🛡️ Hazing Victims in Garfield County Deserve Justice — We Fight for Your Child

Garfield County families: If your son or daughter has been hazed at a fraternity, sorority, sports team, or any student organization, you are not alone. What happened to Leonel Bermudez at the University of Houston — waterboarding, forced exercise until kidney failure, wooden paddles — happens at universities near Garfield County too.

The same fraternities that tortured our client operate chapters near Garfield County. The same universities that failed to protect students in Houston fail students in Garfield County. And we are fighting back.

🚨 This Is What Hazing Really Is

Hazing is not “tradition.” It’s not “brotherhood.” It’s not “building character.”

It is:

• Assault — Striking with wooden paddles
• Torture — Waterboarding with a garden hose (simulated drowning)
• Reckless endangerment — Forcing 500 squats until muscles break down
• Medical emergencies — Rhabdomyolysis, kidney failure, alcohol poisoning
• Psychological trauma — PTSD, anxiety, depression, fear of retaliation

In Leonel Bermudez’s case:

• Waterboarded — Simulated drowning is considered torture by the U.S. government
• Forced to do 500 squats and 100+ pushups — Until his muscles broke down and he couldn’t stand
• Struck with wooden paddles — Physical assault with weapons
• Forced to eat until vomiting — Then forced to keep running through vomit
• Hospitalized for 4 days — With severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure
• Fearful of retribution — Too afraid to speak out publicly

This happened in Houston. It happens near Garfield County. It could happen to your child.

⚠️ Garfield County Parents: Your Child Is at Risk

Universities Near Garfield County with Greek Life:

While Garfield County itself is a rural area in Oklahoma, it is within driving distance of several universities with active Greek organizations, including:

• Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK) — Approximately 100 miles from Garfield County
• University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK) — Approximately 120 miles from Garfield County
• University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond, OK) — Approximately 90 miles from Garfield County

These institutions have national fraternities and sororities with chapters on campus, including:

• Pi Kappa Phi — The same fraternity that hospitalized Leonel Bermudez
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) — Known for hazing incidents nationwide, including chemical burn cases
• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) — Responsible for Stone Foltz’s death in 2021
• Beta Theta Pi — Responsible for Timothy Piazza’s death in 2017
• Phi Delta Theta — Responsible for Maxwell Gruver’s death in 2017

These are not isolated incidents. This is a pattern. And it happens near Garfield County.

The Same Nationals Operate Near Garfield County

The national organizations that oversee these chapters have paid millions in settlements for hazing deaths and injuries. They knew the risks. They failed to stop the abuse. And now, they operate chapters near Garfield County.

Pi Kappa Phi National knew:

• In 2017, Andrew Coffey died from forced alcohol consumption at their Florida State chapter
• In 2025, Leonel Bermudez was hospitalized with kidney failure at their University of Houston chapter
• They had 8 years to fix their culture. They did nothing.
• The same national organization has chapters near Garfield County.

Universities near Garfield County knew:

• Hazing is endemic in Greek life
• Students have been hospitalized and killed at other universities
• They have the power to regulate, inspect, and shut down dangerous chapters
• They choose not to act until it’s too late.

💔 This Could Be Your Child

Leonel Bermudez wasn’t even a student at UH when he was hazed. He was a “ghost rush” — a prospective member expected to transfer. The fraternity didn’t care. They hazed him anyway.

Your child could be next:

• A high school senior visiting a college near Garfield County
• A transfer student joining a fraternity or sorority
• A freshman excited about Greek life
• An athlete on a team with hazing “traditions”
• A member of a marching band, ROTC, or club

They don’t have to be enrolled. They don’t have to be a member. They just have to be vulnerable.

⚖️ Garfield County Families: You Have Legal Rights

Hazing Is Illegal in Oklahoma

Oklahoma law (Title 21, Section 1190) defines hazing as:

“Any activity which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with any organization operating under the sanction of a postsecondary educational institution.”

Penalties in Oklahoma:

• Misdemeanor — Up to 1 year in county jail and/or $500 fine
• Felony — If hazing results in death or great bodily harm, up to 10 years in prison and/or $10,000 fine

Consent is not a defense. Even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law says that doesn’t matter.

You Can Sue for Civil Damages

Even if criminal charges aren’t filed, you can file a civil lawsuit to hold the responsible parties accountable. Garfield County families can sue for:

• Medical expenses — Hospital bills, therapy, future treatment
• Pain and suffering — Physical and emotional trauma
• Lost wages — Time missed from work or school
• Educational disruption — Impact on academic performance
• Punitive damages — To punish egregious conduct and prevent future hazing

Who can be sued?

• The local chapter — For organizing and conducting the hazing
• The national organization — For failing to supervise and enforce anti-hazing policies
• The university — For failing to protect students (premises liability, negligent supervision)
• Individual members — For participating in or facilitating the hazing
• Alumni or advisors — For allowing hazing to occur at their homes or under their supervision

💰 Multi-Million Dollar Precedents Prove You Can Win

Hazing cases result in multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. The same legal strategies that won these cases apply to Garfield County victims.

Garfield County families: These results are possible for your child too. The same fraternities operate near Garfield County. The same universities fail to protect students. Your child deserves the same aggressive representation.

