The Definitive Guide to Hazing & Campus Abuse for Forest Hill, Texas Families: Your Legal Rights and Path to Justice

Facing a Hazing Crisis? We’re Here to Help Right Now.

If you’re a parent in Forest Hill, Texas, and you believe your child has been hazed, abused, or injured in connection with a fraternity, sorority, Corps program, athletic team, or other campus organization, we understand the fear, confusion, and anger you’re feeling. The call you never wanted to receive has come: your child is hurt, the university seems more concerned with its reputation than your family, and powerful organizations are circling their wagons. You need immediate, expert help from lawyers who know how these cases work from the inside out.

This is exactly why we exist.

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, operating as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. Right now, we are actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas—the Leonel Bermudez $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi’s Beta Nu chapter. This isn’t a historical case study; this is our current work. We represent Bermudez, a young man who suffered rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure after enduring brutal hazing that included forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and extreme physical workouts that landed him in the hospital for four days.

His urine was brown. He couldn’t stand without help. And his story is proof that even in 2025, hazing in Texas is not a relic of the past—it’s a present, violent reality.

This comprehensive guide is written specifically for parents and families in Forest Hill, Tarrant County, and throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area. Whether your child attends the University of Texas at Arlington right here in our county, Texas Christian University in nearby Fort Worth, or has ventured to Texas A&M, UT Austin, or any other campus, the patterns of institutional failure, fraternity secrecy, and student injury are frighteningly similar. We will walk you through exactly what hazing looks like today, how Texas law applies, what we’ve learned from national tragedies, and—most importantly—what your legal options are when the system fails to protect your child.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If you are reading this during a crisis, please follow these steps immediately:

IF YOUR CHILD IS IN DANGER RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for any medical emergency.
• Then call us: 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:

1. Get Medical Attention: Seek care immediately, even if your child insists they are “fine.” Conditions like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) or internal injuries may not be immediately apparent.
2. Preserve Evidence BEFORE It’s Deleted:
   • Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), texts, and DMs immediately.
   • Photograph injuries from multiple angles. Place a coin or ruler next to wounds for scale.
   • Save physical items: clothing worn during the incident, receipts, or any objects used.
3. Document Everything: Write down everything your child tells you—names, dates, locations, specific acts—while memories are fresh.
4. DO NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
   • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
   • Post details on public social media.
   • Allow your child to delete messages or “clean up” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears with terrifying speed. Universities move quickly to control narratives. We can help you preserve the truth and protect your child’s rights. Call us now at 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Texas

Hazing is no longer just about “hell week” antics or silly pranks. It is a spectrum of calculated, often dangerous, behaviors designed to assert power, demand loyalty through suffering, and filter new members through humiliation and risk. For Forest Hill families, understanding this modern reality is the first step in recognizing if your child is in danger.

The Texas Legal Definition (Plain English)

Under Texas Education Code Chapter 37, hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, directed against a student that:

1. Endangers the mental or physical health or safety of that student, AND
2. Is done for the purpose of pledging, initiation into, affiliation with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members include students.

Crucially, Texas law explicitly states that the victim’s “consent” is NOT a defense. The power imbalance, peer pressure, and fear of exclusion inherent in these situations mean that “agreeing” to participate does not make it legal or safe.

Modern Hazing Methods: A Taxonomy

1. Alcohol & Substance Hazing (The Most Common Killer)

• Forced or coerced consumption of alcohol: “Big/Little” nights with entire handles of liquor, “lineup” drinking games, trivia where wrong answers mean shots.
• Being pressured to consume unknown mixtures, drugs, or excessive amounts of food (like the milk and hot dogs forced on Leonel Bermudez at UH).

2. Physical & “Conditioning” Hazing

• Extreme, punitive calisthenics: “Smokings” with hundreds of push-ups or squats (like the Nov. 3 workout that injured Bermudez).
• Paddling, beatings, or physical assaults.
• Sleep deprivation, food/water restriction, exposure to extreme elements (being left outside in cold weather in underwear).
• Dangerous “tests”: blindfolded tackles, “glass ceiling” rituals, forced fights.

