The Ultimate Guide to Fraternity & Sorority Hazing in Texas: What Kemp Families Need to Know

The Phone Call No Kemp Parent Wants to Receive

Imagine your child—a student at the University of Houston, Texas A&M, or another Texas campus—calling you late at night. Their voice is slurred, confused. They mention a “big brother night” or a “pledge retreat.” They’re scared to call 911 because their fraternity brothers told them not to. They’re injured, disoriented, and alone. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario. For families in Kemp, Kaufman County, and communities throughout Texas, this nightmare became reality for the Bermudez family in fall 2025.

Right now, we represent Leonel Bermudez in one of Texas’s most serious ongoing hazing cases—a $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston and the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter. Mr. Bermudez, a transfer student, endured weeks of systematic abuse that culminated in rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, requiring four days of hospitalization. His mother found him passing brown urine, unable to stand without help.

This comprehensive guide explains what hazing really looks like in 2025, the legal frameworks protecting Texas students, and what powerful institutions try to hide. We’ve written it specifically for families in Kemp, Forney, Terrell, and throughout Kaufman County who need to understand their rights and options when campus traditions turn dangerous.

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:

• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Screenshot all group chats, texts, DMs immediately (GroupMe, WhatsApp, Instagram)
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles with a ruler for scale
  • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, paddles, alcohol bottles)
• Get medical attention immediately, even if symptoms seem minor
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (names, dates, locations, specific acts)
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity/sorority directly
  • Sign anything from the university or their insurance company
  • Post details on public social media
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence

Evidence disappears fast. Universities and national fraternities have teams of lawyers who move quickly to control the narrative. Call us within 24-48 hours to protect your child’s rights and preserve critical evidence.

What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

For families in Kemp sending students to Texas universities, understanding modern hazing requires moving beyond outdated stereotypes of harmless pranks. Today’s hazing combines digital surveillance, psychological manipulation, and sophisticated cover-up tactics that make detection difficult and reporting intimidating.

The Digital Transformation of Hazing

The most dangerous hazing in 2025 happens in plain sight—on your child’s phone. Consider these real tactics from current cases:

24/7 Digital Control: Pledges in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case were required to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, sex toys, nicotine devices, and humiliating items. Their compliance was monitored through constant group chat demands and instant response requirements. Failure to respond within minutes meant physical punishment or expulsion threats.

Geo-Tracking & Social Media Policing: Many chapters now require pledges to share live locations via Find My Friends, Snapchat Maps, or Life360. Their social media accounts are monitored, and they’re forced to post embarrassing content or participate in TikTok “challenges” designed to humiliate. Deleted messages are recovered through digital forensics in lawsuits, but families need to preserve them immediately.

The “Optional” Loophole: Organizations increasingly frame dangerous activities as “voluntary” to create legal cover. The reality? Not participating means social exclusion, denial of a “big brother/sister,” or being labeled “not committed.” Texas law recognizes that consent under peer pressure and power imbalance isn’t true voluntary consent.

Three Categories of Modern Hazing

Based on our investigation of hundreds of cases, including the UH Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit, we categorize hazing into three escalating tiers:

Tier 1: Subtle Hazing (Often Dismissed as “Harmless”)

• Being “on call” 24/7 for errands and chauffeur duties
• Required attendance at events that interfere with academics
• Social isolation from non-members
• “Scavenger hunts” designed to humiliate or endanger
• Digital monitoring and control through group chats

Tier 2: Harassment Hazing (Creates Hostile Environment)

• Sleep deprivation through late-night “meetings” or 3 AM wake-up calls
• Food/water restriction or forced consumption of unpleasant substances
• Extreme physical “workouts” framed as “conditioning”
• Public humiliation through embarrassing acts or costumes
• Verbal abuse, screaming, and degradation

Tier 3: Violent Hazing (High Risk of Injury or Death)

• Forced alcohol consumption: “Big/Little” nights, lineups, drinking games with wrong-answer penalties
• Physical beatings and paddling: Still prevalent despite national prohibitions
• Dangerous physical tests: “Glass ceiling” tackles, blindfolded challenges, extreme endurance tests
• Sexualized hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, sexual assault
• Chemical exposure: Industrial cleaners, raw eggs, and other substances causing burns (as in Texas A&M SAE case)

Where Hazing Happens: Not Just “Frat Boys”

While fraternities receive the most attention, hazing occurs across campus organizations:

• Sororities: Often involve psychological hazing, sleep deprivation, eating disorders, and forced consumption
• Corps of Cadets & ROTC: Military-style traditions that escalate to physical abuse
• Athletic Teams: From football to cheerleading, with “rookie initiations” turning dangerous
• Spirit Organizations & Tradition Clubs: Groups like Texas Cowboys with secretive initiations
• Marching Bands & Performance Groups: Documented cases of physical and sexual hazing
• Academic & Service Organizations: Even honor societies have faced hazing allegations

The common thread? Social status, tradition, and secrecy keep these practices alive despite everyone “knowing” hazing is illegal.

