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A Comprehensive Guide for Hearne Families: Understanding Hazing, Knowing Your Rights, and Holding Texas Universities & Fraternities Accountable

If you are a parent in Hearne, Texas, your worst nightmare may unfold with a late-night phone call. Your college student—maybe at Texas A&M University just 35 minutes away, or the University of Houston a few hours down I-45—is in the hospital. The story is confusing: a fraternity “workout,” forced drinking, a culture of silence. You hear words like “hazing,” “rhabdomyolysis,” and “cover-up.” You feel helpless, angry, and unsure where to turn in your own community of Hearne and Robertson County.

This guide is for you. It cuts through the confusion to explain what hazing really looks like in 2025, how Texas law protects your child, and what major cases at universities across our state reveal about systemic risks. We will connect national tragedies to what is happening right now on Texas campuses, including the active, severe case at the University of Houston that our firm, Attorney911, is leading. Most importantly, we provide a clear path forward for Hearne families seeking answers, accountability, and justice.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES:

• If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:
  • Call 911 for medical emergencies.
  • Then call Attorney911: 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:
  • Get medical attention immediately, even if the student insists they are “fine.”
  • Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
    • Screenshot group chats, texts, DMs immediately.
    • Photograph injuries from multiple angles.
    • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects).
  • Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
  • Do NOT:
    • Confront the fraternity/sorority.
    • Sign anything from the university or insurance company.
    • Post details on public social media.
    • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence.
• Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. We can help. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for immediate consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like

For Hearne families, hazing isn’t an abstract concept; it’s a threat to our children who leave our close-knit community for campuses across Texas. Modern hazing is not just “boys will be boys” pranks. It is often systematic, psychologically manipulative, and digitally documented.

A Clear, Modern Definition:
Hazing is any forced, coerced, or strongly pressured action tied to joining or maintaining status in a group, where the behavior endangers physical or mental health, humiliates, or exploits. Critically, a student “agreeing” under intense peer pressure and fear of exclusion does not make it legal or safe.

Main Categories of Hazing:

1. Alcohol & Substance Hazing: The most common and deadly. This includes forced chugging, “lineup” drinking games, “Big/Little” nights with handles of liquor, and coerced consumption of drugs or unknown substances.
2. Physical Hazing: Paddling, beatings, “smokings” (extreme calisthenics to the point of collapse), sleep deprivation, food/water restriction, and exposure to extreme elements.
3. Sexualized & Humiliating Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, degrading costumes or positions, and acts with racist, sexist, or homophobic overtones.
4. Psychological Hazing: Verbal abuse, isolation, threats, manipulation, and public shaming.
5. Digital/Online Hazing: Coerced participation in humiliating social media “challenges,” 24/7 monitoring via group chats (GroupMe, Discord), demands for immediate digital response, and sharing of compromising media.

Where Hazing Happens:
While fraternities and sororities are often implicated, hazing pervades:

• Corps of Cadets and ROTC programs.
• Athletic teams (from football to cheerleading).
• Spirit organizations and “traditional” clubs.
• Marching bands and performance groups.
• Some academic, service, and cultural organizations.

The common threads are power imbalance, secrecy, and the toxic belief that abuse builds loyalty.

Law & Liability Framework: Texas Law & Federal Overlays

As a Hearne parent, your child is protected by Texas law, no matter which campus they attend.

Texas Hazing Law (Education Code Chapter 37):

• Definition: Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers a student’s physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership in a group. This applies on or off campus.
• Criminal Penalties: Ranges from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony if the hazing causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Key Protections:
  • Consent is NOT a Defense (§37.155): Even if your child “went along with it,” it is still a crime.
  • Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting (§37.154): Those who report hazing or call for medical help in good faith are protected from liability.
  • Organizational Liability (§37.153): The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be fined and prosecuted.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases:

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (DA). Aim is punishment (jail, fines). Charges can include hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to minors, or manslaughter.
• Civil Cases: Brought by victims and families. Aim is compensation and accountability. This is where we hold every responsible party liable for damages like medical bills, trauma, and future care. A criminal conviction is not required to file a civil suit.

Federal Law Overlays:

• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires universities receiving federal funds to increase transparency in hazing reporting and prevention.
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, federal Title IX procedures and obligations are triggered.
• Clery Act: Requires reporting of certain crimes, including some hazing-related assaults.

