The Definitive Guide to Hazing in Texas: Justice and Accountability for Kerrville Families

If you’re a parent in Kerrville, Texas, your child’s journey to college is filled with hope—for new friendships, a great education, and a bright future. But imagine this unsettling scenario: your student, eager to find their place, joins a fraternity, sorority, or Corps program. What starts as exciting “new member” activities slowly shifts. They’re constantly exhausted, receiving texts at all hours. They come home with unexplained bruises or a sudden, severe illness. They become secretive, anxious, and withdrawn. When you ask what’s wrong, they shut down or mutter something about “tradition” and “just having to get through it.” This is the hidden reality of modern hazing, and it’s happening right now on Texas campuses, including those where our Kerrville students enroll.

Right here in Texas, we are actively fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country. In late 2025, we filed a $10 million lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, its Beta Nu chapter housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The details are harrowing: forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting; being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding”; extreme physical workouts culminating in rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure that left his urine brown and required a four-day hospitalization. This case, covered by Click2Houston and ABC13, is not an anomaly. It is proof of a systemic crisis.

This comprehensive guide is written specifically for parents and families in Kerrville and across the Texas Hill Country. We will explain what hazing truly looks like in 2025, the Texas and federal laws that govern it, the national patterns that repeat on our campuses, and the specific landscapes at universities like Schreiner University here in Kerrville, as well as the major state schools where our children study. Most importantly, we will outline the path to accountability, healing, 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 used in hazing).
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
  • Sign anything from the university or an 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 with terrifying speed. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, immediate, and confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like Today in Texas

Hazing is no longer just about silly pranks or roughhousing. It is a calculated spectrum of abuse designed to assert power, often disguised as “bonding” or “tradition.” For Kerrville families, understanding its modern forms is the first step to recognizing it.

A Clear Definition: Under Texas law, hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership in any organization. Crucially, “consent” is not a defense.

The Modern Categories of Hazing:

• Alcohol & Substance Hazing: The most common and deadly form. This includes forced chugging, “lineup” drinking games, “Big/Little” nights with handles of liquor, and coerced consumption of drugs or unknown substances.
• Physical Hazing: This ranges from “smokings” (extreme, punitive calisthenics) and paddling to sleep deprivation, food/water restriction, exposure to extreme elements, and dangerous “tests” like blindfolded tackles.
• Sexualized & Humiliating Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts (“elephant walk”), degrading costumes, and acts with racist or sexist overtones designed to shame and dehumanize.
• Psychological Hazing: Verbal abuse, threats, isolation from friends and family, coerced confessions, and public shaming in meetings or on social media.
• Digital Hazing: A 21st-century evolution. Pledges are subjected to 24/7 monitoring via group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp), forced to share their live location, required to post humiliating content on TikTok or Instagram, and harassed if they don’t respond to messages instantly, day or night.

Hazing isn’t confined to fraternities. It persists in sororities, athletic teams, spirit groups like cheer and dance, marching bands, military-style organizations like the Corps of Cadets, and even some academic or service clubs. The common thread is an imbalance of power, a culture of secrecy, and the twisted belief that abuse equals loyalty.

The Texas Legal Framework: Criminal and Civil Liability

Texas has specific statutes to combat hazing, and understanding them is crucial for any Kerrville family seeking justice.

Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F – The Anti-Hazing Statute:

• Definition (§37.151): Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, that endangers a student’s physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership.
• Criminal Penalties (§37.152):
  • Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine).
  • Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
  • State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
  • It is also a crime to fail to report hazing or to retaliate against someone who does.
• Organizational Liability (§37.153): The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 if it authorized or encouraged the hazing, or if an officer knew and failed to report it.
• Consent is NOT a Defense (§37.155): Even if your child “agreed,” it is still hazing under Texas law. Courts recognize that consent under peer pressure and coercion is not valid.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases:

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (DA) to punish wrongdoing with jail time, fines, and probation. These cases require proof “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
• Civil Cases: Brought by the victim and their family to obtain compensation for damages and hold all responsible parties accountable. This is where we help families recover medical costs, compensation for pain and suffering, and secure their future. A civil case has a lower burden of proof (“preponderance of the evidence”) and can proceed even without criminal charges.

Federal Overlay: The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024) now requires colleges receiving federal aid to increase transparency in hazing reporting. Furthermore, if hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, Title IX obligations are triggered. The Clery Act also requires reporting of certain crimes that often overlap with hazing incidents.

The National Pattern: Fatal Lessons That Apply to Our Texas Campuses

Tragic cases across the country reveal a repeating script. These are not isolated incidents; they are patterns that foreshadow what can—and does—happen in Texas.

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a night of forced drinking. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. The case led to Pennsylvania’ Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law’ and over a thousand criminal charges.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died from alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game where wrong answers meant forced drinking. Louisiana passed the felony ‘Max Gruver Act’ in response.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Forced to drink a bottle of alcohol during a “Big/Little” event; died of alcohol poisoning. His family secured a $10 million settlement ($7M from the national fraternity, ~$3M from the university).
• Danny Santulli (University of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. His family settled with 22 defendants, highlighting the web of liability.

