Hazing & Campus Abuse: A Complete Guide for Temple, Texas Families
Your Child’s Safety Is Everything. Hazing Isn’t “Tradition”—It’s a Legal Emergency. We’re Attorney911. We Help Texas Families Fight Back.
As a parent in Temple, your worst nightmare might be that late-night call from your child away at college. But what if the danger wasn’t at a random party, but came from the very organization they trusted—a fraternity, sorority, or campus group promising brotherhood, sisterhood, and belonging? Right now, in our own state, a Texas student and his family are living through that exact nightmare. In late 2025, we filed a $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and 13 individual fraternity leaders.
Leonel, a transfer student, endured a fall 2025 pledge period of humiliation, forced labor, and violence that nearly killed him. He was forced to carry a degrading “pledge fanny pack” 24/7. He was sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding.” He was hog-tied, forced to consume milk and hot dogs until he vomited, and then made to sprint. After a brutal workout of over 100 push-ups and 500 squats, his body began to shut down. He was hospitalized for four days with rhabdomyolysis—severe muscle breakdown—and acute kidney failure. His urine was brown. He faces a real risk of permanent kidney damage.
This is not an isolated incident. It is proof that severe, life-threatening hazing is happening at Texas universities right now. The Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter was shut down. The University of Houston called the conduct “deeply disturbing.” But for the victim and his family, the physical, emotional, and financial aftermath is just beginning. That’s where we come in.
If you are a parent in Temple, Salado, Belton, or anywhere in Bell County and Central Texas, this guide is for you. Your child might attend a local campus like Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen or University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton. Or, like many Texas families, you may have a student at a major hub like Texas A&M in College Station, the University of Texas at Austin, Baylor, SMU, or UH. Wherever they are, you have the right to know what hazing really is, how Texas law protects your child, and what powerful legal tools exist to hold every responsible party accountable—from the individual student who swung the paddle to the national fraternity headquarters that ignored repeated warnings.
We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911). We are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. We represent victims of catastrophic injury and wrongful death, and we are currently leading the fight in one of Texas’s most serious active hazing lawsuits. This comprehensive guide will arm you with knowledge, expose the patterns, and show you why experience matters when taking on universities and billion-dollar national fraternities.
IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES
- If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:
- Call 911 for medical emergencies.
- Then call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We provide immediate help—that’s our promise.
- In the first 48 hours:
- Get medical attention immediately. Conditions like rhabdomyolysis or internal injuries can be fatal if untreated.
- Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted: Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, texts), photograph injuries from multiple angles, save any physical items (clothing, paddles).
- Write down everything your child tells you: names, dates, locations, specific acts.
- Do NOT:
- Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team.
- Sign anything from the university or an insurance adjuster.
- Let your child delete messages or “clean up” their phone.
- Post details on public social media.
- Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. Universities move quickly to control the narrative. We can help you secure the evidence and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.
1. Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like (Beyond the Stereotypes)
Hazing is not just “boys being boys” or a harmless prank. It is a calculated abuse of power designed to create loyalty through fear, humiliation, and trauma. For Temple families, understanding its modern forms is the first step to recognizing danger.
A Modern, Texas-Legal Definition
Under Texas law (Education Code Chapter 37), hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student for the purpose of joining, maintaining membership in, or holding office in any organization. The act must endanger the mental or physical health or safety of the student. It can occur on or off campus. Critically, the victim’s “consent” is not a defense.
The Four Tiers of Modern Hazing
1. Subtle Hazing: The “Gateway”
This establishes power imbalance and seems “harmless.” It conditions new members to accept control.
- Mandatory servitude: Being on-call for rides, cleaning, errands for older members at all hours.
- Social isolation: Being told they cannot socialize with non-members, family, or romantic partners.
- Deception: Being sworn to secrecy, told to lie to parents, RAs, or university officials.
- Digital control: Required to have location-sharing apps (like Find My Friends) active 24/7 for monitoring.
2. Harassment Hazing: Active Discomfort
This causes emotional distress or physical discomfort.
- Sleep deprivation: “Late-night study sessions” or 3 AM wake-up calls for meaningless tasks.
