Protecting Alaska Families from Fraternity Hazing: A National Guide for Fairbanks North Star Borough Parents

When Your Child Goes “Outside” for College: Understanding the Hazing Dangers They Face

Your child left the Fairbanks North Star Borough with dreams of college, friendship, and belonging at a university in the Lower 48. You supported their journey, proud of their ambition. Now, there are strange phone calls at odd hours. Sudden requests for money. Your once-confident student sounds anxious, guarded, or physically unwell. Maybe they’ve mentioned “pledge week,” “traditions,” or feeling trapped between group loyalty and their own safety.

We represent families whose children have been hurt in the very places meant to build them up. Right now, we are actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in the country: the case of Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi. In this lawsuit, we detail how Bermudez, a transfer student, endured months of systematic hazing as a Pi Kappa Phi pledge that culminated in a life-threatening medical emergency. He was forced through extreme physical workouts, humiliated with degrading rules, sprayed in the face with a hose, and subjected to forced eating rituals until he developed rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, requiring a four-day hospitalization. The full details are documented in media reports like the Click2Houston investigation and ABC13 coverage.

This is not an isolated Texas problem. It is a national crisis in campus culture that follows the same dangerous patterns from Athens, Georgia to Eugene, Oregon. For families in Fairbanks, North Pole, Eielson AFB, and across the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the reality is that your student is likely attending a university with a significant Greek life or athletic program where these risks exist. The same national fraternities and sororities involved in notorious hazing deaths and injuries operate at campuses nationwide.

This guide is for you, Alaska parents. It explains what modern hazing truly looks like, the legal landscape that governs it, and how families thousands of miles away can secure accountability and justice when institutions fail to protect their children.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for medical emergencies at their location.
• Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911) for immediate legal guidance.

In the first 48 hours:

1. Ensure they get medical attention immediately, even if they insist they are “fine.”
2. Preserve evidence before it’s deleted:
   • Instruct your child to screenshot group chats, texts, and DMs immediately.
   • Have them photograph any injuries from multiple angles.
   • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects used).
3. Write down everything they tell you while their memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
4. Do NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity/sorority directly.
   • Let your child sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
   • Post details on public social media.
   • Allow messages to be deleted or evidence “cleaned up.”

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast—deleted group chats, coached witnesses, destroyed items. Universities move quickly to control narratives. We can help you navigate this from afar. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like Beyond the Stereotypes

Hazing has evolved far beyond simplistic “pranks” or “initiation.” It is a spectrum of coercive control designed to test loyalty through humiliation, endurance, and fear. For an Alaska student far from home, the pressure to belong can make them especially vulnerable.

The Modern Categories of Abuse:

Alcohol and Substance Hazing: This remains the most common and deadly form. It includes forced consumption during “lineups,” “Big/Little” nights where pledges are given handles of liquor, and drinking games like “Bible study” where wrong answers mandate drinking. The goal is often rapid intoxication to the point of illness or unconsciousness.

Physical Hazing: This includes paddling or beatings, “smokings” (extreme, punitive calisthenics), sleep deprivation for days, food/water restriction, and exposure to extreme elements. The recent University of Houston case involved pledges lying in vomit-soaked grass and performing hundreds of squats and push-ups until their muscles literally broke down.

Psychological and Sexualized Hazing: This involves forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, degrading costumes or roles, verbal abuse, isolation, and public humiliation. These acts leave deep psychological scars, often leading to PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Digital Hazing: The modern frontier. Pledges are subjected to 24/7 surveillance via group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp), required to share live locations, and forced to post humiliating content on social media. Failure to respond instantly to a message at any hour results in punishment. This creates a state of constant anxiety and control.

These activities often happen “off-campus” at houses, rentals, or remote retreats to avoid university oversight. For parents in Fairbanks, the geographical distance can make these activities even harder to detect until a crisis occurs.

Law & Liability: Your Child’s Rights, No Matter Where They Attend School

State Hazing Laws:

Hazing is illegal in all 50 states, but the laws vary significantly. Most states, like Texas under Education Code Chapter 37, define hazing broadly as any intentional or reckless act that endangers physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation or affiliation. Crucially, “consent” is not a defense. Courts recognize that a pledge’s “agreement” under peer pressure and the desire to belong is not voluntary. If your child was hazed at a university in Washington, California, Oregon, or elsewhere, that state’s specific statutes will govern the criminal case, while civil liability may extend across state lines.