3. Sexualized & Degrading Hazing

• Forced nudity or partial nudity.
• Simulated sexual acts or humiliating positions.
• Acts involving racial, homophobic, or sexist slurs and role-playing.

4. Psychological & Digital Hazing

• Verbal abuse, threats, isolation from non-members.
• 24/7 digital control: Mandatory group chats with instant-response demands, location sharing via apps, social media policing.
• Public shaming on Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat; forced posting of humiliating content.

5. The “Labor” & Servitude Hazing

• Acting as a personal chauffeur at all hours.
• Cleaning members’ rooms, running errands, completing their homework.
• The “pledge fanny pack” rule—carrying humiliating or specific items 24/7 under threat of punishment.

Where Hazing Happens: It’s Not Just Fraternities

While Greek life is a prevalent setting, hazing occurs across campus:

• Fraternities & Sororities (IFC, Panhellenic, NPHC, Multicultural)
• Athletic Teams (from football and basketball to cheer and swim teams)
• Corps of Cadets & ROTC Units
• Marching Bands & Performance Groups
• Spirit & Tradition Organizations (like Texas Cowboys or Aggiе Yell Leaders)
• Academic & Service Clubs

The common thread is a dynamic where established members hold power over new members’ social belonging, using that power to coerce compliance with dangerous or degrading acts.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: The Legal Framework for Forest Hill Families

Forest Hill parents need to understand not just that hazing is wrong, but how Texas law creates pathways for accountability and compensation. Our legal system addresses hazing through two parallel tracks: criminal prosecution and civil litigation.

Criminal Penalties Under Texas Education Code Chapter 37

• Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing offense (up to 180 days in jail, fine up to $2,000).
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Also Criminal: Failing to report hazing if you are a member/officer who knew about it, or retaliating against someone who reports.

Good-Faith Reporting Protection: Texas law provides immunity from civil or criminal liability for someone who, in good faith, reports a hazing incident to university officials or law enforcement. This is critical—it means calling 911 for a medical emergency should not leave the caller legally exposed.

Civil Liability: The Path to Compensation & Accountability

A criminal case is brought by the state to punish wrongdoing. A civil lawsuit is brought by the victim or their family to recover damages and force institutional change. They can proceed simultaneously.

In a civil hazing case, we build claims around concepts like:

• Negligence & Gross Negligence: The organization failed to exercise reasonable care to prevent foreseeable harm.
• Negligent Supervision: The national fraternity or university knew or should have known about dangerous practices and failed to intervene.
• Premises Liability: The owner of a property (a chapter house, an off-campus rental) allowed dangerous activities to occur.
• Wrongful Death: When hazing results in a fatal injury.
• Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Hazing Lawsuit?

One of our core strengths at Attorney911 is our methodical approach to identifying every potentially liable entity. In the Bermudez case, we sued 18 defendants. For your case, responsible parties may include:

1. Individual Students: The members who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: The fraternity, sorority, or club as an entity.
3. The National Headquarters: Organizations like Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, or Phi Delta Theta that set policies, collect dues, and are supposed to supervise chapters. Their knowledge of prior incidents nationwide is crucial.
4. The University: Public universities (like UH or UT) and private ones (like SMU or Baylor) can be liable for negligent supervision, Title IX violations, or deliberate indifference to known risks.
5. Housing Corporations & Alumni Boards: The separate legal entities that own chapter houses and manage alumni relations (we track these through public records—see below).
6. Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, bars that overserved alcohol, security companies.

Federal Law Overlay: Stop Campus Hazing Act, Title IX, Clery

• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges receiving federal aid to report hazing incidents more transparently and maintain public hazing data (phasing in through 2026).
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based hostility, the university’s Title IX obligations are triggered.
• Clery Act: Requires reporting of certain campus crimes; hazing incidents that constitute assault or alcohol crimes may be Clery-reportable.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Scripts That Keep Repeating

The tragic cases below are not just news stories. They are legal precedents and pattern evidence that show how hazing deaths and injuries follow predictable scripts. When we see a Texas chapter repeating these same scripts, it demonstrates foreseeability—a key element in proving negligence against national organizations and universities.