- Verbal abuse: Yelling, insults, degrading name-calling, public “roasts.”
- Forced consumption: Eating excessive amounts of bland food (milk, bread, raw onions) or unpleasant substances.
- Strenuous activity: “Smokings” or forced calisthenics (wall-sits until collapse, endless push-ups) framed as “conditioning.”
3. Violent Hazing: High Risk of Injury or Death
This is where lives are destroyed, as in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case.
- Forced/coerced alcohol consumption: “Family tree” drinking games, “Big/Little” nights with handles of liquor, lineups, keg stands until vomiting or passing out.
- Physical beatings: Paddling, punching, slapping, kicking.
- Sexualized hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts (e.g., “elephant walk”), sexual assault.
- Dangerous “traditions”: “Glass ceiling” tackling rituals, kidnapping and abandonment, exposure to extreme cold/heat.
- Chemical hazing: Being doused with irritating substances (like the industrial cleaner used in a Texas A&M Sigma Alpha Epsilon case that caused severe chemical burns).
4. Digital Hazing: The 24/7 Torment
Smartphones have created a relentless new frontier.
- Group chat terror: Hundreds of mandatory, degrading messages daily; instant punishment for slow replies.
- Social media humiliation: Being forced to post embarrassing TikToks or Instagram stories; online “shaming” pages.
- Cyber-coercion: Threats and harassment via DM if the victim considers quitting.
Where It Happens: While fraternities and sororities are often the focus, hazing pervades:
- Corps of Cadets and ROTC programs
- Athletic teams (football, basketball, baseball, cheer)
- Spirit and tradition groups (like Texas Cowboys or Aggie Bonfire legacy crews)
- Marching bands and performance ensembles
- Academic clubs and honor societies
The common thread is a dynamic where those in power exploit those seeking acceptance, cloaked in the guise of “tradition” or “team building.”
2. The Texas Law & Liability Framework: Your Legal Roadmap
When hazing occurs, multiple layers of law come into play. For a Temple family, understanding this framework is crucial to knowing who can be held accountable and in which courts—whether in Bell County, Harris County, or federal court.
Texas Hazing Law (Education Code Chapter 37)
The Texas statute is a powerful tool for victims and prosecutors.
- Criminal Penalties: Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. If it causes serious bodily injury, it becomes a state jail felony. Causing death is also a felony. Individuals can also be charged for failing to report hazing they knew about.
- Organizational Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 per violation if it authorized or encouraged the hazing.
- Consent is NOT a Defense: Texas law (§ 37.155) is explicit: a victim’s agreement is irrelevant. Courts recognize that “consent” under peer pressure and threat of exclusion is coerced.
- Good-Faith Reporter Immunity: Someone who reports hazing in good faith is immune from civil or criminal liability for their own minor involvement (e.g., underage drinking). This is meant to encourage calling 911.
Civil Lawsuits: The Path to Accountability and Compensation
A criminal case punishes the perpetrator. A civil lawsuit, which we handle, compensates the victim and holds all responsible institutions accountable. Key legal theories include:
- Negligence/Gross Negligence: The organization failed to exercise reasonable care (e.g., didn’t enforce its own anti-hazing policies).
- Negligent Supervision: The national fraternity or university knew or should have known about dangerous practices and failed to intervene.
- Premises Liability: The property owner (a housing corporation, landlord) allowed dangerous activities on their property.
- Wrongful Death: When hazing results in a fatality.
- Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.
The Federal Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and the Stop Campus Hazing Act
- Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, or creates a hostile environment based on sex, it triggers the university’s Title IX obligations and can form the basis for a federal civil rights claim.
- Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain crimes, including aggravated assault and liquor/drug law violations, which often accompany hazing.
- Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): This new federal law requires colleges to publish more transparent hazing incident reports and strengthen prevention programs. It increases public pressure for accountability.
The Full Universe of Liability: Who Can Be Sued?
A strategic lawsuit casts a wide net to ensure full accountability and identify all available insurance coverage.
- The Individual Perpetrators: The students who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
- The Local Chapter: As a legal entity, it can be sued for creating a dangerous culture.