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

• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment, assault, or gender-based hostility, your child’s school has federal obligations to respond, regardless of whether the incident occurred on or off campus.
• Clery Act: Requires colleges to report certain crimes, including assaults that often occur during hazing.
• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): This new federal law requires colleges receiving federal aid to report hazing incidents more transparently and maintain public hazing data by 2026, increasing institutional accountability.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Lawsuit?

A strategic hazing lawsuit looks beyond the individual students to every entity that enabled the culture or failed to prevent foreseeable harm. Potentially liable parties include:

• The Individual Perpetrators: Students who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
• The Local Chapter: As an organization, if it sanctioned or tolerated the behavior.
• The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: These organizations collect dues, set policies, and are often aware of dangerous “traditions” that repeat across chapters. Their failure to adequately supervise and enforce anti-hazing policies is a major source of liability.
• The University: Schools can be liable for “deliberate indifference” if they knew or should have known about a pattern of hazing and failed to take reasonable steps to stop it. This is true even for off-campus conduct if the organization is university-recognized.
• Third Parties: Property owners of off-campus houses, bars that overserved alcohol, or security companies that failed in their duties.

For an Alaska family, this means the path to justice may involve litigation in another state. This is where experience matters. Our firm operates on a national level, working with local co-counsel where needed, to hold all responsible parties accountable, no matter where they are based.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Tragic Script That Repeats

The hazing that injured Leonel Bermudez at the University of Houston is not unique. It follows a tragic national script written by decades of preventable deaths and injuries. Understanding these patterns is crucial to proving that these incidents are foreseeable—and therefore preventable.

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern:

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a bid-acceptance night of forced drinking. Help was delayed for hours, captured on the fraternity’s own security cameras.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died of alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game. His death led to Louisiana’s felony hazing “Max Gruver Act.”
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Died after being forced to drink a bottle of liquor. His family secured a $10 million settlement from the national fraternity and university.
• Andrew Coffey (Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Died after a “Big Brother” night, leading to the temporary suspension of all Greek life at FSU.

The Physical Assault Pattern:

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from brain injuries after a blindfolded, violent “glass ceiling” ritual at a fraternity retreat. The national fraternity was criminally convicted.
• Danny Santulli (University of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage after a “pledge dad reveal” drinking event. His family reached multi-million-dollar settlements with numerous defendants.

The Athletic & Program Hazing Pattern:

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Widespread allegations of sexualized and racist hazing led to multiple lawsuits, the firing of the head coach, and confidential settlements, proving hazing is endemic beyond Greek life.

What This Means for Your Family: These are not “isolated incidents.” They are evidence of a national culture and institutional failures. When the same fraternity that caused a death at one campus engages in similar conduct at another, it demonstrates knowledge and foreseeability—key elements in proving negligence against the national organization.

The Alaska Student’s Campus Reality: Where Hazing Thrives

Alaska students often attend large universities in the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, and Mountain West known for vibrant—and sometimes dangerous—campus traditions. While we focus our deep investigative resources on Texas, the same dangerous organizations operate nationwide.

Common Destinations and Their Risks:

• University of Washington, Washington State University, University of Oregon, Oregon State University: These PAC-12 schools have large Greek systems with histories of hazing incidents, alcohol-related deaths, and disciplinary suspensions.
• Schools in California, Colorado, and Arizona: Large state schools in these states have all faced high-profile hazing scandals in fraternities, sororities, and athletic teams.
• Private Universities Nationwide: From the Ivy League to liberal arts colleges, no institution is immune.

The Challenge of Distance: For Fairbanks North Star Borough parents, the barrier isn’t just cultural—it’s logistical. You can’t easily visit the chapter house or meet with the Dean of Students. You rely on your child’s often-filtered communication and the university’s official statements, which are frequently designed to minimize liability. This power imbalance makes early legal intervention even more critical.

Fraternities & Sororities: National Brands, Local Chapters, Repeating Dangers

The fraternity that may have harmed your child is part of a national corporation. These organizations have public, documented histories of hazing tragedies that they are supposed to learn from. When they fail to prevent a repeat, they can be held legally responsible.

