The Texas Hazing Crisis: A Complete Legal Guide for Parents in Channing, Texas, and Hartley County

If Your Child Was Hazed at a Texas University, You Are Not Alone

Imagine your child, a bright student from our Panhandle community, is new to campus life. They joined a fraternity, sorority, or campus group to find friendship and belonging. Instead, they are subjected to relentless pressure: forced to drink dangerous amounts of alcohol, deprived of sleep for days, beaten with paddles, or humiliated in group chats. They are injured, scared, and feel completely trapped—afraid to report it for fear of retaliation, social isolation, or “getting the chapter in trouble.” This is not a dramatic exaggeration. This is the reality of modern hazing, and it is happening right now on Texas campuses where students from Channing, Hartley County, and communities across the Panhandle pursue their education.

For families in Channing, Dumas, and throughout Hartley County, the college journey often leads south to institutions like West Texas A&M University in nearby Canyon, or further to major hubs like Texas Tech University in Lubbock, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M in College Station, or the University of Houston. Wherever your child attends school, the risk is real, and the consequences can be catastrophic.

Right now, our firm is fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country, right here in Texas. We represent Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who suffered rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure after brutal hazing by the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter. His urine turned brown, he was hospitalized for four days, and he faces the risk of permanent kidney damage. The detailed allegations—including a degrading “pledge fanny pack,” forced overeating until vomiting, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and extreme physical workouts—are outlined in a $10 million lawsuit against UH, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, and 13 fraternity leaders. The chapter has been shut down. This case, covered by Click2Houston and ABC13, proves that severe, life-altering hazing is not a relic of the past. It is a present and active threat.

This guide is for you—the parents, families, and students in Channing and across Texas who need clear, factual information and a path forward. We will explain what hazing really looks like in 2025, break down Texas and federal law, connect national tragedies to local risks, and provide a concrete action plan. You have rights, and there is a way to hold powerful institutions accountable.

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). We provide immediate help—that’s why we’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

In the first 48 hours:

• Get medical attention immediately, even if the student insists they are “fine.”
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Screenshot group chats, texts, and DMs immediately.
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles.
  • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects).
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team.
  • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
  • Post details on public social media.
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. We can help preserve it and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: It’s More Than Just “Bad Pranks”

For families in Channing, the idea of hazing might seem like distant headlines or old movies about frat house antics. The reality in 2025 is far more systematic, digitally enabled, and dangerous. Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—on or off campus—that endangers a student’s mental or physical health for the purpose of joining or maintaining membership in a group. Critically, under Texas law, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

The Four Modern Categories of Hazing

1. Alcohol and Substance Hazing
This remains the leading cause of hazing deaths nationwide. It’s not “just drinking.” It is coerced, rapid consumption as a condition of membership.

• Forced drinking games: “Lineups,” “century club,” “Big/Little” nights where a pledge is given a handle of liquor.
• Coerced drug use: Pressure to consume unknown substances or excessive amounts.
• The Deadly Pattern: This is exactly what killed Stone Foltz at Bowling Green (Pi Kappa Alpha), Max Gruver at LSU (Phi Delta Theta), and Andrew Coffey at Florida State (Pi Kappa Phi).

2. Physical Hazing
This extends beyond paddling to calculated, exhausting abuse disguised as “training.”

• Extreme Calisthenics: “Smokings” with hundreds of push-ups or squats until collapse (as in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case).
• Pain-Based Rituals: Paddling, beating, branding, or exposure to extreme cold/heat.
• Deprivation: Systematic sleep, food, or water deprivation over days or weeks.
• Dangerous “Tests”: Blindfolded tackles (“glass ceiling” ritual that killed Michael Deng of Pi Delta Psi), forced fights, or dangerous drives.

3. Psychological & Sexualized Hazing
This inflicts deep, lasting trauma through humiliation and violation.

• Sexualized Acts: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts (“elephant walk”), sexual assault.
• Degrading Humiliation: Wearing demeaning costumes, public “roasts,” being covered in filth.
• Verbal Abuse & Isolation: Constant yelling, insults, cutting off contact with family and non-member friends.

