The Complete Guide to Hazing in Texas: A Resource for Bruceville-Eddy and McLennan County Families

1. Hook + Overview: The Reality Facing Bruceville-Eddy Families

1.1 A Parent’s Nightmare Scenario

It’s a Tuesday night in early November. Your phone rings at 2:17 AM. It’s your son, a freshman at a Texas university just hours from your home in Bruceville-Eddy. His voice is weak, trembling. “Mom, I can’t stand up. My urine is brown.” He’s been at a fraternity “workout” at a park near campus, forced through hundreds of squats and push-ups under threat of expulsion. When he started vomiting, they made him run sprints. When he collapsed, they told him to “walk it off.” Now he’s back in his dorm, alone and terrified, with muscles breaking down so severely his kidneys are failing.

This isn’t a hypothetical fear. This exact scenario happened at the University of Houston in November 2025. Leonel Bermudez, a transfer student and Pi Kappa Phi pledge, suffered rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure after enduring what his attorneys call “torture disguised as tradition.” His urine turned brown from muscle tissue entering his bloodstream. He was hospitalized for four days with critically high creatine kinase levels, facing potential permanent kidney damage. And his case represents just one thread in a much larger pattern affecting Texas families, including those right here in Bruceville-Eddy and across McLennan County.

1.2 What This Guide Offers Bruceville-Eddy Families

If you’re a parent in Bruceville-Eddy, Eddy, or anywhere in McLennan County, this comprehensive guide is written specifically for you. Whether your child attends Baylor University right here in Waco, commutes to Texas State in San Marcos, or has gone further to UT Austin, Texas A&M, or any other Texas campus, the reality of modern hazing can touch your family.

We’ll help you understand:

What hazing really looks like in 2025—far beyond the stereotypes of “boys will be boys” or “harmless pranks.” Today’s hazing involves digital coercion, psychological manipulation, and sophisticated cover-ups.

Texas law and your family’s rights—including how Texas Education Code Chapter 37 defines hazing, what “consent is not a defense” really means, and how criminal and civil cases work side-by-side.

The national patterns that matter here in Texas—from the $10 million Pi Kappa Alpha settlement at Bowling Green to the $6.1 million Max Gruver verdict at LSU, these cases set precedents that protect your child too.

What’s happening at Texas universities—with particular attention to Baylor University in our own McLennan County backyard, plus UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin, SMU, and other schools where Bruceville-Eddy students often enroll.

How to protect your child—immediate steps for evidence preservation, medical care, and legal consultation that can make the difference between accountability and another covered-up tragedy.

1.3 Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

IF THIS JUST HAPPENED TO YOUR CHILD:

Call 911 First for Medical Emergencies

• If your child is injured, intoxicated, or in danger
• Get medical attention immediately—rhabdomyolysis, alcohol poisoning, and head injuries require emergency care
• Texas law protects those who call for help in good faith

Then Call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911

• We provide immediate help—that’s why we’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™
• Available 24/7 for hazing emergencies

In the First 48 Hours:

• Preserve Evidence BEFORE It’s Deleted:
  • Screenshot group chats, texts, DMs immediately
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles (with coin for scale)
  • Save everything—clothing, receipts, objects used in hazing
• Document Everything While Memory is Fresh:
  • Write down who, what, when, where (include full names)
  • Note what your child tells you verbatim
  • Record dates/times of all communications
• DO NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity/sorority directly
  • Sign anything from the university or insurance company
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence
  • Post details on public social media

Contact an Experienced Hazing Attorney Within 24-48 Hours:

• Evidence disappears fast—deleted group chats, destroyed paddles, coached witnesses
• Universities often move quickly to control the narrative
• We can help preserve evidence and protect your child’s rights
• Call 1-888-ATTY-911 now for immediate consultation

2. Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like

2.1 The Modern Definition: Beyond “Just Tradition”

Hazing in 2025 isn’t just about paddles and alcohol—though those still exist. It’s any forced, coerced, or strongly pressured action tied to joining, keeping membership, or gaining status in a group, where the behavior endangers physical or mental health, humiliates, or exploits.