🔍 What to Do If Your Child Is Hazed in Garfield County

Step 1: Get Medical Help Immediately

• Go to the nearest emergency room
• Tell the doctor your child was hazed
• Document all injuries, symptoms, and treatment
• Even if injuries seem minor, get checked — some conditions (like rhabdomyolysis) have delayed symptoms

Step 2: Preserve All Evidence

DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING.

• Text messages — GroupMe, Snapchat, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp
• Photos/videos — From the hazing, injuries, or related events
• Social media posts — Anything referencing the hazing or the organization
• Emails — From the organization, university, or members
• Documents — Pledge manuals, schedules, rules
• Witness information — Names and contact info of other victims or bystanders

Step 3: Do NOT Talk to the Organization or University Alone

• They will try to control the narrative
• They will pressure your child to stay quiet
• They will destroy evidence
• Anything your child says can be used against them

Step 4: Contact an Attorney Immediately

Garfield County families: You have a limited time to take legal action. In Oklahoma, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is 2 years from the date of injury. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget. Do not wait.

Call Attorney 911 now for a free, confidential consultation:
📞 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 ralph@atty911.com

We serve hazing victims nationwide, including Garfield County. Distance is not a barrier. We offer:

• Free consultations — No cost to discuss your case
• Contingency fee representation — You pay nothing unless we win
• Video consultations — Meet with us remotely
• Travel commitment — We come to Garfield County for depositions and meetings

🏛️ Who Is Liable for Garfield County Hazing?

1. The Local Chapter

• Directly organized and conducted the hazing
• Officers (president, pledgemaster) are personally liable
• Members who participated can be sued individually

2. The National Organization

• Failed to supervise the local chapter
• Knew about prior hazing incidents (like Andrew Coffey’s death) and did nothing
• Have deep pockets and insurance policies

3. The University

• Failed to protect students despite knowing hazing occurs
• May own or control the property where hazing occurred (premises liability)
• Have institutional insurance and resources

4. Individual Members

• Each person who participated in or facilitated the hazing can be sued
• May have personal assets or homeowner’s insurance coverage

5. Alumni or Advisors

• If hazing occurred at their home or under their supervision, they can be held liable

🎯 Why Garfield County Families Choose Attorney 911

1. We Are Fighting This Battle Right Now

• We are currently representing Leonel Bermudez in a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston
• This is not theoretical — we are in the fight today
• Garfield County families get the same aggressive representation

2. Former Insurance Defense Attorneys

• Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena both worked for insurance companies before switching sides
• We know their playbook — now we use it against them
• We know how to maximize your recovery

3. Federal Court Authority

• Admitted to U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
• Can pursue your Garfield County case in federal court if needed

4. Dual-State Bar Admission

• Licensed in Texas and New York
• Can take on national fraternities headquartered anywhere in America

5. Se Habla Español

• Bilingual staff available
• Can serve Spanish-speaking Garfield County families without language barriers

6. Nationwide Hazing Expertise

• Experience with rhabdomyolysis cases, Kappa Sigma fraternity litigation, and university accountability
• Currently litigating the $10 million UH hazing case
• Same strategies available for Garfield County victims

7. We Will Travel to Garfield County

• For depositions, client meetings, and trials
• Distance is not a barrier to justice

8. Contingency Fee Representation

• You pay nothing upfront
• We don’t get paid unless you get paid
• No financial risk for Garfield County families

📢 To Fraternities Operating Near Garfield County: We Are Watching

Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, Beta Theta Pi, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Chi, Kappa Sigma —

If your chapter operates near Garfield County, know this:

• We are tracking your corporate structures
• We know your insurance policies
• We know your history of hazing deaths and injuries
• We know your alumni chapters and housing corporations

The same legal strategies that secured $10+ million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapter.

If you haze students near Garfield County, we will pursue every liable entity. We already shut down the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter. Your chapter could be next.

🏫 To Universities Near Garfield County: You Are Liable

Oklahoma State University, University of Oklahoma, University of Central Oklahoma —

You know hazing happens on your campuses. You have the power to stop it. You choose not to.

When hazing sends a student to the hospital or the morgue, you will be sued.

• You own the fraternity houses
• You receive tuition dollars
• You have insurance policies
• You have endowments

The University of Houston is currently being sued for $10 million because they owned the house where a student was waterboarded. The same liability applies to you.

Act now. Or face the same accountability.

🔥 Garfield County Families: It’s Time to Fight Back

Your child was hazed. They were abused. They were betrayed.

But they are not powerless. You are not powerless.

You can:
✅ Hold the individuals who hurt your child accountable
✅ Hold the organizations that enabled them accountable
✅ Hold the universities that failed to protect them accountable
✅ Recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and future damages
✅ Send a message that hazing will not be tolerated near Garfield County

This is not just about money. It’s about justice. It’s about preventing the next victim. It’s about protecting Garfield County’s children.

📞 Garfield County Hazing Victims: Call Now for Free Consultation

1-888-ATTY-911
ralph@atty911.com

Available 24/7 for Garfield County hazing emergencies.

We don’t just talk about hazing. We’re fighting it right now. And we’ll fight for Garfield County families too.

Enough is enough. It’s time for justice. 🚨