4. Digital Hazing
This is the new frontier, creating a 24/7 environment of control and fear.

• Group Chat Tyranny: Mandatory 24/7 monitoring of GroupMe, WhatsApp, or Discord with instant response demands.
• Social Media Humiliation: Forced to post embarrassing TikToks, Instagram stories, or compromising photos.
• Cyberstalking & Control: Required location sharing via Find My Friends or Snapchat Map.
• Evidence & Cover-Up: Hazing is planned over texts, and evidence is often deleted after the fact.

Where Hazing Happens: It’s Not Just Fraternities

While fraternities and sororities are often at the center, hazing is a systemic campus problem:

• Fraternities & Sororities (IFC, Panhellenic, NPHC, Multicultural chapters).
• Athletic Teams (football, baseball, cheer, soccer—as seen in the Northwestern University scandal).
• Corps of Cadets & ROTC (with deep traditions that can cross into abuse).
• Marching Bands and Performance Groups.
• Spirit and “Secret” Societies (like Texas Cowboys or A&M’s Ross Volunteers).

The common thread is a dynamic of power imbalance, tradition, and secrecy that overrides individual safety and university policy.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: A Clear Framework for Channing Families

Texas has specific laws to address hazing, but navigating them requires understanding both criminal penalties and civil liability. For a family in Channing, a case might involve local police, campus police hours away, and complex civil courts. Here is what you need to know.

Texas Education Code: Chapter 37, Subchapter F (The Hazing Statute)

The law defines hazing broadly and establishes clear penalties.

§ 37.151 Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the physical or mental health of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership in a group. Location (on or off campus) does not matter.

§ 37.152 Criminal Penalties:

• Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes no serious bodily injury. (Up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine).
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes bodily injury requiring medical treatment.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.

§ 37.155 Consent is NOT a Defense: This is critical. It doesn’t matter if your child “agreed” to participate. The law recognizes the coercive power of peer pressure and the desire to belong.

§ 37.153 Organizational Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be fined up to $10,000 and lose university recognition.

§ 37.154 Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting: Individuals who report hazing or call for medical help in an emergency are protected from liability. This is meant to break the code of silence.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Two Paths to Accountability

Criminal Cases

• Brought by: The State of Texas (local or campus police, district attorney).
• Goal: Punishment (jail, fines, probation).
• Charges: Hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to a minor, manslaughter in fatal cases.
• Your Role: Your family is a witness. The prosecutor decides whether to file charges.

Civil Lawsuits

• Brought by: The victim and their family (with attorneys like us).
• Goal: Financial compensation for damages and institutional accountability.
• Claims: Negligence, gross negligence, wrongful death, negligent supervision, emotional distress.
• Key Fact: You do not need a criminal conviction to file a civil suit. They are separate paths.

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

Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): This new federal law requires colleges receiving federal funds to publicly report hazing incidents and strengthen prevention programs. Transparency is increasing.

Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment, assault, or gender-based discrimination, the university has a legal duty to investigate and address it under federal law.

Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain campus crimes, which can include hazing-related assaults or alcohol offenses.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Hazing Lawsuit?

A robust legal strategy identifies every responsible party, which is where our investigative data engine proves invaluable.

1. Individual Students: The members who planned, carried out, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: The fraternity/sorority chapter as an entity.
3. The National Organization: Headquarters that collect dues, set policies, and have a history of similar incidents (proving “foreseeability”). We track these entities meticulously.
4. The University: For negligence in supervision, failure to enforce policies, or “deliberate indifference” to known risks. Public universities (UT, A&M, UH) have some immunity, but exceptions exist.
5. Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, bars that over-served alcohol (dram shop liability), or security companies.

National Hazing Tragedies: The Patterns That Repeat in Texas

Understanding national cases is not about dwelling on the past; it’s about proving patterns. When the same fraternity uses the same dangerous “tradition” at a Texas school that killed a student in Ohio, it shows the national organization knew the risk and failed to prevent it. This is a cornerstone of civil liability.

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern

Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017): A bid-acceptance night of forced drinking led to fatal falls down stairs. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. Dozens faced criminal charges, leading to Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.

Max Gruver – LSU, Phi Delta Theta (2017): A “Bible study” drinking game where wrong answers meant chugging liquor. Gruver died with a 0.495% BAC. This led to Louisiana’s Max Gruver Act, a felony hazing statute.