For Bruceville-Eddy families sending students to Baylor or other Texas schools, understanding this evolution is crucial. What might be dismissed as “team bonding” or “pledge education” often crosses into illegal hazing territory through:

Digital Coercion: Constant GroupMe messages demanding immediate responses at all hours, location sharing requirements, social media humiliation circles.

Psychological Manipulation: Framing abuse as “optional” while making clear refusal means social exclusion, using guilt and loyalty to enforce silence.

Sophisticated Cover-Ups: Holding events at off-campus Airbnbs, using encrypted apps, destroying evidence while coaching members on what to say.

The critical legal point for McLennan County families: “I agreed to it” or “they wanted to fit in” does NOT make it legal. Texas law (Education Code §37.155) explicitly states that consent is not a defense to hazing. Courts recognize that “consent” under peer pressure, power imbalance, and fear of exclusion isn’t true voluntary consent.

2.2 Main Categories of Modern Hazing

Alcohol and Substance Hazing

• Forced Consumption Games: “Big/Little” nights with entire bottles of liquor, “Bible study” drinking games where wrong answers mean drinking, lineup chugging challenges
• Coerced Drug Use: Pressure to consume marijuana, pills, or unknown substances as “initiation”
• Disguised as Celebration: Bid acceptance parties, “family tree” reveals, celebration events that mandate dangerous drinking levels

Physical Hazing

• Extreme “Workouts”: Hundreds of push-ups/squats until collapse (like the UH Pi Kappa Phi case), “smokings” framed as conditioning
• Paddling and Beatings: Still prevalent despite national prohibitions, often with customized paddles
• Environmental Abuse: Exposure to extreme cold/heat, lying in vomit or feces, food/water deprivation
• Chemical Assault: Pouring industrial cleaners (Texas A&M SAE case), hot sauce, or other substances on skin

Sexualized and Humiliating Hazing

• Forced Nudity/Simulated Acts: “Roasted pig” positions, elephant walks, partial nudity requirements
• Degrading Costumes/Roles: Wearing diapers, feminine clothing, or racially stereotypical outfits
• Public Humiliation: Forced performances, singing, dancing in public spaces

Psychological Hazing

• Verbal Abuse and Threats: Constant yelling, insults, threats of expulsion or violence
• Social Isolation: Cutting off contact with non-members, controlling social media
• Sleep Deprivation: Mandatory 3 AM wake-ups, all-night “study sessions”

Digital/Online Hazing

• 24/7 Group Chat Control: Required immediate responses at all hours, punishment for delayed replies
• Social Media Humiliation: Forced TikTok challenges, Instagram story dares, compromising photo requirements
• Location Tracking: Mandatory Find My Friends or Life360 sharing

2.3 Where Hazing Actually Happens: Beyond Fraternity Row

For Bruceville-Eddy students at Baylor or other campuses, understanding that hazing extends beyond Greek life is critical:

Fraternities and Sororities

• IFC (Interfraternity Council) fraternities
• Panhellenic sororities
• NPHC (Divine Nine) organizations
• Multicultural Greek Council groups

Corps of Cadets/Military Groups

• Texas A&M Corps of Cadets (multiple lawsuits)
• ROTC programs
• Military-style “drill” teams

Athletic Teams

• Football, basketball, baseball programs
• Cheer and spirit squads
• Club sports with “traditional” initiations

Spirit and Tradition Organizations

• Texas Cowboys, Silver Spurs, and similar groups
• Marching bands and performance ensembles
• Service organizations with initiation rituals

Academic and Honor Societies

• Some discipline-specific clubs
• Leadership organizations
• Departmental honor groups

The common thread across all these groups: social status, tradition, and secrecy keep dangerous practices alive even when everyone “knows” hazing is illegal. For McLennan County families, this means your child could be at risk in multiple campus environments, not just Greek life.

3. Law & Liability Framework: Texas and Federal Protections

3.1 Texas Hazing Law: Education Code Chapter 37

For Bruceville-Eddy families navigating a hazing incident, Texas law provides clear—though complex—protections. The Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F defines hazing and establishes criminal penalties.

§37.151 Definition (Plain English Version):
Hazing means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, by one person alone or with others, directed against a student, that:

• Endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, AND
• Occurs for the purpose of pledging, initiation into, affiliation with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members include students.

