Hazing Lawsuits & Fraternity Liability in Texas: A Comprehensive Guide for Edgecliff Village Families

We understand the fear and uncertainty that comes when you suspect your child has been hurt in a fraternity, sorority, or campus organization. For parents in the Town of Edgecliff Village, in Tarrant County, sending a child to college is a proud milestone. That pride can turn to devastation overnight if that child is subjected to dangerous hazing. Right now, in our own state, we are fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country, proving that these are not distant news stories—they are happening here, to Texas students, and they demand immediate action.

Consider a scene unfolding right now at a Texas university: A pledge, eager for belonging, attends a “Big Brother” night at an off-campus house. He is pressured to finish a bottle of liquor, endure humiliating acts, and perform extreme physical exercises until he collapses. Others film it on their phones. Hours later, he’s in the ER with acute kidney failure, his life forever altered. This exact scenario is the reality of the $10 million hazing lawsuit we filed in late 2025 on behalf of Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston (UH), the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and 13 individual members.

This guide is for you—the parents and families in Edgecliff Village and across Tarrant County who need to understand the reality of modern hazing, your legal rights under Texas law, and the proven path to accountability. We will cover what hazing looks like today, the powerful legal framework in Texas, the national cases that set the precedent, and a detailed look at the Greek ecosystems at universities where Edgecliff Village students enroll. Our goal is to equip you with knowledge and show you that with the right legal team, institutions can be held responsible.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for any medical emergency.
• Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911) for immediate legal guidance.

In the First 48 Hours:

1. Get Medical Attention: Even if your child insists they are “fine,” seek a professional evaluation. Internal injuries like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) may not be immediately apparent.
2. Preserve Digital Evidence: Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), text messages, and social media posts related to the incident. Take photos of any visible injuries from multiple angles.
3. Secure Physical Evidence: Do not wash clothing; save any objects used (like paddles or bottles) and receipts for forced purchases.
4. Document Everything: Write down everything your child tells you—names, dates, locations, and specific acts—while memories are fresh.
5. Do NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or university directly.
   • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” their phone.
   • Post details on public social media.
   • Speak to insurance adjusters or sign anything from the university without legal counsel.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24-48 hours. Evidence disappears quickly. We can help you secure it and protect your child’s rights. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.

A Parent’s Nightmare, Happening Now: The Leonel Bermudez Case at UH

To understand the severity and stakes of a hazing case, you need to see a real example. We are currently representing Leonel Bermudez, a student who accepted a bid to the Pi Kappa Phi (Beta Nu chapter) at the University of Houston in fall 2025. What was sold as brotherhood descended into months of systematic abuse, culminating in a life-threatening medical crisis.

The Hazing Conduct: Beyond “Pranks”
The alleged hazing was methodical and cruel, designed to humiliate and break down pledges. It included:

• The “Pledge Fanny Pack” Rule: Pledges were forced to carry a fanny pack 24/7 containing condoms, a sex toy, nicotine devices, and other humiliating items. Failure to comply meant punishment.
• Forced Labor & Servitude: Enforced dress codes, hours-long “study blocks,” overnight chauffeuring duties for members, and weekly interviews under threat of expulsion.
• Extreme Physical & Psychological Abuse: This included bear crawls, wheelbarrow races, and “save-your-brother” drills. Pledges were sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass, and subjected to cold-weather exposure in their underwear. In one instance, another pledge was hog-tied face-down on a table for over an hour.
• The “Workout” That Caused Organ Failure: On November 3, 2025, Bermudez was forced to perform over 100 push-ups and 500 squats while reciting the fraternity creed under threat of expulsion. He was left unable to stand without help.

The Catastrophic Medical Outcome
Days after the extreme workout, Bermudez’s condition deteriorated. He began passing brown urine—a classic sign of a medical emergency. Rushed to the hospital by his mother, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis (severe skeletal muscle breakdown) and acute kidney failure. His creatine kinase (CK) levels were critically high. He was hospitalized for four days and faces an ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage and long-term physical and psychological harm.

Institutional Response & Our Lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed in Harris County, names a full spectrum of defendants to ensure accountability: the University of Houston, the UH System Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, the Beta Nu housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders and members, including the chapter president, pledgemaster, and risk manager.