These cases share a DNA: forced consumption, a culture of silence, delayed medical care, and institutions that failed to act on prior warnings. The same national fraternities involved in these tragedies—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Phi—have active chapters at Texas universities. Their national headquarters know the risks. When a chapter repeats a deadly pattern, that knowledge forms the basis for holding the entire organization liable.

Texas in Focus: Where Kerrville Families Send Their Kids

Local and Regional Campuses

Schreiner University (Kerrville, TX):
As the home of Schreiner University, Kerrville families are intimately connected to its campus life. While smaller than state schools, Schreiner has its own student organizations where hazing risks can exist. Any suspected abuse should be reported immediately to Schreiner’s Dean of Students office. Our firm can help navigate the process at private institutions and ensure a thorough investigation.

Other Regional Universities Relevant to the Hill Country:

• Texas State University (San Marcos)
• University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)
• Texas A&M University–San Antonio

Major Texas Universities: The Big 5 + Statewide Hubs

Kerrville students often attend larger universities across Texas. Our investigative data engine tracks the Greek ecosystems at these schools.

1. University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)
UT maintains a public hazing violations log, a transparency tool we use in building cases. Documented cases include Pi Kappa Alpha sanctions for forcing new members to consume milk and perform extreme calisthenics. With one of the largest Greek systems in the South, UT has seen repeated violations across IFC fraternities, Panhellenic sororities, and spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys. For a Kerrville family, a case here would involve Travis County courts and the Austin legal landscape.

2. Texas A&M University (College Station)
The culture of tradition at A&M extends to both Greek life and the Corps of Cadets, each with documented hazing crises.

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): In a recent lawsuit, pledges alleged being doused with industrial-strength cleaner and other substances, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin graft surgeries. They sued for over $1 million.
• Corps of Cadets: A 2023 lawsuit alleged cadets were subjected to simulated sexual acts and bound in a “roasted pig” position. The case sought over $1 million in damages.
  A&M’s response often involves its Student Conduct office and Corps regulations. Civil cases must navigate the university’s sovereign immunity as a public institution while targeting the responsible organizations and individuals.

3. University of Houston (UH)
Our flagship case, Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi, is centered here. The allegations against the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter—from the degrading “pledge fanny pack” to waterboarding-like abuse—represent the extreme end of the spectrum. UH has suspended chapters for hazing in the past, but as our lawsuit alleges, systemic failures in oversight allowed this violence to occur. Harris County courts would be the venue for similar cases.

4. Baylor University (Waco)
Following high-profile scandals, Baylor has emphasized “zero tolerance.” Yet incidents persist, such as the 2020 baseball team hazing that led to 14 player suspensions. Baylor’s status as a private, religious university affects its internal processes and how external litigation proceeds.

5. Southern Methodist University (SMU)
SMU’s affluent campus and strong Greek life have not been immune. The Kappa Alpha Order chapter was suspended for years following a 2017 hazing incident involving paddling and forced drinking. SMU utilizes anonymous reporting systems, but private universities often control disclosure, making skilled legal discovery essential.

The Greek Ecosystem: National Histories Meet Texas Chapters

The fraternities and sororities on Texas campuses are local chapters of national organizations. This structure is central to liability. We maintain a Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public IRS records, university data, and metro-level organization tracking, to map this ecosystem. For example, our data shows:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ): The national organization behind the Stone Foltz death. It has multiple Texas-registered entities, like the “Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc” in Fort Worth (EIN 74-1380362) and local housing corporations. Their national history of alcohol hazing creates “foreseeability” for Texas incidents.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ): One of the largest fraternities, with a national history of fatalities. In Texas, we track entities like the “Sigma Alpha Epsilon – Texas Sigma Incorporated” in San Marcos (EIN 88-2755427). Their pattern of severe physical abuse, as seen at Texas A&M, is not a rogue chapter issue—it’s a systemic failure.
• Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ): The national defendant in our Bermudez case. Our data identifies the “Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc” in Frisco, TX (EIN 46-2267515), showing the local corporate structure that can share liability.
• Honor Societies & Alumni Chapters: Our directory includes hundreds of entities, from the “Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi” at UT Tyler (EIN 35-2335400) to alumni chapters of National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations across Texas metros. These are all part of the financial and operational backbone of Greek life.

When a hazing incident occurs, we don’t start from scratch. We use this engine to identify every potentially liable entity: the undergraduate chapter, its housing corporation, its alumni advisory board, its national headquarters, and its insurance carriers. This comprehensive approach is how we build maximum leverage for families.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

Winning a hazing case requires converting tragedy into a forensically sound legal claim. This is where our experience in complex litigation against billion-dollar corporations (like BP in the Texas City explosion litigation) is indispensable.