The Alcohol Poisoning Script

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Bid-acceptance night with heavy drinking, fatal falls caught on chapter cameras, delayed 911 call. Resulted in the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law in Pennsylvania and dozens of criminal charges.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): “Bible study” drinking game where incorrect answers meant drinking. Died from alcohol toxicity (BAC 0.495%). Led to Louisiana’s Max Gruver Act (felony hazing).
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of liquor on “Big/Little” night. $10 million settlement ($7M from Pike national, ~$3M from BGSU).
• Andrew Coffey (Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): “Big Brother” night with handles of liquor. FSU temporarily suspended all Greek life.

The Physical & Ritualized Violence Script

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Blindfolded, weighted “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat, fatal head trauma, delayed help. The national fraternity was criminally convicted and banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Forced drinking led to catastrophic, permanent brain injury. Settlements with 22 defendants, requiring 24/7 lifelong care.

The Athletic Program & Institutional Failure Script

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Widespread sexualized and racist hazing allegations. Multiple lawsuits, head coach fired, confidential settlements. Proof that hazing pervades billion-dollar athletic programs.

What This Means for Forest Hill Families: These national patterns are the playbook. When a chapter at UTA, TCU, or any Texas school engages in forced drinking, violent rituals, or degrading acts, they are walking a path paved with prior tragedies. This pattern evidence is powerful in court to show that the harm was foreseeable and preventable.

Texas University Focus: Where Forest Hill Families Send Their Kids

Forest Hill sits within Tarrant County, part of the massive Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro. Our families have deep ties to local universities and send children to major hubs across the state. Here is what you need to know about hazing landscapes at key schools.

University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) – In Our Own Backyard

Campus & Culture Snapshot: As a major public university right here in Arlington, UTA serves many Forest Hill students as commuters and residents. It has active Greek life, athletic programs, and a diverse student organization scene.

Documented Incidents & Climate: While UTA may not publicize hazing data as transparently as UT Austin, incidents occur. Civil lawsuits have been filed related to fraternity activities. The proximity to a large metro area means off-campus hazing in apartments and rented houses is a significant concern.

How a UTA Hazing Case Proceeds: Jurisdiction may involve UTA Police Department and Arlington Police. Civil suits would be filed in Tarrant County courts. The university, as a public institution, may raise sovereign immunity defenses, which require strategic legal arguments to overcome.

What Forest Hill Parents with Kids at UTA Should Do:

• Report immediately to both UTA Office of Student Conduct and UTA PD.
• Document all communications with the university.
• Understand that the university’s internal process is not your only avenue for justice. Civil litigation may be necessary for full accountability.

Texas Christian University (TCU) – Fort Worth Neighbor

Campus & Culture Snapshot: TCU, a private university in Fort Worth, has a prominent Greek life culture and high-profile athletic programs. Its reputation and private status shape its response to crises.

Documented Incidents: TCU has suspended chapters for hazing, including Kappa Alpha Order (2017) for reported paddling, forced drinking, and sleep deprivation. Such suspensions indicate recurring problems behind the public facade.

How a TCU Case Proceeds: As a private university, TCU has fewer sovereign immunity hurdles. Cases may involve TCU Police and Fort Worth PD. The university and its national fraternity partners typically have robust insurance and legal defenses.

Major Statewide Hubs for Forest Hill Families

Many Forest Hill students also attend schools further afield. The patterns are consistent.

University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin): Notably transparent with a public Hazing Violations webpage. Entries show repeated sanctions for groups like Pi Kappa Alpha (2023, forced milk consumption and calisthenics) and various spirit groups. This public record is a goldmine for showing prior knowledge and pattern.

Texas A&M University: Home to a powerful Greek system and the Corps of Cadets, both with documented hazing issues.

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case (2021): Pledges allegedly doused with industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe burns requiring skin grafts. $1 million lawsuit filed.
• Corps of Cadets Lawsuit (2023): Cadet alleged degrading hazing including being bound in a “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth. Sought over $1 million.