Stone Foltz – Bowling Green, Pi Kappa Alpha (2021): A “Big/Little” night where Foltz was forced to drink a bottle of whiskey. He died of alcohol poisoning. The chapter was expelled, members were convicted, and the family reached a $10 million settlement.

Andrew Coffey – Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi (2017): Another “Big Brother” night with a handle of liquor. Coffey’s death led to FSU suspending all Greek life.

Physical & Ritualized Violence

Chun “Michael” Deng – Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi (2013): Pledges were blindfolded, weighted with backpacks, and repeatedly tackled during a “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. Deng suffered fatal brain trauma. The national fraternity was criminally convicted and banned from Pennsylvania.

Danny Santulli – Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta (2021): Forced to drink a bottle of vodka during a “pledge dad reveal.” He survived but suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage, requiring 24/7 care for life. His family settled with 22 defendants.

Athletic Program Hazing

Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): A massive scandal alleging sexualized and racist hazing within the football program. It led to the firing of the head coach, multiple lawsuits, and a confidential settlement, proving hazing is endemic in high-revenue sports.

What This Means for Channing Families: These are not isolated incidents. They are blueprints. The same organizations—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta—that caused these tragedies have active chapters at Texas universities. Their national headquarters cannot claim ignorance.

The Texas University Landscape: Where Channing Families Send Their Kids

Families in Channing and Hartley County have deep educational connections across the state. Your child might be at a nearby Panhandle school, a major research university, or a private institution. Each campus has its own Greek ecosystem and history of incidents.

West Texas A&M University (Canyon, TX) – The Local Connection

For many Channing students, WTAMU in nearby Randall County is a primary destination. It’s a campus with a growing Greek life community and its own set of challenges and oversight mechanisms.

Campus Snapshot: A key regional university in the Texas A&M System with active fraternity and sorority life, athletic teams, and campus organizations.

Hazing Policy & Reporting: WTAMU prohibits hazing as defined by Texas law. Reports can be made to the Dean of Students’ Office, WTAMU Police, or anonymously through campus hotlines. The university is subject to the Texas A&M System’s regulations.

Potential Jurisdiction for Channing Families: A hazing incident at WTAMU would involve the Randall County Sheriff’s Office or Canyon Police for criminal matters, and civil suits could be filed in Randall County courts. This geographic proximity means Channing families could be dealing with legal proceedings much closer to home.

Action Steps for WTAMU Families: Document everything and report to both WTAMU authorities and local police. The university’s process is separate from the criminal or civil justice system. Contacting a lawyer familiar with the Texas A&M System’s legal strategies is crucial.

Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX) – The Panhandle Anchor

As the major research university of the South Plains, Texas Tech draws many students from our region. Its large Greek community has a significant presence.

Campus Snapshot: A major public university with a vast array of fraternities, sororities, and student organizations.

Documented Concerns: Greek life at Texas Tech has faced scrutiny and periodic suspensions for hazing violations, often related to alcohol. The scale of the community means risks are distributed across many organizations.

Legal Landscape: Incidents may involve the Lubbock Police Department and the Lubbock County District Attorney. Texas Tech, as a public institution, will assert sovereign immunity in civil suits, requiring skilled legal navigation to overcome.

University of Texas at Austin – The Flagship

UT Austin’s Greek life is large, historic, and under a microscope. The university maintains one of the most transparent hazing violation logs in the country.

Public Hazing Log: UT publicly lists organizations found responsible for hazing, including sanctions. Recent entries include:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members directed to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics. Sanction: Probation and mandatory education.
• Other Spirit & Service Groups: Multiple sanctions for forced workouts, alcohol-related hazing, and degrading activities.

Why This Matters: This public log is a treasure trove for proving pattern and knowledge. If a fraternity with prior violations on UT’s log hazes a new victim, we can show the university and national organization were on notice.

Texas A&M University – Tradition and Risk

The culture at A&M, including its massive Corps of Cadets and robust Greek system, carries unique hazing risks wrapped in the cloak of “tradition.”

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Chemical Burns Case (~2021): Pledges alleged being subjected to strenuous activity and having substances, including industrial-strength cleaner, poured on them, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. The chapter was suspended, and lawsuits were filed.

Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged degrading hazing, including being bound between beds in a simulated sexual position with an apple in his mouth. He sought over $1 million in damages.

Legal Takeaway: A&M vigorously defends itself and its traditions. Cases require attorneys who understand both the institutional culture of A&M and how to fight its deep-pocketed defense.

University of Houston – Our Active Battlefield

As detailed at the outset, UH is the site of our flagship Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi case. This is not historical; it is active, ongoing litigation.

Prior UH Incidents: The university has suspended chapters for hazing, including a prior Pi Kappa Alpha case where a pledge suffered a lacerated spleen.

UH’s Response: In the Bermudez case, UH labeled the conduct “deeply disturbing” and cooperated with the fraternity national’s investigation. This demonstrates the standard institutional playbook: express concern, promise action, but prepare for a legal fight.

Southern Methodist University & Baylor University

These private institutions have their own Greek life challenges, often with less public transparency than state schools.

SMU: As a private university, it faces different legal hurdles (less sovereign immunity) but often tightly controls information. Past incidents have led to chapter suspensions.

Baylor: Still navigating the shadow of its athletic scandal, Baylor has faced hazing issues within its baseball program and Greek life, emphasizing its “zero tolerance” policy.

The Organizations Behind the Letters: A Data-Driven Look

National fraternities and sororities are not just social clubs; they are complex organizations with legal structures, insurance policies, and documented histories. For Channing families, understanding this network is key to holding the right parties accountable. We maintain a Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine built from public records to map this landscape.

Public Records Directory: The Texas Greek Ecosystem

Our engine compiles data from IRS filings (B83 organizations), university rosters, and commercial databases. Below is a sample of the kind of organizational footprint we track. This is not an accusation against these groups but a demonstration of the vast, interconnected system behind campus Greek life.

Sample IRS-Registered Texas Greek Entities (EIN, Legal Name, City):

• 133048786 – KAPPA SIGMA – MU CAMMA CHAPTER INC, COLLEGE STATION, TX 77845
• 237098953 – ZETA BETA CHAPTER OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY INC, PRAIRIE VIEW, TX 77446
• 462267515 – BETA NU PI KAPPA PHI FRATERNITY HOUSING CORPORATION INC, FRISCO, TX 75035
• 746064445 – PI KAPPA ALPHA FRATERNITY, NEDERLAND, TX 77627
• 751565336 – FARM HOUSE FRATERNITY INC, LUBBOCK, TX 79416
• 812525354 – ALPHA SIGMA PHI FRATERNITY INC, COLLEGE STATION, TX 77845
• 882755427 – SIGMA ALPHA EPSILON – TEXAS SIGMA INCORPORATED, SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
• 900293166 – HONOR SOCIETY OF PHI KAPPA PHI, COLLEGE STATION, TX 77843

Metro Area Concentration (From Cause IQ Data):

• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metro: Over 500 Greek-related organizations.
• Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metro: Over 180 organizations.
• Austin-Round Rock Metro: Over 150 organizations.
• Lubbock Metro: Nearly 60 organizations.

This data allows us to identify not just the undergraduate chapter, but also the alumni housing corporation, the educational foundation, and the national entity—each a potential source of liability and insurance coverage.

National Histories Create Legal Liability

When we take on a case, we investigate the national organization’s historical pattern. For example:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ): National pattern of fatal alcohol hazing (Stone Foltz, David Bogenberger). If a Texas chapter repeats this, we argue the national had “foreseeable” knowledge.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ): A history of lawsuits nationwide, including the chemical burn case at Texas A&M and a traumatic brain injury case at Alabama.
• Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ): The Max Gruver death in Louisiana sets a precedent for the dangers of their “Bible study” drinking tradition.

This “pattern evidence” is powerful in court. It defeats the defense of “this was a rogue chapter” or “we didn’t know this could happen.”

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

Pursuing justice is a methodical process. For families in Channing feeling overwhelmed, here is what building a case entails.

Critical Evidence: The Digital Trail is Everything

Modern hazing lives on phones. Preserving this evidence is the single most important step.

