B83 Filing
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc – Theta Delta Chapter (EIN: 47-5370943 | HOUSTON, TX 77204) – IRS B83 Filing
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Lambda Lambda Chapter (EIN: 52-1278573 | DALLAS, TX 75241) – IRS B83 Filing
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc – Sigma Gamma Chapter (EIN: 39-2352450 | HOUSTON, TX 77254) – IRS B83 Filing

In the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metro—which includes Bartonville and Denton County—Cause IQ data shows over 510 Greek-related organizations. This complex web includes undergraduate chapters, alumni associations, house corporations, and educational foundations, many of which hold insurance policies and legal liability.

When hazing occurs, we use this data to map the entire organizational structure. National histories prove foreseeability. For instance:

• Pi Kappa Alpha: National pattern of fatalities (Stone Foltz at BGSU).
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon: Multiple deaths and severe injury lawsuits nationwide, including at Texas A&M and UT Austin.
• Phi Delta Theta: Max Gruver’s death at LSU.
• Pi Kappa Phi: Andrew Coffey’s death at FSU and the ongoing Leonel Bermudez lawsuit at UH.

A national organization cannot claim it was blindsided by hazing at its UH or UNT chapter when the same dangerous rituals have killed pledges at other schools. This pattern evidence is central to proving negligence and seeking punitive damages.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and the Attorney911 Advantage

When your family faces the aftermath of hazing, building a successful legal case requires immediate action, investigative depth, and strategic insight into how institutions fight back.

The Critical Evidence Timeline

Digital evidence is paramount and ephemeral. Within days or even hours, group chats are deleted, social media posts vanish, and members are coached on what to say. Our evidence preservation protocol includes:

1. Digital Forensics: Recovering deleted messages from GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, and Discord.
2. Social Media Archiving: Capturing stories, posts, and DMs from Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok before they disappear.
3. Internal Document Discovery: Subpoenaing chapter “pledge books,” national risk management files, and university conduct records.
4. Witness Coordination: Interviewing other pledges and former members who may be ready to break the code of silence.
5. Medical Correlation: Linking medical records documenting rhabdomyolysis, fractures, or PTSD directly to the hazing events.

Overcoming Institutional Defenses

We know the defenses universities and fraternities will use because we have fought them before. Mr. Lupe Peña, our associate attorney, spent years as an insurance defense attorney for large national firms. He knows exactly how insurance companies value claims, use delay tactics, and argue exclusions.

• Defense: “The Pledge Consented.” Our Response: Texas law voids consent in hazing. We demonstrate the coercive power imbalance.
• Defense: “This Was a Rogue Chapter.” Our Response: We subpoena national records to show prior incidents and inadequate enforcement of anti-hazing policies, proving negligent supervision.
• Defense: “It Happened Off-Campus.” Our Response: We establish the university’s and national’s control over the organization and their knowledge of off-campus risks.
• Defense: “We Have Anti-Hazing Policies.” Our Response: We show the gap between paper policies and real-world enforcement, a key element of negligence.

Why Attorney911 for Your Bartonville Family’s Hazing Case

We are not just personal injury lawyers; we are complex institutional litigators with specific advantages for hazing cases:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Mr. Peña’s defense background is an invaluable strategic asset. He knows how fraternity and university insurers think and fight.
• Catastrophic Case Experience: Founding attorney Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas lawyers involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation, proving our capability against billion-dollar defendants with unlimited legal resources. National fraternities and major universities operate the same way.
• Federal Court & Civil Rights Experience: We are admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, equipped to handle federal claims under Title IX or civil rights statutes that may accompany hazing cases.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Insight: Mr. Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil lawsuits, allowing us to advise clients comprehensively.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish, ensuring all families in our diverse community can access help and be fully informed.

Practical Guides for Parents & Students in Bartonville

For Parents: Recognizing the Signs

Your child may be too scared or ashamed to tell you they are being hazed. Look for:

• Physical Signs: Unexplained bruises, burns, or limping. Extreme fatigue, rapid weight loss or gain.
• Behavioral Changes: Withdrawing from family calls, sudden secrecy about activities, intense anxiety around their phone (constant group chat monitoring).
• Academic Decline: Falling grades, skipping classes, losing scholarships.
• Financial Red Flags: Unexplained charges for alcohol, costumes, or large “fines” paid to the organization.

What to Do:

1. Talk Calmly: Ask open-ended questions. “I’m worried about you. Is there anything happening in your fraternity/sorority/team that makes you uncomfortable?”
2. Prioritize Safety: If they are injured, get medical care immediately and document it.
3. Preserve Evidence: Help them screenshot group chats and photograph injuries.
4. Seek Legal Counsel Before Reporting: Contact us at 1-888-ATTY-911 to discuss the strategic implications of reporting to the university or police.

For Students: Your Rights and Safety

• You Have the Right to Be Safe: No tradition is worth your life or health.
• “Consent” is Not a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card: Under Texas law, your agreement under pressure doesn’t legalize hazing.
• How to Exit Safely: You can resign at any time. Send a clear text/email: “I resign my membership effective immediately.” Do not attend a “final meeting.”
• Report Anonymously: You can report to the National Anti-Hazing Hotline at 1-888-NOT-HAZE or through university anonymous tip lines.
• If You’re Hurt, Call 911 First: Most Texas schools have medical amnesty policies; seeking help for someone in danger should not get you in trouble for underage drinking.

Critical Mistakes That Can Damage Your Case

1. Deleting Evidence: Preserve all messages, even embarrassing ones.
2. Confronting the Organization: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Signing University Paperwork: Do not sign any “resolution” or “release” forms from the school without an attorney’s review.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense investigators monitor everything. Let your lawyer control the narrative.
5. Waiting Too Long: The Texas statute of limitations for personal injury is generally two years, but evidence decays daily.

Your Next Step: Contact Attorney911, The Legal Emergency Lawyers™

If hazing has impacted your family in Bartonville, Denton, Flower Mound, or anywhere in Texas, you do not have to navigate this crisis alone. The institutions involved have teams of lawyers and PR professionals. You need an equally experienced, dedicated advocate in your corner.

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. We understand the courts, the universities, and the national Greek organizations that operate in our state. The Leonel Bermudez case against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi is proof of our active, serious commitment to hazing litigation right now.

Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. We will:

• Listen to your story with compassion and without judgment.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your family’s legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Outline a potential strategy for investigation and accountability.
• Answer your questions about the process and our contingency fee structure—you pay nothing unless we win your case.

Call Attorney911 24/7 at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also visit our website at https://attorney911.com or email managing attorney Ralph Manginello directly at ralph@atty911.com.

Se habla Español. Associate attorney Lupe Peña provides full consultation services in Spanish. Reach him at lupe@atty911.com.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. Hazing law is complex and fact-specific. If you believe you or your child has been a victim of hazing, please contact an attorney immediately to discuss the specific details of your situation. The information in this article is current as of late 2025.

The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911
Houston | Austin | Beaumont
Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Website: https://attorney911.com