A Sample of National Organizations with Documented Hazing Histories:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (“Pike”): Responsible for the death of Stone Foltz at BGSU. Known for “Big/Little” drinking traditions.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (“SAE”): Has faced numerous hazing deaths and lawsuits nationwide, including cases involving traumatic brain injury and severe chemical burns.
• Phi Delta Theta: The fraternity involved in Max Gruver’s death at LSU.
• Pi Kappa Phi: The fraternity we are currently suing in the University of Houston case, also responsible for the death of Andrew Coffey at FSU.
• Kappa Alpha Order: Frequently cited for paddling and physical hazing violations.

Why This Matters for Liability: In litigation, we use these national histories to build a powerful case. We demonstrate to a court or jury that the national organization was on notice—it knew its chapters had a propensity for dangerous conduct but failed to implement effective oversight, training, or intervention. This pattern evidence is key to securing accountability and meaningful compensation.

Building a Hazing Case From Alaska: Evidence, Strategy, and Partnership

When your child is harmed thousands of miles away, you need a law firm that knows how to conduct a national investigation. Our approach is data-driven, meticulous, and designed to overcome geographical barriers.

Critical Evidence We Pursue:

1. Digital Evidence: The most crucial evidence in modern cases. We use forensic tools to recover deleted group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, Discord), social media posts, location data, and text messages that prove planning, participation, and cover-ups.
2. Internal Organization Documents: Through discovery, we obtain the national fraternity’s risk management manuals, prior incident reports for the chapter, communication with local advisors, and disciplinary histories.
3. University Records: We subpoena the school’s prior conduct files on the organization, internal investigation reports, Clery Act logs, and communications that may show prior knowledge of problems.
4. Medical & Psychological Records: Documentation of the acute injury (e.g., ER reports for alcohol poisoning, rhabdomyrosis labs) and ongoing treatment for PTSD, anxiety, or depression is essential to prove damages.
5. Witness Testimony: We interview roommates, other pledges, former members, and anyone who witnessed the events or the culture that enabled them.

The Damages Your Family May Recover:

A civil lawsuit seeks to make your family whole and hold institutions accountable. Recoverable damages can include:

• All Medical Expenses: Past and future, including hospital stays, therapy, and long-term care for permanent injuries.
• Lost Educational Costs: Tuition for semesters disrupted, lost scholarship opportunities, and costs to transfer.
• Pain and Suffering: Compensation for physical pain, emotional trauma, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In the unspeakable event of a fatality, families can seek compensation for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and emotional anguish.

Our firm has a proven track record of securing multi-million-dollar results in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. We know how to value a life and a future that has been altered.

Practical Guides for Alaska Parents & Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and Steps to Take

Red Flags:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, drastic weight change, or signs of illness.
• Becoming secretive or defensive about organization activities.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Requests for large sums of money with vague explanations.
• A sudden drop in grades or loss of academic motivation.

If You Suspect Hazing:

1. Talk Calmly: Ask open-ended questions. “I’m concerned about you. Are you safe? Is there anything you’re being asked to do that makes you uncomfortable?”
2. Prioritize Safety: If there is immediate danger, call 911 in their city.
3. Preserve Evidence: Guide your child to take screenshots and photos without alerting the group.
4. Seek Medical Care: Insist on a medical evaluation to document any physical or psychological harm.
5. Contact a Lawyer Before the University: Once you involve an attorney, all communication with the school or organization should go through us. We protect your child from pressure and ensure their rights are front and center.

For Students: Your Rights and How to Protect Yourself

• You Have the Right to Be Safe: No tradition is worth your life, health, or dignity.
• “Consent” is Not a Defense: You cannot legally agree to be assaulted or endangered.
• How to Exit Safely: You can quit at any time. Send a clear text/email: “I resign my membership effective immediately.” Notify a trusted adult or campus official. Do not attend “one last meeting.”
• Report Anonymously: Most schools and the National Anti-Hazing Hotline (1-888-NOT-HAZE) allow anonymous reporting.
• Good Samaritan/Amnesty Policies: Most universities have policies protecting those who call for help in an emergency from minor policy violations (like underage drinking). Use them.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case:

1. Deleting Evidence: Instruct your child NOT to delete any messages, photos, or group chats.
2. Confronting the Fraternity Directly: This triggers their defense lawyers and leads to evidence destruction.
3. Signing University Paperwork Alone: Schools may offer “quick resolutions” that waive your right to sue.
4. Posting on Social Media: Public posts can be used by defense attorneys to contradict your story.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses scatter, and statutes of limitations expire.