The institutional response tells its own story: Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters suspended the chapter on November 6, 2025, after receiving reports. On November 14, the chapter members voted to surrender their charter, effectively shutting down. UH called the alleged conduct “deeply disturbing” and promised disciplinary action and cooperation with law enforcement.

This case is not history; it is active, ongoing litigation. It serves as the flagship proof that our firm is leading the fight against hazing in Texas right now. You can read the detailed media coverage from Click2Houston and ABC13.

For families in Edgecliff Village, this case demonstrates what is possible when you take on powerful institutions. The same legal strategies and investigative depth we apply in Houston are directly applicable to hazing incidents at any Texas university your child may attend.

The Texas Greek Ecosystem: A Data-Driven Look for Edgecliff Village Parents

When your child is hazed, you face not just a group of students but a network of organizations with legal structures, insurance policies, and national affiliations. Many parents feel overwhelmed, starting from zero. At Attorney911, we don’t start from zero. We maintain the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, a proprietary database built from public records that maps the entire Greek organizational landscape in Texas. This allows us to immediately identify every potentially liable entity behind a fraternity or sorority chapter.

For parents in Edgecliff Village and Tarrant County, understanding this ecosystem is crucial. Your child may be at a local campus or a major university hours away, but the organizational web connecting them is what we can unravel.

Where Edgecliff Village Families Send Their Kids: Local & Statewide Campuses

Edgecliff Village is part of the vibrant and sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, home to numerous universities with active Greek life. Families here have students at a mix of local institutions and major flagship schools across Texas.

Local & Regional Campuses (within commuting distance or common for DFW students):

• The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) – Arlington, Tarrant County
• Texas Christian University (TCU) – Fort Worth, Tarrant County
• Texas Wesleyan University – Fort Worth, Tarrant County
• University of North Texas (UNT) – Denton, Denton County
• Texas Woman’s University – Denton, Denton County
• Dallas College (various campuses) – Dallas County
• Tarrant County College (various campuses) – Tarrant County

Major Statewide University Hubs (Common destinations for Texas students):

• University of Texas at Austin (UT)
• Texas A&M University – College Station
• University of Houston (UH)
• Baylor University – Waco
• Southern Methodist University (SMU) – Dallas
• Texas State University – San Marcos
• Texas Tech University – Lubbock

This means a hazing incident affecting an Edgecliff Village student could occur at a fraternity house in Fort Worth, a suite at UT Austin, or an off-campus retreat in East Texas. Our legal reach and investigative capability cover all of it.

Public Records Directory: Fraternities, Sororities & Greek Entities in Texas

Below is a sample from our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine. These are not accusations; they are public records showing the registered, tax-exempt entities that form the backbone of Greek life in our state. This directory illustrates the depth of our pre-litigation investigation. When you come to us, we already know how to find the organizations behind the letters.

Tier 1: DFW Metroplex & Tarrant County Area Organizations
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro has over 510 Greek-related organizations according to Cause IQ data. Here are examples of entities recorded in public filings:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity – EIN: 742911848 – Fort Worth, TX 76244 (Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc – EIN: 741380362 – Fort Worth, TX 76147 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Lambda Lambda Chapter – EIN: 521278573 – Dallas, TX 75241 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Fort Worth Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated – EIN: 752755600 – Fort Worth, TX 76101 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated – Sigma Gamma Chapter – EIN: 392352450 – Houston, TX 77254 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity Texas Gamma Chapter – EIN: 911981478 – Fort Worth, TX 76109 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Frisco TX Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Incorporated – EIN: 920575785 – Frisco, TX 75034 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Delta Kappa Gamma Society – Psi Chapter – Denison, TX (Cause IQ Metro Listing – Educators’ Society)

Tier 2: Major University Hub Organizations (Examples from Statewide Schools)
These entities are tied to the large campuses where Edgecliff Village students often enroll.

• Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc – EIN: 133048786 – College Station, TX 77845 (IRS B83 Filing – Texas A&M)
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – Texas A&M University – EIN: 900293166 – College Station, TX 77843 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Building Corporation of Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi – EIN: 746047117 – Austin, TX 78705 (IRS B83 Filing – UT Austin)
• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – Epsilon Kappa Chapter – EIN: 746064445 – Nederland, TX 77627 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc – EIN: 462267515 – Frisco, TX 75035 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter – EIN: 746084905 – Houston, TX 77204 (IRS B83 Filing – UH)

Tier 3: Texas-Wide Snapshot
Statewide, our data engine tracks over 1,423 Greek organizations across 25 Texas metros. Organizations like Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority (EIN: 364091267 – Waco, TX) and the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi appear in multiple locations, showing how national brands operate through various chapters and entities across the state.

