🛡️ Haskell County Hazing Lawyer: Protecting Students and Holding Fraternities Accountable
Haskell County families: If your child was hazed at a fraternity or sorority, you have legal rights. We are fighting this battle right now — and we will fight for you.
At Attorney 911, we are currently representing a hazing victim in a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and the University of Houston. Our client was waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats, struck with wooden paddles, and hospitalized with kidney failure — all in the name of “tradition.”
This isn’t just happening in Houston. It’s happening at universities near Haskell County. The same fraternities operate near Haskell County. The same negligence exists at Haskell County institutions.
You are not powerless. You are not alone. We will fight for Haskell County families with the same aggression we’re bringing to this case.
🚨 The Hazing Crisis in Haskell County
Hazing isn’t harmless fun. It’s abuse, torture, and sometimes murder disguised as tradition.
The truth about hazing in America:
- 55% of students in Greek organizations experience hazing
- 40% of student athletes report hazing
- Since 2000, there has been at least one hazing death every year in the United States
- 95% of students who are hazed do NOT report it — fear of retaliation keeps victims silent
Haskell County parents: Your child could be next.
Fraternities like Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Sigma, and others have chapters at universities near Haskell County. They operate under the same national organizations that have paid millions in settlements for hazing deaths and injuries.
💔 What Hazing Really Looks Like — The UH Case
Our client, Leonel Bermudez, wasn’t even a University of Houston student when he was hazed. He was a “ghost rush” — a prospective member expected to transfer for the upcoming semester. They did this to someone who wasn’t even enrolled yet.
The Hazing Activities That Hospitalized Our Client:
| Activity | What Happened | Legal Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Waterboarding | Simulated drowning with a garden hose while doing calisthenics | Torture; Assault |
| Wooden Paddles | Struck repeatedly with wooden paddles | Assault; Battery |
| 500+ Squats | Forced to perform 500+ squats as punishment | Hazing; Reckless Endangerment |
| 100+ Pushups | Forced to perform 100+ pushups | Hazing; Reckless Endangerment |
| Forced Eating | Large amounts of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting | Hazing |
| Vomit Abuse | Forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass after vomiting | Hazing; Humiliation |
| Sleep Deprivation | Forced to drive fraternity members during early morning hours | Hazing |
| Psychological Torture | Forced to carry a fanny pack with sexual objects; threats of expulsion | Hazing; Coercion |
| Cold Exposure | Forced to strip to underwear in cold weather | Hazing; Reckless Endangerment |
| Hog-Tying | Another pledge hog-tied face-down on table with object in mouth for over an hour | Hazing; Assault; False Imprisonment |
The Medical Consequences:
- Rhabdomyolysis — muscle breakdown from extreme exertion
- Acute kidney failure — life-threatening complication
- 3 nights, 4 days hospitalized — intensive medical treatment required
- Long-term health risks — potential chronic kidney disease, need for dialysis or transplant
Haskell County parents: This could be your child.
⚖️ Haskell County Hazing Laws — Your Legal Rights
Texas Education Code § 37.151-37.157 — Anti-Hazing Law
Definition of Hazing:
Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act occurring on or off campus that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, initiation, affiliation, holding office, or maintaining membership in an organization.
Haskell County Application: This law applies to all students in Texas, including those at universities near Haskell County.
Criminal Penalties for Hazing:
| Offense Level | Conduct | Punishment |
|---|---|---|
| Class B Misdemeanor | Engaging in hazing | Up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine |
| Class A Misdemeanor | Hazing causing serious bodily injury | Up to 1 year jail, $4,000 fine |
| State Jail Felony | Hazing causing death | 180 days – 2 years state jail, $10,000 fine |
Consent is NOT a Defense:
“It is not a defense to prosecution that the person hazed consented to or acquiesced in the hazing activity.” — Texas Education Code § 37.154
Haskell County families: Even if your child “agreed” to participate, they cannot consent to being hazed. The law says so.
🏛️ Who Is Liable for Haskell County Hazing?