We have a video specifically detailing common client mistakes to avoid.

Why Alaska Families Choose Attorney911: Texas-Based, Nationally Capable

When your family in Fairbanks, Alaska, faces a hazing crisis at a university in Washington, Oregon, or anywhere else in the country, you need more than a local attorney. You need a firm with the depth, resources, and proven will to take on national institutions.

Our Unique Qualifications for National Hazing Cases:

1. Active, High-Stakes Hazing Litigation Experience:
We are not theorists. We are in the fight right now. Our lead attorneys, Ralph Manginello and Lupe Peña, are actively prosecuting the Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi case—a $10 million lawsuit alleging horrific abuse leading to kidney failure. This is not a past case; it’s our current work. We know the latest defense tactics because we are facing them in real time.

2. A Former Insurance Defense Insider on Your Side:
Attorney Lupe Peña spent years as a defense attorney for a national insurance firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny your claim, undervalue your damages, and drag out the process. He knows their playbook because he used to help write it. This insider knowledge is invaluable in securing full and fair compensation. You can learn more about Mr. Peña’s background and approach here.

3. Experience Against Billion-Dollar Institutions:
Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City Explosion litigation, taking on one of the world’s largest corporations. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets and high-powered defense teams of national fraternities and major universities. We have faced them before and won. Explore Ralph’s career and credentials here.

4. A Data-Driven Investigative Engine:
We don’t just take your word for it; we prove it. We maintain investigative databases and utilize digital forensics to uncover the patterns, prior incidents, and institutional knowledge that defendants try to hide. We build cases that are unassailable.

5. A Nationwide Service Model for Alaska Families:
While our offices are in Texas, we serve families across the United States. We can:

• Serve as lead counsel if the case has significant Texas connections (e.g., a national fraternity headquartered or insured in Texas).
• Act as specialized co-counsel with a reputable local attorney in your child’s university state, bringing our hazing-specific expertise to the team.
• Provide comprehensive case evaluation and strategy consultation to ensure your family’s local counsel is pursuing every avenue for accountability.

We make the geography work for you. Technology allows us to collaborate seamlessly with families in Fairbanks North Star Borough and attorneys anywhere in the country.

Our Commitment to You:

• Free, Confidential Consultation: We will listen to your story, assess your options, and explain the path forward with clarity and compassion.
• Contingency Fee Basis: You pay no upfront costs. Our fee is a percentage of the recovery we secure for you. If we don’t win, you don’t pay attorney fees. Learn how this works in our video on contingency fees.
• Urgent Response: We are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ for a reason. When you call, we respond.

If Hazing Has Hurt Your Child, You Are Not Alone. We Can Help.

The distance from Fairbanks to your child’s university doesn’t have to be a barrier to justice. The same dangerous organizations operate everywhere, and the same legal principles of accountability apply.

You did everything right to support your child’s education. Now, if an institution has betrayed that trust and caused harm, you have the right to demand answers, secure your child’s future, and prevent this from happening to another family.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) today for a free, confidential consultation.

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

Se habla Español. Attorney Lupe Peña provides full services in Spanish.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the Active UH Pi Kappa Phi Case:

• Click2Houston Investigation: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/11/21/only-on-2-lawsuit-alleges-severe-hazing-at-university-of-houstons-pi-kappa-phi-chapter-fraternity/
• ABC13 Eyewitness News Coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

• Client Mistakes to Avoid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc
• Using Your Phone to Document Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Statute of Limitations Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c

Attorney911 Website & Profiles:

• Main Website: https://attorney911.com
• Ralph Manginello Profile: https://attorney911.com/attorneys/ralph-manginello/
• Lupe Peña Profile: https://attorney911.com/attorneys/lupe-pena/

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 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