Texas Hazing Law: What Kemp Families Need to Know

Texas has specific anti-hazing statutes designed to protect students, but understanding how they work in practice is crucial for families in Kaufman County. The laws governing your child’s case will depend on where the hazing occurred, who was involved, and the severity of injuries.

Texas Education Code Chapter 37: The Foundation

§ 37.151 Definition: Hazing means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, directed against a student that:

• Endangers mental or physical health or safety, AND
• Occurs for purposes of pledging, initiation, affiliation, holding office, or maintaining membership

Critical understanding for Kemp families: This definition covers both physical AND mental harm. The degrading “pledge fanny pack” requirements in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case would qualify as mental hazing. The forced consumption leading to rhabdomyolysis qualifies as physical hazing. Location doesn’t matter—off-campus houses, Airbnbs, and retreat centers are all covered.

§ 37.152 Criminal Penalties:

• Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing without serious injury (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine)
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing causing injury requiring medical treatment
• State Jail Felony: Hazing causing serious bodily injury or death
• Additional charges: Furnishing alcohol to minors, assault, manslaughter in fatal cases

§ 37.155 Consent is NOT a Defense: Texas law explicitly states that victim “consent” doesn’t matter. This directly counters the most common defense: “They wanted to do it.” Courts recognize that power imbalance, peer pressure, and fear of exclusion create coercive environments where true voluntary consent doesn’t exist.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Understanding the Difference

When hazing occurs, two parallel legal processes may unfold:

Criminal Cases (Brought by the State):

• Aim: Punishment (jail, fines, probation)
• Prosecutor: District Attorney’s office where incident occurred
• Burden of proof: Beyond reasonable doubt
• Outcome examples: Fraternity members convicted of hazing, furnishing alcohol to minors, or assault

Civil Cases (Brought by Victims/Families):

• Aim: Compensation and accountability
• Plaintiff: Injured student or surviving family
• Burden of proof: Preponderance of evidence (more likely than not)
• Outcome examples: Multi-million dollar settlements for medical bills, pain and suffering, wrongful death

Why this matters for Kemp families: A criminal conviction isn’t required to pursue a civil case. Many successful civil hazing lawsuits proceed even when criminal charges aren’t filed or result in acquittal. The standards and purposes differ.

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

Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024):

• Requires colleges receiving federal aid to publicly report hazing incidents
• Mandates hazing prevention education programs
• Phased implementation through 2026
• Creates national database of hazing violations

Title IX Applications:

• When hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination
• Triggers specific investigation and response requirements
• Can provide additional legal pathways for recovery

Clery Act Reporting:

• Requires disclosure of certain crimes on campus
• Hazing incidents involving assault, alcohol crimes, or sexual offenses often trigger Clery reporting
• Failure to report properly can lead to federal fines and investigations

Who Can Be Liable in a Civil Hazing Lawsuit?

One of the most important strategic decisions in hazing litigation is identifying all potentially liable parties. In the UH Pi Kappa Phi case, we named 18 defendants across multiple categories:

1. Individual Students:

• Chapter president, pledgemaster, risk manager, and active members
• Those who planned, supplied alcohol, carried out acts, or helped cover up

2. Local Chapter:

• The Beta Nu chapter as an entity
• Chapter housing corporation (owns/controls the physical house)

3. National Fraternity Headquarters:

• Pi Kappa Phi national organization
• Sets policies, collects dues, provides training, oversees chapters
• Liability often hinges on what they knew or should have known from prior incidents

4. University & Governing Board:

• University of Houston administration
• UH System Board of Regents
• Liability based on negligence, premises liability, Title IX obligations

5. Third Parties:

• Property owners (like the Culmore Drive residence owner in the UH case)
• Alumni advisors who knew or should have known
• Security companies, event venues, alcohol providers

6. Insurance Companies:

• Fraternity liability insurance policies
• University insurance coverage
• Homeowner’s policies of individual members

The strategic value of naming multiple defendants isn’t just about spreading blame—it’s about accessing multiple insurance policies and creating pressure for settlement. When national fraternities face liability, they often bring their considerable resources to the table.