Southern Methodist University (SMU): This private Dallas school with affluent Greek life has seen chapter suspensions for hazing. Its private status often leads to less public disclosure, making aggressive legal discovery essential.

Baylor University: With a history of institutional scandal, Baylor has faced hazing issues within its athletic programs, including a 2020 baseball team hazing incident that led to multiple player suspensions.

University of Houston (UH) – Site of Our Active Litigation: As detailed in the Leonel Bermudez case, UH’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter engaged in a regime of humiliation and violence leading to catastrophic injury. The chapter is now closed, but the lawsuit against the university, national headquarters, and individual members continues.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Uncovering the Full Network of Liability

At Attorney911, we don’t just take a client’s word and sue the obvious parties. We deploy a proprietary, data-driven investigation model—our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—to map the entire ecosystem behind a Greek chapter or campus organization. This is how we uncover hidden insurance coverage, additional liable entities, and patterns of negligence.

For Forest Hill families, understanding this depth is what separates a superficial complaint from a winning, transformative lawsuit.

Public Records Directory: The Greek Ecosystem in the DFW Metro & Beyond

Using IRS filings (Form 990/B83 data), state corporate records, and commercial databases, we maintain a directory of thousands of Greek-affiliated entities in Texas. Below is a small sample relevant to the DFW metro area where Forest Hill is located, demonstrating the complex network behind campus letters.

This is the level of detail we bring to every case:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity – EIN 74-2911848 – 12650 N Beach St, Fort Worth, TX 76244 (IRS B83 & Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc – EIN 74-1380362 – PO Box 470061, Fort Worth, TX 76147-0061 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Lambda Lambda Chapter – EIN 52-1278573 – 3837 Simpson Stuart Rd, Dallas, TX 75241 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – Beta Sigma Chapter – Listed in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metro (Cause IQ Metro Data)
• Delta Tau Delta Fraternity – Gamma Iota Chapter – Listed in Austin-Round Rock Metro (Cause IQ Metro Data)
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – Texas A&M University Chapter – EIN 90-0293166 – 114 Henderson Hall, College Station, TX 77843 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – Epsilon Kappa Alumni – Listed in Beaumont-Port Arthur Metro (Cause IQ & IRS Overlap Data)

Why This Matters: That “local fraternity chapter” is often supported by a housing corporation (a separate legal entity that owns the house), an alumni educational foundation (a tax-exempt entity that may hold insurance), and a national headquarters with its own policies and coverage. We identify and investigate them all. The Bermudez case, for example, includes the Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc (EIN 46-2267515, Frisco, TX) as a defendant.

Connecting National Histories to Local Chapters

National fraternities and sororities have documented, repeated hazing patterns. When a local chapter replicates these patterns, it shows the national organization failed to enforce its own policies or learn from past tragedies.

• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): National pattern of alcohol hazing deaths (Stone Foltz at BGSU, David Bogenberger at NIU). If a Texas Pike chapter engages in forced drinking, the national’s prior knowledge is a key liability factor.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): A history of hazing-related deaths and severe injuries nationwide, including traumatic brain injury lawsuits and the chemical burns case at Texas A&M.
• Phi Delta Theta: The Max Gruver death at LSU.
• Pi Kappa Phi: The Andrew Coffey death at FSU—the same national organization we are currently suing in the Bermudez case at UH.

In litigation, we subpoena the national organization’s internal records to uncover prior incident reports, risk management failures, and communications showing what they knew about their chapter’s behavior. This “pattern and practice” evidence is devastating to their defense.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Damages, and Our Strategic Approach

If you are considering legal action, here is what you can expect and how we turn tragedy into accountability.

