The Complete Guide to Hazing in Texas: A Resource for Families in the Town of Happy and Across the Panhandle

If you are a parent in the Town of Happy, Texas, your worst nightmare might be receiving a phone call in the middle of the night about your child. Imagine your son, a college student eager to find his place, is at an off-campus fraternity house. The room is loud, the pressure is immense, and he is being told that to belong, he must finish a bottle of liquor. He’s scared, but everyone around him is chanting, filming on their phones. He drinks. Hours later, he is alone, severely injured, and terrified to call for help because he’s been told it will “get the brothers in trouble.” This is not a hypothetical. Right now, in Texas, we are fighting this exact battle.

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, operating as Attorney911. We are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™, and we represent victims of severe hazing and their families. Our firm is currently leading one of the most serious hazing lawsuits in the state: the case of Leonel Bermudez versus the University of Houston, Pi Kappa Phi, and others. This guide is written for you—parents, students, and families in the Town of Happy, Tulia, Canyon, Amarillo, and across the Texas Panhandle—to understand the reality of hazing, your legal rights, and how to seek accountability when traditions turn to tragedy.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES:

• If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:
  • Call 911 for medical emergencies.
  • Then call us: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We provide immediate help—that’s why we’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.
• In the first 48 hours:
  • Get medical attention immediately, even if your child insists they are “fine.”
  • Preserve evidence BEFORE it disappears:
    • Screenshot every group chat, text, and DM immediately (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage).
    • Photograph injuries from multiple angles.
    • Save any physical items (clothing, paddles, receipts).
  • Write down everything they tell you while their memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
  • Do NOT:
    • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
    • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
    • Post details on public social media.
    • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” their phone.
• Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence vanishes fast. We can help you preserve it and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Texas

For many families in Happy and the surrounding Swisher County area, college life at big universities can feel distant and unfamiliar. Hazing is not the cartoonish “prank” of old movies. It is a calculated pattern of abuse designed to test loyalty through humiliation and endurance. Under Texas law, hazing is 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. It happens on and off campus.

Modern hazing has evolved into several dangerous categories:

• Alcohol and Substance Hazing: This remains the most common and deadly form. It includes forced consumption during “lineups,” “family tree” drinking games, or “Big/Little” nights where pledges are given handles of liquor. The goal is excessive intoxication, not socialization.
• Physical Hazing: This extends beyond paddling to include extreme, punitive calisthenics called “smokings” (hundreds of push-ups, wall-sits until collapse), sleep deprivation for days, exposure to extreme elements, and dangerous “team-building” drills.
• Sexualized and Humiliating Hazing: This involves forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, degrading costumes, and acts designed to inflict profound shame and psychological damage.
• Digital Hazing: This is the new frontier. Pledges are controlled 24/7 via group chats (GroupMe, Discord), required to share their live location, forced to post humiliating content on social media, and subjected to cyberbullying if they do not comply instantly.

This abuse occurs not just in fraternities and sororities, but in athletic teams, spirit groups like cheer and drumline, military-style organizations like the Corps of Cadets, marching bands, and other campus clubs. The common thread is an imbalance of power, a culture of secrecy, and the exploitation of a young person’s desire to belong.

The Law & Liability Framework: Texas Statutes and Your Rights

As a Texas parent, you need to know the legal landscape. Hazing is not just a violation of university policy; it is a crime with civil consequences.

Texas Education Code, Chapter 37 (Hazing):
Texas law defines hazing broadly and takes it seriously. Key provisions include:

• § 37.151: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers a student’s physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation or affiliation. This applies on or off campus.
• § 37.152: Criminal penalties range from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony if the hazing causes serious bodily injury or death.
• § 37.155: Consent is NOT a defense. Even if your child “agreed,” it does not legalize the activity under Texas law.
• § 37.154: Good-faith reporters who seek medical help or report hazing are granted immunity from certain liabilities, encouraging students to call 911.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases:

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (DA’s office) to punish wrongdoing with jail, fines, or probation. Charges can include hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to minors, or manslaughter.
• Civil Cases: Brought by the victim and their family to seek financial compensation and accountability. This is where we help families recover damages for medical bills, trauma, lost education, and future care. A criminal conviction is not required to file a civil lawsuit.

Who Can Be Held Liable?
A thorough investigation seeks to identify every responsible party, which often includes:

1. The Individuals who planned, participated in, or supervised the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter as an organization.
3. The National Fraternity or Sorority Headquarters that may have ignored prior warnings or failed to enforce its own policies.
4. The University for negligent supervision or deliberate indifference to a known, dangerous pattern.
5. Property Owners of the house or venue where the hazing occurred.
6. Third Parties like bars that illegally furnished alcohol.