National Hazing Cases: Patterns That Repeat at Texas Universities

The hazing your child experiences at a Texas university isn’t unique. It follows patterns established through decades of tragedies at campuses nationwide. Understanding these patterns helps Kemp families recognize warning signs and understand what legal precedents support their case.

Alcohol Poisoning Pattern: The Deadliest Script

Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017):

• Bid acceptance night with forced drinking
• Suffered fatal falls captured on chapter security cameras
• Fraternity brothers delayed calling 911 for 12 hours
• Legal outcome: 18 members charged with 1,000+ criminal counts; Pennsylvania passed Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law
• Texas connection: Beta Theta Pi has chapters at UT Austin, Texas A&M, and other Texas schools

Max Gruver – LSU, Phi Delta Theta (2017):

• “Bible study” drinking game with wrong-answer penalties
• Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.495% at death
• Legal outcome: Louisiana passed Max Gruver Act (felony hazing); $6.1 million verdict against fraternity
• Texas connection: Phi Delta Theta operates at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, Baylor

Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha (2021):

• Pledge forced to drink entire bottle of alcohol during “Big/Little” night
• Died from alcohol poisoning
• Legal outcome: $10 million settlement ($7M from national Pi Kappa Alpha, $3M from university)
• Texas connection: Pi Kappa Alpha has chapters at all five major Texas universities

Pattern recognition: Each case follows the same script: tradition night + forced consumption + delayed medical care + death. These weren’t unpredictable accidents—they were foreseeable outcomes of known dangerous practices.

Physical & Ritualized Hazing Pattern

Chun “Michael” Deng – Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi (2013):

• Blindfolded “glass ceiling” ritual at Pennsylvania retreat
• Repeated tackling with weighted backpack
• Fatal traumatic brain injury; delayed 911 call
• Legal outcome: National fraternity convicted of aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter; banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years
• Precedent: Organizations can be criminally liable for hazing

Danny Santulli – University of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta (2021):

• “Pledge dad reveal” night with forced drinking
• BAC over 0.40%; suffered permanent brain damage
• Now unable to walk, talk, or see; requires 24/7 care
• Legal outcome: Settlements with 22 defendants; multi-million dollar recovery
• Texas connection: Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) has Texas chapters

Athletic Program Hazing: Beyond Greek Life

Northwestern University Football (2023-2025):

• Former players alleged sexualized, racist hazing within program
• Multiple lawsuits against university and coaching staff
• Head coach Pat Fitzgerald fired, then settled wrongful-termination suit
• Takeaway: Hazing extends to multi-million dollar athletic programs with powerful institutional protection

What These Cases Mean for Kemp Families

1. Foreseeability Matters: When a Texas chapter repeats the same script that killed students elsewhere, that shows the danger was foreseeable and preventable.

2. Cover-Ups Increase Liability: Delayed medical care, destroyed evidence, and coached witnesses often lead to higher settlements and punitive damages.

3. National Patterns = Evidence: Prior incidents at other chapters of the same national organization can be used as evidence in Texas cases.

4. Legislative Momentum Works: Major cases often drive state law reforms that benefit future victims.

Texas University Focus: Where Kemp Students Attend

Kemp families send students to universities across Texas. Understanding the specific hazing landscape at each campus helps you recognize risks and know where to turn for help.

University of Houston: The Ongoing Pi Kappa Phi Case

For Kemp Families: UH is approximately 90 minutes from Kaufman County, making it a common choice for local students. The current Pi Kappa Phi case demonstrates serious hazing risks at Houston’s largest university.

Campus Culture Snapshot:

• Urban commuter campus with growing residential population
• Active Greek life with 50+ fraternities and sororities
• Mix of traditional social Greek organizations and cultural/interest groups

Documented Incidents Beyond Pi Kappa Phi:

• 2016 Pi Kappa Alpha Case: Pledge suffered lacerated spleen after being slammed onto table during initiation; chapter suspended
• Multiple IFC Sanctions: Various fraternities disciplined for alcohol violations, hazing allegations
• NPHC Organizations: Historical reports of physical hazing despite national prohibitions

Recent UH Hazing Policy Updates:

• Public hazing reporting portal
• Required anti-hazing training for Greek organizations
• Collaboration with Houston Police Department for off-campus incidents

**How