- The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: They often have deep-pocketed insurance policies and can be liable for negligent supervision if they ignored a pattern of misconduct across chapters.
- The University: Public universities (UH, Texas A&M, UT) have some sovereign immunity, but exceptions exist for gross negligence or constitutional violations. Private schools (SMU, Baylor) have fewer protections. Universities can be liable for failing to protect students from foreseeable harm.
- Alumni Housing Corporations & Property Owners: The entities that own or manage the house where hazing occurred.
- Third Parties: Bars that furnished alcohol to minors, or security companies that failed to act.
3. National Case Patterns: The Playbook Hazing Organizations Use—And How It Fails
The tragic cases below are not just headlines. They are blueprints that show how hazing kills and injures, and how courts and juries are holding organizations responsible. They set legal precedents that benefit Texas families like yours.
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. Result: 18 members charged with over 1,000 crimes; Pennsylvania passed the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law; massive civil settlements.
- Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): A “Bible study” drinking game where wrong answers meant chugging. Max died with a BAC of 0.495%. Result: Felony hazing convictions; Louisiana passed the Max Gruver Act; a $6.1 million civil verdict against individual perpetrators.
- Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of whiskey on “Big/Little” night. Died of alcohol poisoning. Result: Multiple criminal convictions; a $10 million settlement ($7M from Pike nationals, ~$3M from the university).
- Andrew Coffey (Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Died of alcohol poisoning at a “Big Brother” event. Result: Chapter closure; FSU suspended all Greek life.
The Pattern: A named “tradition” night, excessive hard alcohol, peer pressure, delayed medical care, cover-up. The Legal Takeaway: These scripts are foreseeable. Nationals and universities that fail to eradicate them are negligent.
The Physical & Ritualized Violence Pattern
- Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Blinded, weighted with a backpack, and repeatedly tackled in a “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. Died of traumatic brain injury. Result: The national fraternity was criminally convicted of manslaughter and assault. Banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.
- Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of vodka during “pledge dad reveal.” Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage. Cannot walk, talk, or see. Result: Multiple criminal charges; confidential multi-million-dollar settlements with 22 defendants.
The Pattern: Brutal physical tests disguised as rituals, often moved off-campus to “retreats.” The Legal Takeaway: Location is no shield. National organizations are responsible for the violent rituals they allow to persist.
The Institutional Failure Pattern in Athletics
- Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Widespread, sexualized hazing alleged within the program. Result: Head coach Pat Fitzgerald fired; multiple lawsuits; confidential settlements. It proved hazing is not exclusive to Greek life.
For Temple Families: These national patterns matter because the same fraternities—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Phi—have chapters at every major Texas university. The same defenses fail in Texas courts. The same jury outrage leads to substantial verdicts.
4. The Texas & Temple Focus: Where Your Child Goes to School
As a parent in Temple or Bell County, your child’s campus may be minutes away or across the state. Hazing risks exist at all levels. Here is what you need to know about the campuses that serve our community.
Local & Regional Campuses for Temple Families
- Texas A&M University-Central Texas (Killeen, Bell County): Part of the Texas A&M system. While a younger, commuter-heavy campus, students may still form clubs or groups with hazing risks.
- University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Belton, Bell County): A private Baptist university with student organizations. Any close-knit group with initiation rituals carries potential risk.
Jurisdiction: A hazing incident at these local schools would involve Bell County law enforcement and potentially be filed in Bell County courts. The proximity means evidence and witnesses are close, but also that social and community pressures can be intense.
Major Texas Universities Temple Families Attend
Temple is centrally located, with students commonly attending schools across the state. Our firm’s Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine tracks the Greek ecosystems at each.
University of Houston (UH)
Snapshot: A large, diverse urban campus with a significant Greek system governed by multiple councils (IFC, Panhellenic, NPHC, MGC).
Recent Anchor Case: This is the home of the Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit we are actively litigating. It demonstrates severe, systematic hazing occurring at a major Texas public university.