Why This Directory Matters to You
If your child is hazed, the path to compensation and accountability runs through these organizations and their insurance policies. A local chapter may have little assets, but its national headquarters, alumni housing corporation, or umbrella insurance policy does. Our job is to identify every link in the chain of liability—something we are uniquely equipped to do from day one because of this data-driven approach. We don’t guess; we investigate using verified public records.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: A Plain-English Guide for Families

Texas has specific laws governing hazing, and understanding them is the first step toward holding perpetrators accountable.

The Texas Hazing Statute (Education Code Chapter 37)

Texas law defines hazing broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student for the purpose of initiation or affiliation with a group that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of that student. Key points for parents:

• Location Doesn’t Matter: The law applies to acts on or off campus.
• “Consent” is NOT a Defense: Even if your child “went along with it,” Texas Education Code § 37.155 states that the victim’s consent is not a defense to prosecution. Courts recognize the power imbalance and coercion inherent in hazing.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing can range from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death. Individuals who fail to report hazing can also be charged.
• Organizational Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or other student organization itself can be fined up to $10,000 and lose its university recognition.

Criminal Cases vs. Civil Lawsuits

It’s important to distinguish between the two tracks:

• Criminal Case: Brought by the state (DA’s office). Aim is punishment (fines, probation, jail). A criminal conviction can help a civil case but is not required.
• Civil Lawsuit: Brought by the victim and their family. Aim is compensation for damages and institutional accountability. This is where we help families recover for medical bills, pain and suffering, and future care needs.

The Full Universe of Potential Defendants in a Civil Case

A robust lawsuit leaves no stone unturned. Potential defendants we investigate include:

1. Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, executed, or supervised the hazing.
2. Local Chapter Officers: The president, pledgemaster, risk manager, and other leaders who allowed or encouraged the conduct.
3. The Local Chapter/Housing Corporation: The legal entity that operates the chapter.
4. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: For failing to adequately supervise, train, or intervene despite known patterns of hazing.
5. The University: For negligence in supervision, failing to enforce policies, or deliberate indifference to a known threat to students.
6. Third Parties: Property owners of off-campus houses, alcohol providers, or security companies.

Federal Law Overlays: Title IX & The Stop Campus Hazing Act

• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment, sexual assault, or gender-based discrimination, the university has specific federal obligations to respond promptly and equitably.
• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): This new federal law requires colleges to improve hazing transparency and prevention. By 2026, schools must publish more detailed hazing incident reports.

The Bermudez case against UH and Pi Kappa Phi is a masterclass in applying this full legal framework. We sued individuals, the local chapter, the national organization, the housing corporation, and the university system to maximize accountability and access all available insurance assets.

Building a Winning Hazing Case: The Attorney911 Advantage

Fighting a national fraternity and a major university is not a task for a general practice lawyer. It requires a specific blend of investigative grit, insurance industry insight, and complex litigation experience. This is where our background is not just relevant—it’s decisive.

1. The Data & Investigation Advantage

We begin with our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, but we don’t stop there. We deploy a full investigative strategy:

• Digital Forensics: Recovering deleted group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, Snapchat), social media archives, and location data.
• Public Records Discovery: Subpoenaing university conduct records, prior incident reports, and internal fraternity national communications.
• Witness Interviews: Strategically contacting other pledges, former members, and bystanders to build an unassailable timeline.
• Expert Network: We work with medical experts to document injuries like rhabdomyolysis, economists to calculate lifelong impacts, and psychologists to diagnose PTSD and trauma.

2. The Insurance Insider Advantage

This is a critical, unique strength. Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as an insurance defense attorney for a national firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies fight claims.

• He understands their tactics to deny coverage based on “intentional act” exclusions.
• He knows how they value and undervalue claims to pressure families into lowball settlements.
• This insider knowledge allows us to anticipate their every move and counter it effectively. We don’t just react; we strategize from a position of insider knowledge.