The Evidence That Wins Cases (And How to Preserve It)

We seek and secure several key evidence categories:

1. Digital Communications: The #1 source of evidence. We obtain GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, and Snapchat logs through preservation letters, subpoenas, and digital forensics (even recovering deleted messages).
2. Photos & Videos: Content filmed by participants, security footage from houses, Ring doorbell cameras.
3. Internal Organization Documents: Pledge manuals, “tradition” lists, emails between officers, national policy manuals.
4. University Records: Prior conduct files for the chapter, Clery Act reports, internal investigation documents (obtained through discovery or public records requests).
5. Medical & Psychological Records: Documenting the full physical injury (ER reports, lab tests like creatine kinase for rhabdomyolysis) and psychological trauma (PTSD, depression, anxiety diagnoses).
6. Witness Testimony: From other pledges, former members, roommates, RAs, and bystanders.

Categories of Damages: What Can Be Recovered

A civil lawsuit seeks to make the victim whole and punish egregious conduct. Recoverable damages include:

• Economic Damages:
  • All past and future medical expenses (hospitalization, surgery, therapy, lifelong care for catastrophic injuries).
  • Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity (if injuries affect ability to work).
  • Educational costs (lost tuition, missed semesters).
• Non-Economic Damages:
  • Physical pain and suffering.
  • Emotional distress, trauma, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (for families):
  • Funeral and burial costs.
  • Loss of financial support, companionship, and guidance.
  • Emotional suffering of the family.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct, to punish the defendant and deter future behavior.

We work with life-care planners, economists, and vocational experts to build a comprehensive picture of your child’s losses, both today and decades into the future.

Overcoming Institutional Defenses

We anticipate and dismantle the standard defenses:

• “The Victim Consented”: Texas law rejects this. We demonstrate the coercive power imbalance.
• “It Was a Rogue Chapter/Individuals”: We expose national patterns and lax oversight.
• “It Happened Off-Campus”: We prove the university or national still had control and responsibility.
• “We Have Anti-Hazing Policies”: We show the policies were window-dressing, not enforced.
• Insurance Coverage Fights: Our insider knowledge (from Mr. Lupe Peña’s prior defense career) is invaluable in navigating exclusions and securing coverage.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Forest Hill Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and Action Steps

Red Flags Your Child May Be Being Hazed:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, burns, or limping.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, weight changes.
• Sudden secrecy about organization activities (“I can’t talk about it”).
• Personality shifts: anxiety, depression, withdrawal from family/friends.
• Constant, anxious phone use monitoring group chats.
• Receiving calls/texts at all hours with immediate demands.
• Financial requests for unexplained “fines” or “dues.”

What to Do If You Suspect Hazing:

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: If injured or intoxicated, get to an ER.
2. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot ALL digital communications. Photograph injuries.
3. Document: Write down everything they tell you with dates, names, and details.
4. Seek Legal Counsel Before Reporting: Talk to us before you engage with the university or police. We can guide you on how to report while protecting your rights and evidence.
5. Do Not: Confront the organization, sign university paperwork, or post on social media.

For Students: Is This Hazing? How to Get Out Safely.

Ask yourself:

• Am I being pressured or coerced?
• Is this dangerous, degrading, or illegal?
• Would I do this if there was no threat of being kicked out?
• Am I being told to keep it secret?

If you need to exit:

• Your safety comes first. Call 911 in a medical emergency.
• You have the right to quit. Send a clear, written resignation to the chapter president.
• Do NOT go to a “final meeting” where pressure or retaliation may occur.
• Report retaliation to campus police and the Dean of Students immediately.

Critical Mistakes That Can Destroy a Hazing Case

1. Deleting Evidence: Preserve every text, photo, and group chat.
2. Confronting the Organization Directly: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Signing University “Resolution” Forms: These often include waivers of your right to sue.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting to “See What the University Does”: Evidence disappears, witnesses graduate, statutes of limitation run.

Frequently Asked Questions

“Can we sue a Texas public university for hazing?”
Yes. While public universities have sovereign immunity, exceptions exist for gross negligence, intentional acts, and Title IX violations. We know how to craft pleadings to overcome these defenses, as we are doing in the ongoing UH case.

“How long do we have to file a lawsuit?”
Generally, two years from the date of injury or death in Texas. However, the “discovery rule” and fraudulent concealment by the organization can affect this. Do not wait. Call us to understand your specific deadlines.