Who Can Be Liable in a Civil Lawsuit?
A thorough investigation targets all potentially responsible parties:

1. Individual Students who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter as an organization.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters that sets policies, collects dues, and often has prior knowledge of similar incidents.
4. The University for negligent supervision or deliberate indifference to known risks.
5. Third Parties like property owners, bars that over-served alcohol, or security companies.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Scripts That Repeat in Texas

Tragic national cases are not distant news; they are blueprints for what happens in Texas and form the basis for holding organizations accountable.

The Alcohol Poisoning Script:

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Bid acceptance night, extreme drinking, delayed 911 call, fatal falls captured on chapter cameras. Result: Dozens of criminal charges, civil suits, and Pennsylvania’s “Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.”
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): “Bible study” drinking game where wrong answers meant drinking. Died from alcohol toxicity. Result: Louisiana’s “Max Gruver Act” making hazing a felony.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of alcohol during a “Big/Little” event. Died from alcohol poisoning. Result: $10 million+ in total settlements from the national fraternity and university, with criminal convictions for members.

The Physical & Ritualized Hazing Script:

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Pledge killed during a violent, blindfolded “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. Help was delayed. Result: National fraternity criminally convicted and banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.

The Athletic Program Hazing Script:

• Northwestern University Football (2023-2025): Widespread allegations of sexualized and racist hazing. Result: Multiple lawsuits, fired coaching staff, and confidential settlements demonstrating hazing extends far beyond Greek life.

What This Means for Hearne Families: These cases show predictable patterns: forced consumption, delayed help, institutional failures. When the same national fraternity implicated in a death at another university has a chapter at your child’s Texas school, that history matters. It establishes foreseeability—they knew or should have known the risks.

Texas Focus: Where Hearne Families Send Their Kids

Hearne parents have deep ties to Texas’s flagship universities. Whether your student is at a nearby school or a major hub, understanding each campus’s landscape is critical.

Texas A&M University & Blinn College (Bryan-College Station Metro)

For many in Hearne, Aggieland is a source of pride and a common destination. Its unique cultures carry specific risks.

• Campus Snapshot: A massive, tradition-rich campus with a powerful Greek system and the renowned Corps of Cadets. The close-knit Bryan-College Station community means events quickly impact local families.
• Documented Incidents & Patterns:
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case (2021): Pledges alleged being doused with substances including industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin graft surgeries. A lawsuit sought $1 million; the chapter was suspended.
  • Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged degrading hazing, including being bound between beds in a simulated sexual position with an apple in his mouth. The lawsuit sought over $1 million, highlighting traditions gone wrong.
  • Kappa Sigma Rhabdomyolysis Allegations (2023): Ongoing litigation involves allegations of extreme physical hazing leading to the life-threatening muscle breakdown condition, rhabdomyolysis.
• How a Case Here Might Proceed: Jurisdiction may involve Texas A&M University Police, Bryan or College Station PD, and Brazos County courts. Investigations must navigate both Greek life and the unique, tradition-bound Corps culture.
• What Hearne Parents Should Do: Document everything. Report to both the University’s Student Conduct Office and, if crimes occurred, to local police. Understand that off-campus “ranch” events are common. Seek an attorney familiar with both A&M’s institutional structure and the national histories of its fraternities.

University of Houston (UH)

Right now, UH is ground zero for one of the most serious hazing cases in the country—a case our firm is actively litigating. This is not a historical example; it is a present-day battle for accountability.

• Campus Snapshot: A large, diverse urban commuter school with a growing residential population and active Greek life across IFC, Panhellenic, NPHC, and Multicultural councils.
• The Active Case: Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi (Beta Nu Chapter)
  This $10 million lawsuit, filed in late 2025, alleges a campaign of abuse that nearly killed a pledge. We represent Mr. Bermudez.
  • The Hazing: Pledges were forced to carry a degrading “pledge fanny pack” 24/7. Hazing occurred at the chapter house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park. It included enforced dress codes, overnight driving duties, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” forced consumption of milk and hot dogs until vomiting, and extreme workouts.
  • The Medical Catastrophe: After a November 3rd workout of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats, Bermudez’s muscles broke down. He developed rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, passed brown urine, and was hospitalized for four days. He faces a risk of permanent kidney damage.
  • The Institutional Response: Pi Kappa Phi national suspended the Beta Nu chapter on November 6, 2025. Members voted to surrender their charter on November 14, shutting it down. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing” and promised cooperation with law enforcement.
  • The Defendants: The lawsuit names the University of Houston, the UH System Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters, the Beta Nu housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders (including the chapter president, pledgemaster, and risk manager).
    This case, covered by Click2Houston, ABC13, and Hoodline, exemplifies the severe injury and complex litigation that hazing can trigger.
• What Hearne Parents Should Do: This case proves hazing can happen at any Texas school. If your child is at UH, be aware of the university’s reporting channels (Dean of Students, UHPD). Understand that cases may involve both Houston Police and Harris County courts.