3. The Complex Institutional Litigation Advantage

Our managing partner, Ralph Manginello, has taken on some of the largest institutional defendants in the country.

• BP Texas City Explosion Litigation: Our firm was one of the few in Texas involved in this billion-dollar catastrophe litigation. If we can take on an international oil giant and its armies of lawyers, we are not intimidated by a national fraternity or a university legal department.
• Federal Court Experience: We are admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Many hazing claims involving Title IX or constitutional issues end up in federal court.
• HCCLA Criminal Defense Background: Ralph’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association means we understand the criminal side of hazing cases, which often runs parallel to civil suits. We can effectively advise clients navigating both systems.

4. Spanish-Language Services

Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish. We are committed to serving the entire Texas community, ensuring Hispanic families can navigate this complex process comfortably and confidently in their preferred language.

Practical Steps for Edgecliff Village Parents & Students

For Parents: Your Action Plan

1. Listen & Support: If your child opens up, listen without judgment. Your priority is their safety and health, not assigning blame.
2. Seek Medical Care: Get a comprehensive medical evaluation. Document everything. Tell the doctors the injuries may be from hazing so it enters the medical record.
3. Preserve Evidence: Follow the “First 48 Hours” checklist above. Your child’s phone is a treasure trove of evidence.
4. Consult a Lawyer BEFORE Reporting: While reporting to the university is important, speak with us first. We can help you navigate the process to avoid missteps that could harm a future case. Universities often have their own interests at heart.
5. Document Communications: Keep a log of all calls and emails with the university, fraternity, or insurance companies.

We made a video to help you understand common client mistakes that can ruin an injury case.

For Students: Your Safety & Rights

• Your Safety Comes First: If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Texas law and most university policies offer “good faith” immunity for those who call for help in an emergency.
• You Can Leave: You have the right to quit (de-pledge) at any time, no matter what you’ve been told. Your life and health are not worth any organization.
• Document Secretly: If you are still in the environment, discreetly screenshot messages, record conversations (Texas is a one-party consent state), and note details.
• Know Your Resources: You can report anonymously through national hotlines (1-888-NOT-HAZE) or campus channels, but understand that anonymous reports may not trigger a full investigation or legal action on your behalf.

Critical Mistakes to Avoid

• Deleting Evidence: Do not delete texts or group chats out of shame or fear. This is often seen as destroying evidence.
• Confronting the Fraternity Directly: This gives them a head start to align stories and destroy evidence.
• Signing University Settlement Papers: Universities may offer a quick, low-value settlement in exchange for a release of liability. Do not sign anything without an attorney’s review.
• Waiting Too Long: Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, but crucial evidence and witness memories fade fast. Learn more about statutes of limitation here.

Your Next Step: A Confidential Consultation with Attorney911

If you are a parent in Edgecliff Village, Tarrant County, or anywhere in Texas, and you believe your child has been a victim of hazing, you do not have to face this alone. The institutions involved have powerful legal teams whose first goal is to minimize their liability. You need an equally powerful advocate in your corner.

Why choose The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911 for your hazing case?

• We Are Fighting This Fight Right Now: The active, high-stakes Leonel Bermudez case is proof of our commitment and capability.
• We Have the Data: Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine means we start your case steps ahead, with a map of the organizational landscape.
• We Have Insider Knowledge: Our unique insurance defense background gives us an unbeatable strategic advantage.
• We Have the Experience: From the BP explosion to federal court, we have weathered the toughest legal battles.
• We Serve All Texans: With Spanish-language services and a statewide practice, we are accessible to every family.

We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. In this meeting, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Outline our investigative strategy for your specific case.
• Discuss our contingency fee structure—you pay nothing unless we win your case.

You don’t have to navigate this nightmare alone. Let us use our expertise, data, and determination to fight for your child’s future and hold every responsible party accountable.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911 Today

Call our 24/7 Legal Emergency Line: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888.288.9911)

Direct Line: (713) 528-9070
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email Ralph Manginello: ralph@atty911.com
Email Lupe Peña (Se habla Español): lupe@atty911.com

Serving Texas from offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. We represent hazing victims and their families across the state, including in Edgecliff Village, Tarrant County, and the entire DFW metroplex.

Legal Disclaimer: This article 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 applicable law. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly to discuss your situation.