A Texas Case in Focus: Leonel Bermudez vs. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi

Right now, our firm is actively litigating a case that exemplifies the brutality and institutional failure we describe. In late 2025, we filed a $10 million lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who pledged the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter.

The Hazing: Bermudez’s fall 2025 pledge period was a regimen of abuse. He was forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, a sex toy, and other humiliating items. He endured enforced dress codes, overnight driving duties, and hours-long interrogations. The physical hazing included sprints, bear crawls, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and being forced to consume milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until he vomited, only to be forced to sprint again.

The climax was a November 3rd “workout” where he was forced to do over 100 push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion. He was not the only victim; another pledge was allegedly hog-tied face-down on a table for over an hour.

The Medical Catastrophe: This abuse led Bermudez to develop rhabdomyolysis—a severe muscle breakdown that flooded his kidneys with toxins. He began passing brown urine, could not stand, and was rushed to the hospital. He was hospitalized for four days with acute kidney failure, facing a risk of permanent organ damage.

The Institutional Response & Our Lawsuit: We filed suit against 17 defendants: the University of Houston, its Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, the chapter’s housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. Following media exposure, Pi Kappa Phi suspended the chapter on November 6, and members voted to surrender their charter on November 14, shutting it down. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing.”

This case, covered by Click2Houston and ABC13, is proof that the most severe hazing is happening here in Texas. We are fighting it. For families in Happy, this case shows the level of investigative depth and legal aggression required to take on a major university and a national fraternity.

The Greek Ecosystem: Where Happy Families Send Their Kids

Parents in the Town of Happy and across Swisher County often have children at a mix of local and statewide institutions. Understanding this landscape is key.

Local and Regional Campuses:

• West Texas A&M University (Canyon, TX): The closest major university to Happy, just south in Randall County. It has active Greek life and is a primary destination for Panhandle students.
• Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX): A major research university and a common choice for students from Happy, with a significant Greek system.
• Other Panhandle & Regional Schools: Students may also attend Amarillo College, or universities like Texas A&M University-Kingsville or the University of Texas Permian Basin.

Major Statewide Hubs:
Many Happy students also head to Texas’s flagship schools, which have dense Greek networks where national patterns play out:

• University of Houston (Houston, TX)
• Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) – including its Corps of Cadets
• University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
• Baylor University (Waco, TX)
• Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX)

The same national fraternities and sororities that have made headlines for deaths and injuries in other states have chapters at these very Texas schools. For example, Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike), linked to the Stone Foltz death at Bowling Green, has chapters at UT, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech. Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), involved in numerous lawsuits, has chapters at nearly every major Texas campus.

Public Records: The Texas Greek Organizational Network

One of our firm’s core advantages is our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine. We maintain and analyze public data on hundreds of Greek organizations registered in Texas. This means we don’t start from zero; we know how to find the entities that may hold insurance and liability.

For families in the Panhandle region, here is a snapshot of the registered Greek organizations in the Amarillo metro area and those connected to schools your children may attend. These are public IRS (B83) filings:

Panhandle & West Texas Region:

• Frank Heflin Foundation, EIN 20-3507402, Canyon, TX 79015. (Phi Delta Theta alumni fund connected to West Texas A&M).
• Chi Omega – Upsilon Zeta Building Association, EIN 75-2290669, Amarillo, TX 79118. (Chapter housing entity).
• Kappa Alpha Order – Gamma Sigma Chapter, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX.
• Numerous Delta Kappa Gamma Society chapters (educators’ sorority) in Amarillo, Canyon, and surrounding towns.

Connected to Major Texas Universities:

• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc, EIN 74-1380362, Fort Worth, TX 76147. (Supports Kappa Sigma chapters statewide).
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, EIN 90-0293166, College Station, TX 77843. (Texas A&M University chapter).
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc, EIN 46-2267515, Frisco, TX 75035. (The housing corp for the UH chapter in our lawsuit).
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, EIN 36-4091267, Waco, TX 76710. (Chapter at Baylor University).

This data, combined with campus rosters and national histories, allows us to map the entire network of liability behind a single hazing incident. We use this to ensure no responsible entity escapes accountability.

National Patterns, Local Consequences: Lessons from Landmark Cases

The tragedy in Houston follows a national script. Understanding these patterns shows why universities and nationals are often found liable.

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injury after a forced drinking event. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. Result: Dozens of criminal charges, a new Pennsylvania law, and confidential civil settlements.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Died from alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink a bottle of liquor. Result: A $10 million settlement ($7M from nationals, ~$3M from the university).
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died from alcohol toxicity after a “Bible study” drinking game. Result: The Max Gruver Act making hazing a felony in Louisiana, and a $6.1 million verdict for his family.
• Danny Santulli (Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. Result: Settlements with 22 defendants for his lifetime care.