UH’s Greek Landscape (Sample from IRS/Cause IQ Data): The Houston metro area has 188 Greek-related organizations. Entities connected to UH’s campus include:
- Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter (EIN 746084905) – Houston, TX 77204
- Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation (EIN 371768785) – Missouri City, TX 77459
- Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc (EIN 462267515) – Frisco, TX 75035
For Temple Parents: A student at UH is in Harris County. A lawsuit would likely be filed in Harris County District Court. The university’s response to our Pi Kappa Phi case sets a recent benchmark for how they handle—or fail to handle—hazing crises.
Texas A&M University (College Station)
Snapshot: A culture defined by deep tradition, a massive Greek system, and the Corps of Cadets. This combination can amplify hazing risks under the guise of “building character.”
Documented Incidents:
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case (2021): Pledges were allegedly doused with industrial cleaner, raw eggs, and spit, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin graft surgeries. The chapter was suspended; victims filed a lawsuit.
- Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged being bound between beds in a humiliating, sexually suggestive “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth as part of hazing. Sought over $1 million in damages.
Texas A&M’s Greek Landscape: The College Station-Bryan metro has 42 Greek organizations. Examples include: - Sigma Chi Fraternity – Eta Upsilon Chapter – College Station, TX
- Beta Theta Pi – Eta Chapter House Corp. – College Station, TX
- Eta Alpha House Corporation of Kappa Delta Sorority (EIN 742930349) – College Station, TX 77840
For Temple Parents: College Station is in Brazos County. The A&M System’s legal strategy often involves asserting sovereign immunity. Overcoming this requires proven legal strategies showing gross negligence, which we have experience navigating.
University of Texas at Austin
Snapshot: A flagship campus with a highly transparent public hazing violations log—which itself reveals an ongoing problem.
Documented Incidents (From UT’s Public Log):
- Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members were directed to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics. Sanctioned for hazing.
- Texas Wranglers (Spirit Group): Multiple sanctions for forced workouts, alcohol-related hazing, and violation of probation.
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Assault Case (2024): An Australian exchange student allegedly assaulted at a party, suffering a dislocated leg, broken nose, and fractured tibia. Filed a lawsuit for over $1 million.
UT’s Greek Landscape: The Austin-Round Rock metro has 154 Greek organizations. Examples include: - Building Corporation of Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi (EIN 746047117) – Austin, TX 78705
- Texas Rho Housing Corporation (Sigma Alpha Epsilon) – Austin, TX
- Beta Xi House Corp. of Kappa Kappa Gamma – Austin, TX
For Temple Parents: UT’s transparency is a double-edged sword. It provides families with evidence of prior violations (helpful for lawsuits), but also shows hazing persists despite sanctions.
Baylor University (Waco)
Snapshot: A private Christian university with a strong Greek system and a history of institutional scandal that shapes its response to crises.
Documented Incident:
- Baylor Baseball Hazing (2020): 14 players were suspended following a hazing investigation, with staggered suspensions affecting the team’s season.
Baylor’s Greek Landscape: The Waco metro has 27 Greek organizations. Examples include: - Sigma Phi Epsilon Texas Rho Chapter (EIN 741942292) – Waco, TX 76706
- Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Nu Iota Chapter (EIN 521346485) – Waco, TX 76703
- Baylor Panhellenic Alumnae Association – Waco, TX
For Temple Parents: Baylor’s status as a private university changes the legal dynamics, with less sovereign immunity. Its past crises have made it sensitive to publicity, which can affect settlement negotiations.
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Snapshot: An affluent private university in Dallas with a prominent Greek life culture.
Documented Incident:
- Kappa Alpha Order (2017): New members reported being paddled, forced to drink alcohol, and deprived of sleep. The chapter was suspended for years.
SMU’s Greek Landscape: Part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro, which has a staggering 510 Greek organizations. Examples include: - Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc (EIN 741380362) – Fort Worth, TX 76147
- Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity (EIN 742911848) – Fort Worth, TX 76244
- Tri Delta Educational Fund of SMU – Dallas, TX
For Temple Parents: SMU’s private status and wealth mean defendants have resources, but also that the university is highly sensitive to reputational damage, which can be leveraged during litigation.
5. The Organizations Behind the Letters: National Histories Create Local Liability
A fraternity chapter at UT or Texas A&M doesn’t operate in a vacuum. It is part of a national brand with a history—a history that creates legal “foreseeability.” When we sue a national organization, we use their own past to prove they should have known this would happen.