“Will our name be public?”
Most cases settle confidentially before trial. We prioritize your family’s privacy and can often negotiate sealed records and confidential settlements.

“How much does it cost?”
We work on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront fees. We only get paid if we recover money for you through a settlement or verdict.

About The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911: Why We Are Different

When your family faces a hazing crisis, you need more than a generic personal injury lawyer. You need a team with specific, proven expertise in taking on powerful institutions and winning. Here is why Forest Hill families trust us with their most serious cases.

Our Active, Texas-Based Hazing Litigation: The Bermudez Case

We are not theorists. We are litigators currently in the fight. Our representation of Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi involves:

• Catastrophic Injury: Rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure from forced overconsumption and extreme workouts.
• Systemic Abuse: The “pledge fanny pack” humiliation, simulated waterboarding, hog-tying of another pledge.
• Full Defendant Universe: Suing the university, its board of regents, the Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters, the local housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders.
• Media-Documented Facts: Covered by Click2Houston, ABC13, and Hoodline.

This case exemplifies our approach: thorough investigation, relentless pursuit of all responsible parties, and refusal to back down against well-funded opponents.

Our Core Strengths for Hazing Cases

1. Insurance Insider Knowledge – Mr. Lupe Peña
Mr. Peña (he/him) spent years as an attorney at a national insurance defense firm. He knows firsthand how fraternity and university insurance companies value claims, deploy delay tactics, and argue coverage exclusions. We know their playbook because we used to run it. This is an unparalleled advantage in negotiations and litigation.

2. Complex Institutional Litigation Experience – Ralph Manginello

• BP Texas City Explosion Litigation: Our firm is one of the few in Texas that was involved in litigating against BP after the catastrophic 2005 refinery explosion. We have faced billion-dollar defendants with endless legal resources—the same type of opposition universities and national fraternities mount.
• Federal Court Admitted: Admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
• 25+ Years of Practice: Deep experience in high-stakes wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases.

3. Data-Driven Investigation
As shown by our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, we don’t start from scratch. We use public records, digital forensics, and investigative networks to build an unassailable case from day one.

4. Bilingual Services & Community Understanding
Mr. Peña is a fluent Spanish speaker, ensuring we can serve all Texas families with comfort and clarity. We understand the cultural dynamics of our diverse state.

5. A Track Record of Results
We have secured multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for clients suffering from traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and wrongful death. We apply this same rigorous, expert-driven approach to hazing cases.

Call to Action for Forest Hill, Texas Families

If hazing has impacted your child and your family, you are not alone. The path forward may seem daunting, but it is a path we walk with families every day.

We invite you to contact us for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation.

In your consultation, we will:

• Listen to your story with empathy and without judgment.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Discuss the realistic process, timeline, and potential outcomes.
• Answer all your questions about cost, privacy, and what to expect next.
• There is no pressure to hire us. We will give you the information you need to make the best decision for your family.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911 Today:

• Call our 24/7 Legal Emergency Line: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct Office Line: (713) 528-9070
• Email Ralph Manginello: ralph@atty911.com
• Email Lupe Peña (Se habla Español): lupe@atty911.com
• Visit Our Website: https://attorney911.com

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Whether you’re in Forest Hill, Arlington, Fort Worth, or anywhere in the DFW metro, we are here to help you secure justice, obtain compensation for your child’s suffering, and force the institutional changes that will protect future students.

You don’t have to face this alone. Call us now.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the Leonel Bermudez / UH Pi Kappa Phi Hazing Lawsuit:

• Click2Houston (KPRC 2) 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 (KTRK) Detailed Timeline: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• Hoodline Summary of the $10M Lawsuit: https://hoodline.com/2025/11/university-of-houston-and-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity-face-10m-lawsuit-over-alleged-hazing-and-abuse/

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

• Using Your Cellphone to Document Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Understanding Texas Statutes of Limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Attorney911 Main Website & Contact:

• Homepage & Free Consultation: https://attorney911.com

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