These cases establish critical legal principles: the foreseeability of harm from forced drinking, the liability of nationals who fail to act on known patterns, and the duty of universities to protect students. When a Texas chapter repeats these identical “traditions,” they and their national organizations cannot claim ignorance.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

If hazing has harmed your family, building a powerful case requires immediate and strategic action. Our approach combines investigative rigor with legal experience.

Critical Evidence We Pursue:

1. Digital Evidence: Deleted GroupMe chats, Discord logs, Instagram/Snapchat messages. We work with digital forensics experts to recover what has been erased.
2. Internal Documents: Chapter “pledge manuals,” national risk management policies, emails between actives and alumni advisors.
3. University Records: Prior conduct violations for the same group, Clery Act reports, internal investigation files obtained through discovery.
4. Medical Evidence: Complete records detailing the injury—from ER admission to long-term psychological care for PTSD, depression, or anxiety.
5. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, roommates, and bystanders.

Our Strategic Advantages:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as a defense lawyer for a national insurance firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers try to deny, delay, and minimize claims. We know their playbook because we used to run it.
• Complex Litigation Experience: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by billion-dollar institutions, national fraternities, or their high-powered defense teams.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Insight: Ralph’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.

Damages in a Hazing Case:
A civil lawsuit seeks to make the victim and family whole, and to hold offenders accountable. Recoverable damages can include:

• Economic Damages: All medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, costs of psychological care, and diminished future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional suffering, humiliation, PTSD, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In the ultimate tragedy, families can seek compensation for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and their own emotional anguish.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of particularly egregious conduct, courts may award damages to punish the defendant and deter future behavior.

Practical Guide for Happy Parents & Students

For Parents – Warning Signs:

• Physical: Unexplained injuries (bruises, burns, limping), extreme exhaustion, drastic weight change.
• Behavioral: Becoming secretive or defensive about organization activities, withdrawing from family and old friends, intense fear of “getting brothers in trouble.”
• Academic: Sudden drop in grades, skipping class, falling asleep in school.
• Digital: Being glued to their phone due to constant group chat demands, anxiety when messages come in, suddenly deleting social media or messages.

For Students – If You’re Being Hazed:

• Your Safety First: If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Texas law provides protections for good-faith reporters seeking medical help.
• You Can Leave: You have the legal right to resign your pledge or membership at any time. Send a clear text or email to the chapter president, and tell a trusted adult or university official.
• Preserve Evidence: Screenshot everything. Take photos of injuries. Do not delete messages, even embarrassing ones. Our video on using your phone to document evidence explains how.
• Report It: You can report anonymously to the National Anti-Hazing Hotline (1-888-NOT-HAZE), or directly to your university’s Dean of Students or Office of Student Conduct.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case:

1. Deleting Evidence: “Cleaning up” group chats or photos destroys your case.
2. Confronting the Chapter First: This gives them time to destroy evidence and coordinate a story.
3. Signing University Paperwork: Do not sign any “resolution” or waiver from the school without an attorney’s review.
4. Posting on Social Media: Public posts can be used against you by defense lawyers.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and Texas has a statute of limitations. Learn more about filing deadlines here.

Why Attorney911 for Your Hazing Case

When your family is in crisis, you need advocates who understand both the emotional trauma and the complex legal battlefield. From our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we serve families across Texas, including those in the Town of Happy, Amarillo, Lubbock, and throughout the Panhandle.

We are not just personal injury lawyers. We are hazing litigation specialists. We combine Mr. Peña’s insider insurance knowledge, Ralph Manginello’s experience against institutional giants, and a data-driven investigative strategy to build uncompromising cases for our clients. We work on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we win.

Our Spanish-speaking team, led by Mr. Peña, is available to serve Hispanic families with compassion and understanding.

Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation

If hazing has impacted your child and your family, you do not have to navigate this alone. The institutions involved will have lawyers protecting their interests from day one. You deserve the same fierce advocacy.

We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to listen to your story, review any evidence you have, and explain your legal options clearly and honestly. We will discuss the realistic path forward, whether that involves a civil lawsuit, navigating a university process, or both.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911 today:

• Call our 24/7 line: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct: (713) 528-9070
• Website: https://attorney911.com
• Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com

Hablamos Español. We are here to help you find answers, secure accountability, and fight for a future where no student from Happy or anywhere else has to endure this abuse.

Legal Disclaimer: This guide 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 law. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.