How National Histories Build Your Case
If a Pi Kappa Phi chapter at UH uses forced drinking, and a Pi Kappa Phi chapter at Florida State (Andrew Coffey) died from the same practice, the national headquarters cannot claim ignorance. This pattern evidence is crucial for:
- Defeating the “Rogue Chapter” Defense: Proving the national organization knew or should have known about systemic issues.
- Establishing Negligence: Showing they failed to adequately supervise, train, or enforce policies.
- Supporting Punitive Damages: Demonstrating conscious indifference to a known, grave risk.
A Sample of National Patterns (From Our Incident Database)
- Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ): Stone Foltz death (BGSU, $10M settlement); David Bogenberger death (NIU, $14M settlement). Pattern: Fatal “Big/Little” alcohol hazing.
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ): Carson Starkey death (Cal Poly); traumatic brain injury lawsuit (Alabama); chemical burns lawsuit (Texas A&M); assault lawsuit (UT Austin). Pattern: Pervasive physical and alcohol hazing across decades.
- Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ): Max Gruver death (LSU, $6.1M verdict). Pattern: “Bible study” drinking games.
- Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ): Andrew Coffey death (FSU); Leonel Bermudez injury (UH). Pattern: Severe physical and psychological abuse during pledge periods.
- Kappa Sigma (ΚΣ): Chad Meredith death (Univ. of Miami, $12.6M verdict). Pattern: Alcohol-related dangerous activities.
For Temple Parents: When we take a case, part of our investigation involves subpoenaing the national fraternity’s internal records to uncover every prior complaint, warning, and “educational memo” they ignored. This is how we turn their size against them.
6. Building a Hazing Case: The Attorney911 Data-Driven Approach
Filing a lawsuit is not the first step. The first step is an investigation so thorough it leaves the defense no room to maneuver. This is where our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine and litigation experience create an unmatched advantage for Texas families.
Phase 1: Immediate Evidence Preservation & Investigation
Before we even file, we act to lock in evidence:
- Digital Forensics: Recovering deleted GroupMe, WhatsApp, text, and Snapchat messages. Analyzing social media archives and geolocation data.
- Public Records Mining: Using our proprietary database of over 1,423 Texas Greek entities. We identify every potentially liable organization. For example, we don’t just sue “Pi Kappa Phi.” We identify and sue:
- The national fraternity (Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, Inc.)
- The local housing corporation (Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc., EIN 462267515)
- The chapter officers
- The university and its board of regents
- Witness Identification & Interviews: Contacting other pledges, former members, roommates, and bystanders before they are intimidated or coached by the defense.
Phase 2: Uncovering Institutional Knowledge
We seek to prove that the university and national organization were on notice. We subpoena:
- The university’s prior conduct files for the same chapter.
- All complaints made to the national fraternity’s risk management hotline.
- Internal emails between campus administrators and Greek life advisors.
- The national’s insurance policies and loss runs (history of claims).
Phase 3: Calculating Full Damages
We work with experts to build a comprehensive picture of harm, ensuring we seek full compensation, not just a quick lowball offer.
- Economic Damages: All past and future medical bills, lost wages, diminished earning capacity (if a brain or physical injury limits career options), and educational costs (lost tuition, delayed graduation).
- Non-Economic Damages: Physical pain, emotional distress, humiliation, PTSD, anxiety, depression, loss of enjoyment of life.
- Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and the family’s emotional suffering.
- Punitive Damages: In cases of egregious misconduct or cover-ups, we seek damages to punish the defendants and deter future behavior.
Phase 4: Navigating Insurance & Settlement
This is where Mr. Lupe Peña’s background as a former insurance defense attorney is invaluable. We know how insurers think:
- Identifying All Policies: Fraternity nationals, local housing corps, universities, and individual members’ homeowners policies may all provide coverage.
- Fighting “Intentional Act” Exclusions: Insurers often deny coverage, claiming hazing is intentional. We argue the negligent supervision by the national or university is a separate, covered occurrence.