Critical Evidence We Secure:

1. Digital Evidence: Deleted GroupMe chats, Snapchat stories, Instagram DMs, and chapter Discord servers. We work with digital forensics experts to recover what has been erased.
2. Internal Documents: Pledge manuals, “tradition” books, emails between chapter officers and national advisors, and prior incident reports held by the national fraternity.
3. University Records: Obtained through discovery or public records requests, these include prior disciplinary actions against the chapter, showing a pattern the school knew or should have known about.
4. Medical Evidence: Hospital records diagnosing conditions like rhabdomyolysis, alcohol poisoning, or PTSD. We collaborate with life-care planners to project future medical needs for catastrophic injuries.
5. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, roommates, and sometimes even alumni who participated in the same traditions years prior.

Overcoming Institutional Defenses:
We know the playbook because our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, used to work on the defense side for national insurance firms. Defendants will argue:

• “The pledge consented.” (Texas law explicitly negates this.)
• “It was a rogue chapter; national didn’t know.” (We use their own records to prove prior incidents and knowledge.)
• “It happened off-campus.” (Liability is based on control and sponsorship, not just geography.)
• “Our insurance doesn’t cover intentional acts.” (We argue negligent supervision and secure coverage through aggressive litigation.)

Damages: What Families Can Recover:

• Economic Damages: All medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, lost earning capacity, and educational costs.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional trauma, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In the worst cases, families can recover for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and their own emotional suffering.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of extreme recklessness or cover-ups, courts can award damages to punish the defendants and deter future conduct.

Practical Guide for Kerrville Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs & Immediate Steps

• Signs: Unexplained injuries, extreme fatigue, personality changes (anxiety, withdrawal), secrecy about group activities, constant phone monitoring for group chats, sudden academic decline.
• Talk to Your Child: Ask open-ended questions: “Are you ever asked to do things that make you uncomfortable?” “Do you feel safe saying no?”
• If Harms Happens: Get medical care first. Then, preserve evidence (screenshot, photograph, save items). Write down a timeline. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 before you report to the university or speak to any insurance adjuster.

For Students: Your Rights & Safety

• Is This Hazing? If you feel coerced, endangered, or humiliated, it likely is. Trust your instinct.
• You Can Leave: You have the legal right to quit anytime. Your safety is more important than any membership.
• Preserve Evidence: Our video on using your phone to document evidence is a critical resource. Save everything—do not delete.
• Report Safely: You can report to campus police, the Dean of Students, or anonymously through hotlines. Texas law offers protections for good-faith reporters.

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case:

1. Deleting digital evidence.
2. Confronting the organization directly (they will lawyer up and destroy evidence).
3. Signing a university “resolution” agreement without an attorney.
4. Posting details on social media.
5. Waiting too long. Texas has a statute of limitations, and evidence vanishes quickly.

Why Attorney911 for Kerrville Hazing Cases

When your family is in crisis, you need more than a lawyer; you need advocates who know how to dismantle powerful institutions. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) is a Texas-based firm with the unique expertise to win these fights.

• Insider Insurance Knowledge: Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him) spent years as a defense attorney for national insurance companies. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers value claims, deny coverage, and employ delay tactics. We use their playbook against them.
• Proven Experience Against Giants: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets of national fraternities or university legal teams. We’ve faced billion-dollar defendants before.
• Texas-Focused Data Intelligence: We don’t guess. We use our proprietary Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—mapping over 1,400 Greek organizations across 25 metros—to identify every liable entity from the first meeting.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise: Mr. Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the criminal hazing process, allowing us to advise families navigating both legal tracks.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish (Se habla Español), ensuring we can serve all Texas families with comfort and clarity.
• “No Fee Unless We Win” Promise: We work on a contingency basis. You pay nothing upfront, and our fees come only from the recovery we secure for you. Learn how contingency fees work.

Our mission in the Bermudez case—and in every case we take—is to secure justice for the victim and force the systemic changes that will protect the next student. As Mr. Peña said in the ABC13 coverage of our UH case: “If this prevents harm to another person…Let’s bring this to light. Enough is enough.”

Call to Action for Kerrville Families

If you suspect your child has been hazed at Schreiner University, any Texas campus, or any campus nationwide, you are not alone. The confusion, fear, and anger are normal. The path forward requires decisive action.

We invite you to contact The Manginello Law Firm for a free, confidential, and no-obligation consultation. We will listen to your story, review any evidence you have, explain your legal options in clear terms, and help you make the best decision for your family’s healing and future. There is no pressure to hire us—our goal is to empower you with knowledge.

Contact Attorney911 Today:

• Phone: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct Line: (713) 528-9070
• Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com
• Website: https://attorney911.com

For Kerrville families, the journey to accountability starts with a single call. Let us use our experience, our data, and our determination to fight for your child. The time to act is now.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

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

• Click2Houston (KPRC 2) coverage: 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) coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• Hoodline summary: 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
• Texas statutes of limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client mistakes that can ruin a case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How contingency fees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Main Website & Contact:

• Attorney911: https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and law. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911 can be reached at 1-888-ATTY-911 or https://attorney911.com.