🛡️ Hazing Victims in Dorchester County, South Carolina: Your Legal Rights & How Attorney 911 Can Help

🚨 Hazing Is Happening in Dorchester County — And It Needs to Stop

Dorchester County is home to passionate students, proud families, and a strong sense of community. But behind the scenes at some of our local colleges and universities, a dangerous culture persists: hazing.

Hazing isn’t just “boys being boys” or “harmless tradition.” It’s abuse. It’s torture. And it’s illegal in South Carolina — just like it is across the country.

At Attorney 911, we’re currently fighting a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston, where a student was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats, and hospitalized with kidney failure. This isn’t just happening in Texas. It’s happening right here in Dorchester County.

If your child has been hazed — whether in a fraternity, sorority, sports team, marching band, ROTC, or any other student organization — you have legal rights. And we’re here to fight for you.

🏫 Where Hazing Happens in Dorchester County

Dorchester County is home to Trident Technical College in North Charleston, and many students from the area attend nearby universities where Greek life and student organizations are active, including:

• Charleston Southern University (North Charleston)
• College of Charleston (Downtown Charleston)
• The Citadel (Charleston)
• Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) (Charleston)

These institutions have active Greek organizations, sports teams, and student clubs — all of which have been documented sites of hazing nationwide.

The same national fraternities and sororities involved in our current lawsuit — Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, and others — have chapters at universities near Dorchester County.

If your child is pledging a fraternity or sorority in the Charleston area, they face the same risks that hospitalized our client in Houston.

⚠️ What Hazing Looks Like in Dorchester County

Hazing isn’t always obvious. It’s often disguised as “tradition,” “bonding,” or “initiation.” But make no mistake: it’s abuse.

Common Hazing Activities in Dorchester County (and Across America):

Real Hazing Incidents Near Dorchester County:

• 2017: A student at The Citadel was hospitalized after a hazing incident involving excessive alcohol consumption.
• 2019: A fraternity at College of Charleston was suspended for hazing violations.
• 2021: A student at Charleston Southern University reported being subjected to degrading and physically dangerous hazing activities.

These are just the incidents we know about. Most hazing goes unreported because victims fear retaliation, social ostracism, or losing their place in the organization.

💔 The Devastating Consequences of Hazing

Hazing doesn’t just cause physical injuries — it leaves lasting scars.

Physical Consequences:

• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) — Can lead to kidney failure (like our client in Houston)
• Alcohol poisoning — Can cause death (like Stone Foltz at Bowling Green State)
• Traumatic brain injury — From beatings or falls
• Broken bones, burns, or internal injuries — From physical abuse
• Hypothermia or heatstroke — From exposure to extreme temperatures
• Death — Hazing has killed at least one student every year since 2000

Psychological Consequences:

• PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Anxiety and depression
• Suicidal ideation
• Loss of trust in institutions
• Academic decline or dropping out
• Substance abuse (self-medicating to cope)

Academic & Financial Consequences:

• Missed classes due to injuries or exhaustion
• Dropped grades from sleep deprivation or trauma
• Lost scholarships due to academic decline
• Medical bills from hospitalizations or therapy
• Legal fees if fighting back

Hazing doesn’t just hurt the victim — it devastates entire families.

⚖️ South Carolina Hazing Laws: What You Need to Know

South Carolina has strong laws against hazing, but many victims and families don’t know their rights.

📜 South Carolina Code of Laws § 59-101-200: Anti-Hazing Law

Definition of Hazing:

Any intentional, reckless, or negligent act, whether on or off campus, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation, admission, or affiliation with any student organization.

Key Points:
✅ Consent is NOT a defense — Even if a student “agrees” to hazing, it’s still illegal.
✅ Both individuals and organizations can be held liable — Students, fraternity leaders, and even the national organization can be sued.
✅ Universities can be held liable — If a school knows about hazing and fails to stop it, they can be sued for negligence.

🔨 Criminal Penalties for Hazing in South Carolina:

💰 Civil Liability: You Can Sue for Damages

Even if criminal charges aren’t filed, you can still sue for money damages in civil court.

Who Can Be Sued?

• The local fraternity/sorority chapter
• The national fraternity/sorority organization
• The university (if they knew or should have known about hazing)
• Individual members who participated in or facilitated hazing
• Alumni or former members who hosted hazing events

What Can You Recover?