1. Group Chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage): Screenshot entire threads with timestamps and sender names visible. These show planning, coercion, and boasting after the fact.
2. Social Media (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok): Save stories, posts, and DMs that reference events, injuries, or humiliation.
3. Photos & Videos: Document injuries immediately and over subsequent days. Save any media the organization itself created.
4. Medical Records: Go to the ER or a doctor immediately. Tell them you were hazed. These records objectively link injuries to the incident.
5. University Records: Through legal discovery, we can obtain the organization’s prior conduct history with the school.
6. Witness Information: Names and contact info for other pledges, roommates, or bystanders.

Watch our video on using your phone to document evidence for a step-by-step guide.

Recoverable Damages: What Civil Lawsuits Seek

A civil case compensates for the profound harm caused. Damages fall into key categories:

Economic Damages (Tangible Losses):

• Medical Expenses: Past and future ER visits, hospitalizations, surgery, therapy, medications.
• Lost Wages & Earning Capacity: Time off work, or reduced lifetime earnings due to permanent disability (e.g., brain injury).
• Educational Costs: Lost tuition, fees, or scholarships due to withdrawal or medical leave.

Non-Economic Damages (Intangible Harm):

• Physical Pain & Suffering: From injuries and recovery.
• Emotional Distress & Psychological Harm: PTSD, depression, anxiety, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life.
• Disfigurement or Permanent Disability.

Wrongful Death Damages (For Families):

• Funeral and burial costs.
• Loss of financial support, love, companionship, and guidance.
• Emotional suffering of the surviving family.

Punitive Damages: In egregious cases where conduct is malicious or recklessly indifferent, courts can award punitive damages to punish the defendant and deter future behavior.

Overcoming Institutional Defense Tactics

Universities and national fraternities have sophisticated playbooks. We know them because our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, used to be an insurance defense lawyer for large companies. Common defenses we dismantle include:

• “The Victim Consented”: Texas law explicitly voids this defense.
• “It Was a Rogue Chapter”: We use pattern evidence from the national’s history to prove foreseeability.
• “It Happened Off-Campus”: Liability is based on control and sponsorship, not just geography.
• “We Have Anti-Hazing Policies”: We show the gap between paper policies and lax enforcement.
• Sovereign Immunity (for public schools): We argue exceptions for gross negligence or sue individuals in their personal capacity.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Channing Parents and Students

For Parents: A Step-by-Step Action Plan

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: Get medical care immediately. Health comes first.
2. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot everything. Do not let them delete anything out of shame or fear.
3. Document: Write a detailed chronology of events while memories are fresh.
4. Report Carefully: You can report to campus police and local police, but consult a lawyer first to understand the strategic implications.
5. Beware of University “Help”: The Dean of Students’ office may offer internal resolution. Do not sign anything or agree to outcomes without legal counsel. Their goal is often to manage institutional risk.
6. Contact a Specialist: Call a firm with proven hazing experience. General personal injury lawyers lack the specific knowledge to fight national fraternities and universities.

For Students: Your Rights and Safety

• Is This Hazing? If you feel coerced, unsafe, or humiliated to stay in a group, it likely is. Trust your gut.
• You Can Leave: You have the legal right to quit any organization at any time.
• Reporting Protections: Texas law offers immunity for good-faith reporting, especially when calling for medical help.
• Evidence is Your Power: Screenshot, photograph, and save everything, even if it’s embarrassing.

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case

1. Deleting Digital Evidence: This is the #1 error. It looks like a cover-up and destroys your case.
2. Confronting the Organization: This prompts them to destroy evidence and lawyer up.
3. Signing University Agreements: Never sign a “resolution” or “release” from the school without an attorney.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense lawyers scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses graduate, and the statute of limitations runs. In Texas, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file suit. Learn more in our video on Texas statutes of limitations.
6. Talking to Insurance Adjusters Alone: They record statements to minimize your claim. Direct them to your lawyer.

FAQs for Texas Families

Q: Can we sue a university in Texas for hazing?
A: Yes, but it is complex. Public universities have sovereign immunity, but exceptions exist for gross negligence or certain federal claims. Private universities (SMU, Baylor) have fewer immunity barriers. The specific facts of your case determine the strategy.