University of Texas at Austin (UT)

• Campus Snapshot: A flagship university with a vast Greek system and intense social competition. Its size can make oversight challenging.
• Transparency & Documented Violations: UT maintains a public online log of hazing violations—a resource for families.
  • Recent Examples: Pi Kappa Alpha sanctioned for forcing new members to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics; spirit groups disciplined for forced workouts and alcohol-related hazing.
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon Assault Case (2024): An Australian exchange student sued the UT SAE chapter after allegedly being assaulted at a party, suffering a dislocated leg, broken nose, and fractured tibia.
• How a Case Here Might Proceed: Involves UTPD and potentially Austin Police. UT’s public violation log can be powerful evidence in a civil suit to show a pattern of known issues.
• What Hearne Parents Should Do: Check UT’s hazing violation website. Report through the Office of the Dean of Students. Document any correspondence with the university.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

• Private School Context: As private institutions in Dallas and Waco, their processes and transparency differ from public universities, but legal liability is just as real.
• Documented Issues: SMU’s Kappa Alpha Order chapter was suspended for paddling and alcohol hazing. Baylor’s baseball team faced suspensions over a hazing investigation. Both schools emphasize “zero tolerance,” yet incidents recur.
• What Hearne Parents Should Do: Do not assume internal “student conduct” processes will yield full accountability. Private schools can be aggressive in protecting their reputation. Legal counsel is crucial to navigate their systems and pursue discovery.

Fraternities & Sororities: National Histories That Predict Local Danger

The fraternities on Texas campuses are chapters of national organizations with documented, often tragic, histories. This isn’t about branding all members; it’s about acknowledging patterns that create legal liability.

Why National Histories Matter in Court:
When a Texas chapter repeats the same dangerous “tradition” that killed a pledge at another university, it shows the national organization failed to implement effective prevention. This establishes negligence and can support claims for punitive damages.

A Sample of National Patterns Relevant to Texas Campuses:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): National pattern of fatal “Big/Little” alcohol hazing (Stone Foltz at BGSU). Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, Baylor.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): Multiple deaths and severe injuries nationwide; history of traumatic brain injury lawsuits and chemical burn cases (like at Texas A&M). Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU.
• Phi Delta Theta: Fatal “Bible study” drinking game (Max Gruver at LSU). Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, Baylor.
• Pi Kappa Phi: Fatal Big Brother night (Andrew Coffey at FSU); now the subject of our active, severe injury lawsuit at UH.
• Kappa Alpha Order: History of paddling and physical hazing suspensions (including at SMU).

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine:
For Hearne families, understanding that these are not just local clubs is vital. Our firm maintains a data-driven directory of Greek organizations in Texas to track liability. For example, public records show Greek entities in the Bryan-College Station metro relevant to Hearne families, such as:

• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity (EIN: 742911848) in Fort Worth, TX 76244.
• Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc (EIN: 133048786) in College Station, TX 77845.
• Eta Alpha House Corporation of Kappa Delta Sorority (EIN: 742930349) in College Station, TX 77840.
  This is a fraction of the 1,423 Greek-related organizations we track across Texas. When a hazing incident occurs, we don’t start from zero—we know how to identify the housing corporations, alumni associations, and national entities that may share liability.

Building a Case: Evidence, Damages, and Strategic Investigation

Winning a hazing case requires converting trauma into a compelling legal narrative. This is where experience matters.

Critical Evidence Categories:

1. Digital Evidence: Group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp), text messages, social media posts (Instagram, Snapchat), and deleted data recovered via forensics. This evidence shows planning, coercion, and cover-ups.
2. Photos & Videos: Images of injuries, event locations, and videos taken by participants themselves.
3. Internal Documents: Pledge manuals, chapter emails, national fraternity risk management policies.
4. University Records: Prior conduct violations for the same organization, obtained through discovery or public records requests.
5. Medical Records: ER reports, hospitalization records, toxicology screens, and psychological evaluations diagnosing PTSD, depression, or anxiety.
6. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, roommates, and bystanders.