Key Points for McLennan County Families:

• Location Doesn’t Matter: On-campus, off-campus, at retreats, in private homes—all covered
• Mental OR Physical Harm: Psychological abuse qualifies equally with physical injury
• “Reckless” is Enough: They don’t need to intend harm—just be reckless about known risks
• No Consent Defense: §37.155 explicitly states consent is not a defense

§37.152 Criminal Penalties:

• Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing without serious injury (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine)
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing causing injury requiring medical treatment
• State Jail Felony: Hazing causing serious bodily injury or death

Additional Criminal Provisions:

• Failure to Report: Members/officers who know about hazing and don’t report it face misdemeanor charges
• Retaliation Protection: Those who report in good faith are protected from retaliation

§37.153 Organizational Liability:

• Organizations can be fined up to $10,000 per violation
• Universities can revoke recognition and ban organizations
• Both individuals AND organizations face accountability

3.2 Criminal vs Civil Cases: Understanding the Difference

Criminal Cases (State vs Individuals/Orgs):

• Prosecutor: District Attorney or County Attorney files charges
• Purpose: Punishment (jail, fines, probation)
• Common Charges: Hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to minors, manslaughter in fatal cases
• Burden of Proof: Beyond a reasonable doubt
• Example: Harris County DA charging Pi Kappa Phi members in the UH case

Civil Cases (Victim/Family vs Responsible Parties):

• Plaintiff: Injured student or family files lawsuit
• Purpose: Compensation and accountability
• Common Claims: Negligence, gross negligence, wrongful death, emotional distress
• Burden of Proof: Preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not)
• Example: Bermudez family’s $10 million lawsuit against UH and Pi Kappa Phi

Critical Insight for Bruceville-Eddy Families:

• No Criminal Conviction Required: You can pursue civil action even if no criminal charges are filed
• Different Standards: Civil cases have lower burden of proof
• Different Goals: Criminal seeks punishment; civil seeks compensation and prevention
• Can Run Concurrently: Both cases can proceed simultaneously

3.3 Federal Overlay: Stop Campus Hazing Act, Title IX, Clery

Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024):

• Requires colleges receiving federal aid to report hazing incidents transparently
• Mandates strengthened hazing education and prevention programs
• Phased implementation through 2026, creating more public data

Title IX Applications:

• When hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based hostility
• Creates additional investigative obligations for universities
• Can provide separate legal claims alongside state hazing law

Clery Act Reporting:

• Requires reporting certain crimes in annual security reports
• Hazing incidents involving assault, alcohol crimes, or other reportable offenses must be included
• Failure to report properly can lead to federal fines and loss of funding

3.4 Who Can Be Liable in a Civil Hazing Lawsuit

Individual Students:

• Those who planned, supplied alcohol, carried out acts, or helped cover up
• Chapter officers with supervisory responsibility
• Personal Liability: Individuals can face personal financial responsibility

Local Chapter/Organization:

• The campus chapter as a legal entity (if incorporated)
• Chapter housing corporations
• Alumni associations supporting the chapter

National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters:

• Based on prior knowledge of patterns
• Failure to properly supervise or train
• Inadequate response to prior incidents
• Deep Pockets: Often have significant insurance coverage

University or Governing Board:

• Public Universities (UH, Texas A&M, UT): Some sovereign immunity but exceptions exist
• Private Universities (SMU, Baylor): Fewer immunity protections
• Liability based on: prior warnings, policy enforcement, deliberate indifference

Third Parties:

• Property owners/landlords of chapter houses
• Bars or alcohol providers (dram shop liability)
• Security companies or event organizers
• Multiple Insurance Policies: Can expand available compensation sources

For a Bruceville-Eddy family with a student at Baylor (private) versus Texas A&M (public), the defendant landscape differs significantly. Our experience with both public institutional defendants (BP Texas City litigation) and private university cases prepares us for either scenario.

4. National Hazing Case Patterns: Lessons for Texas Families

4.1 Alcohol Poisoning & Death Pattern

Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017)

• What Happened: Bid-acceptance event with forced drinking, Piazza fell multiple times suffering fatal head injuries,