When hazing occurs, multiple parties can be held legally responsible. We pursue everyone who contributed to the harm.
| Defendant | Why They’re Liable | Haskell County Application |
|---|---|---|
| Local Chapter | Directly organized and conducted hazing | Chapters at universities near Haskell County |
| National Fraternity | Failed to supervise; knew about hazing culture | Same nationals operate near Haskell County |
| University | Failed to prevent hazing; premises liability | Haskell County institutions with Greek life |
| Chapter Officers | Leadership responsibility; directed hazing | Presidents, pledgemasters, risk managers |
| Individual Members | Participated in hazing | Active members who perpetrated abuse |
| Alumni | Hosted hazing at their homes | Former members near Haskell County |
| Insurance Companies | Coverage for institutional liability | National and university insurance policies |
Haskell County parents: We don’t just sue broke college students. We go after the deep pockets — the national organizations and universities that enable hazing.
💰 Multi-Million Dollar Precedents — Hazing Cases Win Big
Hazing cases result in multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. These same results are possible for Haskell County victims.
| Case | University | Fraternity | Outcome | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Foltz | Bowling Green State | Pi Kappa Alpha | Settlement | $10.1 million |
| Maxwell Gruver | Louisiana State | Phi Delta Theta | Jury Verdict | $6.1 million |
| Timothy Piazza | Penn State | Beta Theta Pi | Settlement | $110 million+ |
| Andrew Coffey | Florida State | Pi Kappa Phi | Settlement | Confidential (major) |
| Tucker Hipps | Clemson | Sigma Phi Epsilon | Settlement | $500,000+ |
Haskell County families: These verdicts and settlements prove that hazing cases WIN. The same legal strategies apply to Haskell County cases.
📋 What to Do If Your Child Was Hazed in Haskell County
Immediate Steps — Preserve Evidence and Protect Your Rights
| Step | Action | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Get Medical Attention | Seek emergency care if needed; document all injuries | Medical records are critical evidence |
| 2. Preserve Evidence | Save all texts, photos, videos, GroupMe chats, social media posts | This proves what happened |
| 3. Don’t Talk to the Organization | Fraternities/sororities will try to control the narrative | They will destroy evidence and intimidate witnesses |
| 4. Don’t Post on Social Media | Anything you post can be used against you | Defense will use posts to claim you’re “fine” |
| 5. Contact an Attorney | Free consultation — know your rights | We handle communications with defendants |
| 6. Report to Authorities | Consider filing police report, Title IX report | Creates official record |
Haskell County parents: The most important step is to contact an attorney immediately. Evidence disappears fast, and statutes of limitations apply.
🎯 Why Haskell County Families Choose Attorney 911
1. We Are Fighting This Battle RIGHT NOW
- Currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and University of Houston
- Our client was waterboarded, hospitalized with kidney failure
- This isn’t theoretical — we’re in the fight
2. Nationwide Reach — We Serve Haskell County
- Based in Texas (Houston, Austin, Beaumont)
- Federal court authority — can pursue cases nationwide
- Dual-state bar licenses — Texas AND New York
- Video consultations available for Haskell County families
- We travel to Haskell County for depositions, meetings, and trials
3. Former Insurance Defense Attorneys — We Know Their Playbook
- Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena were both insurance defense attorneys
- We know how insurance companies think, strategize, and try to deny claims
- We use that insider knowledge to dismantle their defenses and maximize recovery
4. Aggressive, Compassionate Representation
- We see your child as a person, not a paycheck
- We understand the emotional trauma of hazing
- We fight hard because we truly care
5. No Upfront Cost — We Work on Contingency
- $0 upfront — you pay nothing to hire us
- We don’t get paid unless you win
- Contingency fee — typically 33-40% of recovery
- Haskell County families: Cost is not a barrier to justice
📞 Haskell County Hazing Victims — Call Us Now
If your child was hazed at a fraternity or sorority near Haskell County, we can help. The consultation is free. The call is confidential.
📞 1-888-ATTY-911 (24/7)
📧 ralph@atty911.com
🌐 attorney911.com
We will travel to Haskell County for your case. Distance is not a barrier to justice.
🔥 Message to Haskell County Fraternities and Universities
To the fraternities operating near Haskell County:
We are watching. The same legal strategies that secured $10+ million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapter.
Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi — if your chapter operates near Haskell County, know that Attorney 911 represents hazing victims across America.
To the universities near Haskell County:
The same institutional negligence that made University