Recoverable Damages for Hearne Families:

• Economic Damages: All past and future medical bills, lost wages, costs of therapy, and diminished future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the family’s profound grief and loss of companionship.

The Insurance Battle: National fraternities and universities have insurance. Insurers often try to deny coverage, claiming hazing is an “intentional act.” Our insider knowledge—Mr. Lupe Peña spent years as an insurance defense attorney—is invaluable in fighting these denials and identifying all potential policies.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Hearne Families

For Parents: Warning Signs & Immediate Steps

• Warning Signs: Unexplained injuries, extreme fatigue, personality changes (withdrawal, anxiety), sudden secrecy about group activities, constant stressful phone communication, declining grades, and unexplained financial requests.
• How to Talk to Your Child: Be calm, supportive, and non-judgmental. Ask open-ended questions: “Is anything making you uncomfortable in your [fraternity/sorority]?” “Do you feel safe?”
• First 48-Hour Checklist: 1) Ensure medical safety. 2) Preserve all digital evidence (screenshots, photos). 3) Write a detailed chronology. 4) Call a lawyer before reporting to the university or confronting the organization. 5) Do not let your child delete anything.

For Students: Is This Hazing?
If you feel coerced, unsafe, or humiliated; if activities are secret; if “tradition” overrules well-being—it is likely hazing. Your “consent” under pressure is not a legal defense for them. Texas law protects you.

For Witnesses/Former Members:
If you participated and now regret it, your testimony can prevent future harm. You can seek your own legal advice. Coming forward is a path to accountability.

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case:

1. Deleting Evidence: Group chats are the #1 source of proof. Never delete.
2. Confronting the Organization First: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Signing University Documents Unreviewed: Schools may offer quick “resolutions” that waive your right to sue.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses scatter, and the Texas statute of limitations (generally 2 years) expires.

Short FAQ:

• “Can we sue a Texas university for hazing?” Yes. While public universities have some immunity, exceptions exist for gross negligence. Private universities like SMU and Baylor can be sued directly.
• “Is hazing a felony in Texas?” Yes, if it causes serious bodily injury or death, it is a state jail felony.
• “What if it happened off-campus?” Location does not matter. Liability is based on the group’s affiliation and the organization’s control or knowledge.
• “How long do we have to file a lawsuit?” Generally, two years from the date of injury in Texas, but consult a lawyer immediately as special rules can apply.
• “Will our name be public?” Many cases settle confidentially. We prioritize your family’s privacy throughout the process.

Why Attorney911 for Hearne Hazing Cases

When your family faces a hazing crisis, you need Texas attorneys who understand both the heartbreaking human cost and the complex legal battlefield against wealthy institutions. From our Houston office, we serve Hearne and families across Texas with a unique combination of expertise:

• Active, High-Stakes Litigation: We are not theorists. Right now, we are lead counsel in the $10 million Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi case—one of the most severe hazing lawsuits in the country. We are in the fight.
• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as a defense lawyer for national insurance companies. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny, delay, and devalue your claim. We know their playbook because we used to run it.
• Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants: Founding partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff lawyers involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets of national fraternities or university legal teams.
• Data-Driven Investigation: We employ the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, a proprietary analysis of public records on Greek organizations. We don’t start investigations from scratch; we identify liable entities—house corporations, alumni associations, national headquarters—from day one.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Mr. Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil lawsuits, allowing us to advise families and witnesses comprehensively.
• Spanish-Language Services: Se habla Español. Mr. Peña provides fluent Spanish-language legal counsel, ensuring all Texas families have access to justice.

We believe in thorough investigation, maximum accountability, and treating your family with the dignity and respect you deserve during an unimaginably difficult time.

Call to Action for Hearne Families

If hazing has hurt your child at Texas A&M, Blinn College, the University of Houston, UT Austin, or any Texas campus, you are not alone. The path forward begins with a conversation.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. We serve families in Hearne, Robertson County, and across Texas.

In your consultation, we will:

• Listen compassionately to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your family’s legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Outline the investigation process and what to expect.
• Discuss our contingency fee structure—you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.

Take the first step toward accountability and protection for your child.

Call us 24/7: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com (Se habla Español)

Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is fact-specific. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC for a consultation regarding the specifics of your situation.