Hazing Victim Legal Support in Lafayette County, Florida

You Are Not Alone. We Are Fighting For You.

Lafayette County families send their children to college expecting them to be safe. They trust universities and fraternities to protect their students. But when that trust is betrayed through hazing—when a student is waterboarded, forced to do 500 squats until their muscles break down, or made to drink until they vomit and then forced to continue—the consequences can be life-altering, even deadly.

At Attorney 911, we are currently litigating a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston for hazing that hospitalized a student with rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure. This isn’t just a case—it’s a fight for justice, accountability, and change. And we are bringing this same fight to Lafayette County families who have suffered similar abuse.

🚨 The Hazing Crisis in Florida and Beyond

Hazing is not “tradition.” It is not “brotherhood.” It is abuse, assault, and sometimes even torture. And it happens right here in Florida—at universities near Lafayette County, in fraternities with chapters in our state, and in organizations that claim to build character while destroying lives.

🔍 What Is Hazing?

Florida law defines hazing as any action that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of initiation, admission, or affiliation with an organization. This includes:

✅ Physical abuse – Beatings, paddling, forced exercise to exhaustion
✅ Forced consumption – Alcohol, food, or other substances until vomiting
✅ Psychological torture – Waterboarding, humiliation, threats of expulsion
✅ Sleep deprivation – Forced late-night activities that lead to exhaustion
✅ Sexual abuse – Forced nudity, sexual acts, or carrying sexual objects

In our current case, a student was:

• Waterboarded with a garden hose (simulated drowning)
• Forced to do 500 squats and 100 pushups until he collapsed
• Struck with wooden paddles
• Forced to eat until vomiting, then made to lie in his own vomit
• Hospitalized for 4 days with rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure

This happened in Texas. But it happens in Florida too.

🏛️ Hazing Laws in Florida: Your Rights as a Lafayette County Victim

Florida has strong anti-hazing laws designed to protect students. Under Florida Statute § 1006.63, hazing is a criminal offense, and consent is not a defense. This means that even if a student “agreed” to participate, the hazing is still illegal.

Florida Hazing Penalties

Organizations can also be held liable, including:

• Local fraternity/sorority chapters
• National organizations (Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, etc.)
• Universities (if they knew or should have known about hazing)

💔 Real Cases, Real Consequences: Hazing in Florida

Hazing is not a distant problem—it happens right here in Florida. Some recent examples:

📌 Andrew Coffey (Florida State University, 2017)

• Fraternity: Pi Kappa Phi
• What Happened: Forced to drink an entire bottle of bourbon during a “Big Brother Night” event
• Result: Died from alcohol poisoning (BAC 0.447—over 5x the legal limit)
• Outcome: 9 fraternity members charged with hazing; chapter permanently closed

📌 Maxwell Gruver (Louisiana State University, 2017 – But Florida Students Are at Risk)

• Fraternity: Phi Delta Theta
• What Happened: Forced to drink during a “Bible Study” hazing ritual; wrong answers = more alcohol
• Result: Died from alcohol poisoning (BAC 0.495—nearly 6x the legal limit)
• Outcome: $6.1 million jury verdict against the fraternity; fraternity member convicted of negligent homicide

📌 University of Florida Hazing Incidents

• Multiple fraternities have faced suspensions in recent years for hazing violations
• Forced drinking, physical abuse, and psychological humiliation are common

These cases show that hazing is not just a problem in other states—it happens in Florida, and it can happen to Lafayette County students.

🏢 Who Is Liable? Holding Lafayette County Institutions Accountable

When hazing occurs, multiple parties can be held legally responsible, including:

1️⃣ The Fraternity/Sorority Chapter

• Directly organized and conducted the hazing
• Chapter officers (President, Pledgemaster, etc.) can be held personally liable
• Individual members who participated can be sued

2️⃣ The National Organization

• Failed to enforce anti-hazing policies
• Knew about prior hazing incidents but did nothing
• Provided inadequate training or oversight

Example: In our $10 million lawsuit, Pi Kappa Phi National is named as a defendant because they knew about a “hazing crisis” but failed to stop it.

3️⃣ The University

• Failed to supervise Greek life
• Knew about hazing risks but did not act
• Owned or controlled the property where hazing occurred

Example: The University of Houston owns the Pi Kappa Phi house where our client was hazed. They had the power to inspect, regulate, and shut down the chapter—but they did nothing.