• Medical bills (past and future)
• Lost wages (if the victim missed work or lost job opportunities)
• Pain and suffering (physical and emotional trauma)
• Punitive damages (to punish the defendants for egregious conduct)
• Wrongful death damages (if hazing resulted in death)

💰 Multi-Million Dollar Hazing Settlements & Verdicts

Hazing cases win big in court. Here’s what other families have recovered:

These cases prove that juries and courts take hazing seriously — and they award millions to victims and families.

🏆 How Attorney 911 Can Help Dorchester County Families

At Attorney 911, we’re not just personal injury lawyers — we’re hazing litigation experts.

We’re currently fighting a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston, where a student was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats, and hospitalized with kidney failure.

We know how to win these cases — and we’ll bring the same fight to Dorchester County.

🔍 How We Build Your Case:

1. Immediate Evidence Preservation

   • We send preservation letters to fraternities, universities, and individuals to prevent evidence destruction.
   • We collect text messages, social media posts, photos, and videos before they’re deleted.
   • We interview witnesses while memories are fresh.

2. Medical & Psychological Documentation

   • We work with doctors and psychologists to document the full extent of your child’s injuries.
   • We calculate future medical costs (therapy, rehabilitation, long-term care).

3. Identifying All Liable Parties

   • We don’t just sue the local chapter — we go after the national organization, the university, and individual perpetrators.
   • We uncover insurance policies that can pay for damages.

4. Aggressive Negotiation & Litigation

   • We don’t settle for lowball offers from insurance companies.
   • If they won’t pay what your case is worth, we take them to court.
   • We’ve won millions for clients in complex cases.

5. Protecting Your Child’s Future

   • We fight for compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
   • We demand punitive damages to send a message that hazing will not be tolerated.
   • We work to prevent future hazing by holding institutions accountable.

📞 What to Do If Your Child Has Been Hazed in Dorchester County

If your child has been hazed, act fast. Evidence disappears quickly, and there are deadlines for filing lawsuits.

🚨 Immediate Steps to Take:

1. Get Medical Help

   • If your child is injured, take them to the ER or a doctor immediately.
   • Even if they seem “fine,” some injuries (like rhabdomyolysis) take time to appear.

2. Preserve Evidence

   • Take photos of any injuries (bruises, cuts, burns).
   • Save all communications (texts, GroupMe messages, social media posts).
   • Write down everything your child remembers (dates, times, what happened).
   • Get names of witnesses (other pledges, bystanders).

3. Report the Hazing

   • File a police report (hazing is a crime in South Carolina).
   • Report to the university (most schools have hazing reporting systems).
   • Report to the national fraternity/sorority (if applicable).

4. Do NOT Sign Anything

   • The fraternity, sorority, or university may try to get your child to sign a waiver or settlement agreement.
   • Do not sign anything without talking to a lawyer first.

5. Call Attorney 911 Immediately

   • Free consultation — We’ll evaluate your case at no cost.
   • No upfront fees — We work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless we win.
   • 24/7 availability — Call us anytime at 1-888-ATTY-911.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Dorchester County Families

1. My child was hazed, but they don’t want to report it. What should I do?

Hazing victims often fear retaliation or don’t want to “snitch.” But remember:

• Hazing is illegal — even if your child “consented.”
• The longer you wait, the harder it is to prove your case.
• Other students could be hurt if the hazing continues.

We can help protect your child’s identity and build a case without exposing them to retaliation.

2. The fraternity/sorority says my child “consented” to hazing. Is that a defense?

No. South Carolina law explicitly states that consent is NOT a defense to hazing.

Even if your child “agreed” to participate, they cannot legally consent to abuse.

3. The university says they didn’t know about the hazing. Can we still sue them?

Yes. Universities have a duty to protect students. If they:

• Own or control the property where hazing occurred,
• Have oversight over Greek life,
• Knew or should have known about hazing risks,

they can be held liable for failing to prevent it.

4. How much is my hazing case worth?

Every case is different, but hazing cases often result in multi-million dollar settlements or verdicts. Factors that affect case value include:

• Severity of injuries (hospitalization, permanent damage, psychological trauma)
• Egregiousness of conduct (waterboarding, forced drinking, physical abuse)
• Pattern of hazing (if the organization has a history of hazing)
• University’s knowledge (if they knew or should have known)
• Defendant’s ability to pay (insurance coverage, assets)

5. How long do I have to file a lawsuit?

In South Carolina, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is 3 years from the date of the injury. However, you should act much sooner because:

• Evidence disappears (texts deleted, witnesses forget).
• The fraternity