- Settlement Negotiation: We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial. This readiness forces insurers to offer serious settlement amounts. We have recovered millions for our clients in complex injury cases.
7. Practical Guides for Temple Parents, Students & Witnesses
For Parents: A Step-by-Step Action Plan
- Listen & Support: If your child confides in you, stay calm. Your priority is their safety and health, not assigning blame in the first conversation.
- Seek Medical Care: Even if injuries seem minor. Conditions like concussions, internal bleeding, or rhabdomyolysis can be delayed. A medical record is critical evidence.
- Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot ALL digital communications. Photograph injuries. Save dirty or damaged clothing. Write a detailed, dated summary of what they tell you.
- Report Strategically: You can report to campus police and the Dean of Students, but understand their primary interest may be limiting institutional liability. Consult with an attorney first to understand the implications.
- Secure Legal Counsel Early: Do not wait for the university to “complete its investigation.” Evidence vanishes. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.
For Students/Victims:
- Your Safety First: If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Most Texas schools and state law offer amnesty for underage drinking to those who call for help in good faith.
- You Have the Right to Quit: You can de-pledge or resign membership at any time, for any reason. Send a simple email/text: “I resign my membership/pledgeship, effective immediately.” You do not owe them an explanation or meeting.
- Document Everything: Be a silent historian. Take screenshots, voice memos (Texas is a one-party consent state), and notes.
- Seek Support: Reach out to a trusted professor, campus counselor, or family. You are not alone.
Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case
- Deleting Evidence: What seems embarrassing now is your strongest proof later.
- Confronting the Chapter: This triggers their defense strategy and evidence destruction.
- Signing University Paperwork: Do not sign any “resolution agreements,” waivers, or statements without an attorney.
- Posting on Social Media: Defense investigators monitor everything. Inconsistencies can be used against you.
- Waiting Too Long: Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury, but memories fade and evidence disappears within days.
8. Why Attorney911? Texas Hazing Litigation Is All We Do.
When your family is in crisis, you need specialists, not generalists. Here is why Temple families trust us with their most serious cases:
- We Are Fighting the Biggest Texas Hazing Case Right Now: We are lead counsel for Leonel Bermudez in the $10 million lawsuit against UH and Pi Kappa Phi. We are in the trenches today, not just talking about past cases.
- Insider Insurance Knowledge: Mr. Lupe Peña spent years as an insurance defense attorney for national firms. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny, delay, and minimize your claim. We know their playbook because we used to write it.
- Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants: Attorney Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff’s attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets of national fraternities or university systems. We know how to manage complex, document-intensive litigation against powerful institutions.
- A Data-Driven Investigation Engine: We don’t start from scratch. We maintain the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—a proprietary database of Texas Greek organizations built from IRS filings, university records, and public data. We know the corporate structures and insurance policies behind the letters before we even take your case.
- Proven Results in Catastrophic Injury: We have recovered multi-million dollar settlements for clients with life-altering injuries, including brain damage, amputations, and wrongful death. We work with elite experts to build undeniable cases.
- Spanish-Language Services Available: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish. We serve the diverse families of Texas with compassion and understanding.
9. Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation with Temple’s Hazing Litigation Team
If hazing has hurt your child, you are not alone. The path to healing often requires accountability, and the law provides powerful tools to achieve it. You have the right to answers, and your child has the right to compensation for what they have endured.
We invite you to contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation.
In your consultation, we will:
- Listen carefully to your story.
- Review any evidence you have gathered.
- Explain the legal options available to you under Texas and federal law.
- Discuss the realistic timeline, process, and potential outcomes.
- Answer all your questions about legal fees (we work on a contingency basis—you pay nothing unless we win).
- Give you clear, straightforward advice on how to protect your child’s rights.
We serve families throughout Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Distance is no barrier—we come to you.
Contact Attorney911, The Legal Emergency Lawyers™
- Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
- Direct: (713) 528-9070
- Cell: (713) 443-4781
- Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com
- Website: https://attorney911.com
- Se habla Español.
Whether your child attends a school in Bell County or anywhere in Texas, if they have been victimized by hazing, call us. Let us help you turn this crisis into a fight for justice and prevention.
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