Q: How much is a hazing case worth?
A: There is no standard answer. Value depends on injury severity, medical costs, long-term impact, evidence strength, and the defendants involved. Nationally, settlements and verdicts have ranged from hundreds of thousands to over $10 million in death cases. We build each case to maximize accountable recovery.

Q: Will our case be public?
A: Most civil cases settle confidentially before trial. We always prioritize our clients’ privacy and can negotiate for sealed records and confidential settlement terms.

Q: How do we pay for a lawyer?
A: We work on a contingency fee basis for personal injury and wrongful death cases. This means you pay no upfront fees. We only get paid if we recover money for you through a settlement or verdict. See how contingency fees work.

Q: What if my child participated willingly?
A: Under Texas Education Code § 37.155, consent is not a defense to hazing. The law recognizes the powerful coercive effects of peer pressure and the desire for belonging.

Why Attorney911 is the Right Firm for Texas Hazing Cases

When your family in Channing is facing a hazing crisis, you need more than a lawyer; you need a strategic ally with specific expertise and the resolve to take on powerful institutions. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) is built for this exact fight.

Our Unique Qualifications for Hazing Litigation

1. Active, High-Stakes Litigation Experience:
We are not theorists. We are currently leading the Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit—a $10 million case against a major university and national fraternity. This is not a historical case study; it is our current, active practice. We are in the trenches right now.

2. Insider Insurance Knowledge (Mr. Lupe Peña):
Mr. Peña (he/him) spent years as an attorney for a national insurance defense firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies value claims, use delay tactics, and argue coverage exclusions. We know their playbook because we used to run it. This insider knowledge is invaluable in securing full and fair compensation.

3. Complex Institutional Litigation Credentials:
Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation, facing down billion-dollar defendants with unlimited legal resources. Taking on a national fraternity or a state university system requires the same caliber of preparedness, expert networks, and federal court experience. We have it.

4. Data-Driven Investigation:
We don’t start from scratch. We deploy our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—a proprietary database built from thousands of public records—to immediately identify all potentially liable entities: local chapters, housing corporations, alumni associations, and national headquarters. This gives us immediate leverage and accelerates the investigation.

5. Dual Civil & Criminal Capability:
Ralph Manginello is a member of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA). We understand how criminal hazing charges interact with civil lawsuits. We can effectively advise clients and witnesses navigating both systems, a rare skillset in civil practice.

6. A Track Record of Results:
We have recovered multi-million dollar settlements for clients in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. We work with life-care planners, economists, and medical experts to build unassailable cases that force serious settlement discussions.

7. We Serve All of Texas, Including Channing and the Panhandle.
Based in Houston, with offices in Austin and Beaumont, we serve families across the state. Whether your child was hazed at WTAMU in Canyon, Texas Tech in Lubbock, or any campus in Texas, we have the knowledge and resources to help. Distance is not a barrier to justice.

Our Promise to You

We approach each case with empathy, recognizing the trauma your family has endured. We fight with tenacity, using every tool at our disposal to uncover the truth and hold the responsible parties accountable. We aim not only for compensation but also for institutional change that prevents future harm.

You Don’t Have to Face This Alone: Contact Us Today

If hazing has impacted your child and your family, the path forward begins with a conversation. We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation to hear your story, explain your legal options, and help you make an informed decision about the best path forward.

During your consultation, we will:

• Listen compassionately to understand what happened.
• Review any evidence you have already gathered.
• Explain the legal landscape and your family’s rights under Texas law.
• Outline potential strategies, including the interplay of criminal and civil actions.
• Discuss our contingency fee structure—no fees unless we win.
• Answer your questions honestly and without pressure.

Hablamos Español. Mr. Lupe Peña provides fluent Spanish-language legal services.

Take the first step toward accountability and healing.

Call Attorney911 Now: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com

Serving families in Channing, Hartley County, the Texas Panhandle, and across the state.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC.

Hazing laws, university policies, and legal precedents can change. The information in this guide is current as of late 2025 but may not reflect the most recent developments. Every hazing case is unique, and outcomes depend on the specific facts, evidence, applicable law, and many other factors.

If you or your child has been affected by hazing, we strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified Texas attorney who can review your specific situation, explain your legal rights, and advise you on the best course of action for your family.

The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911
Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, Texas
Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com