4️⃣ Individual Members & Alumni

• Active members who participated in hazing
• Former members who allowed hazing at their homes
• Spouses of members who allowed hazing on their property

💰 What Compensation Can Lafayette County Victims Recover?

If your child was hazed, you may be entitled to financial compensation for:

Recent hazing verdicts and settlements:

• $10.1 million (Stone Foltz, Bowling Green State University)
• $6.1 million (Maxwell Gruver, Louisiana State University)
• $110+ million (Timothy Piazza, Penn State University)

Lafayette County families deserve the same justice.

🚨 What Should Lafayette County Families Do If Their Child Was Hazed?

🔹 Step 1: Get Medical Help Immediately

• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) can be fatal if untreated
• Alcohol poisoning can be deadly
• Psychological trauma requires professional help

🔹 Step 2: Preserve Evidence

• Take photos/videos of injuries, hazing locations, and any physical evidence
• Save all communications (texts, GroupMe, Snapchat, Instagram DMs)
• Get witness names and contact information
• Do NOT delete anything—even if it seems embarrassing

🔹 Step 3: Do NOT Speak to the Fraternity, University, or Insurance Companies Without a Lawyer

• They will try to minimize your claim
• They will try to blame the victim
• They will try to destroy evidence

🔹 Step 4: Contact Attorney 911 Immediately

• Free consultation – We’ll evaluate your case at no cost
• No upfront fees – We work on contingency (you pay nothing unless we win)
• We handle everything – Evidence, negotiations, court filings
• We fight for maximum compensation

📞 Call Now: 1-888-ATTY-911
📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com

🏆 Why Lafayette County Families Choose Attorney 911

✅ We Are Currently Fighting a $10 Million Hazing Lawsuit

• Pi Kappa Phi & University of Houston – Same fraternities operate near Lafayette County
• Waterboarding, forced exercise, wooden paddles – Same abuse happens in Florida
• We know how to win these cases

✅ Former Insurance Defense Attorneys

• We know exactly how fraternities and universities try to avoid liability
• We outsmart their legal teams and maximize your compensation

✅ Federal Court Authority

• We can pursue cases in federal court if needed
• We serve Lafayette County and all of Florida

✅ We Travel to You

• We come to Lafayette County for depositions, meetings, and trials
• Distance is not a barrier to justice

✅ Bilingual Support (Se Habla Español)

• We serve Spanish-speaking families in Lafayette County
• No language barriers to justice

✅ Proven Track Record of Multi-Million Dollar Results

• BP Texas City explosion litigation (mass tort experience)
• $6.5 million personal judgment against a fraternity president
• Numerous multi-million dollar settlements for injury victims

🎯 Our Message to Lafayette County Fraternities & Universities

To the fraternities operating near Lafayette County:

• We are watching.
• We know your corporate structures.
• We know your insurance policies.
• We know your history of hazing deaths and injuries.

If you haze students in Florida, we will find every liable entity. We will sue the chapter, the nationals, the university, and the individuals. We will pursue every dollar available.

The same legal strategies that secured $10 million in Texas apply to your chapter.

Clean up your act—or we will clean you out in court.

📢 Lafayette County Parents: This Could Be Your Child

Hazing doesn’t stop at state lines. The same fraternities that waterboarded our client in Texas have chapters near Lafayette County. The same universities that failed to protect students in Houston have campuses in Florida.

If your child is pledging a fraternity or sorority near Lafayette County, they face the same risks.

🚨 Warning Signs of Hazing

• Extreme fatigue (sleep deprivation)
• Unexplained bruises or injuries
• Sudden weight loss or gain (forced eating/drinking)
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Fear of talking about fraternity/sorority activities
• Sudden decline in academic performance

If you notice these signs, act immediately.

🏆 We Won’t Stop Until Hazing Ends in Florida

Hazing is a culture of abuse that must be stopped. We are fighting this battle in court, in the media, and in the legislature.

Lafayette County families deserve justice. We will fight for you.

📞 Call Now for a Free Consultation: 1-888-ATTY-911

📧 Email: ralph@atty911.com

🌐 Visit: attorney911.com

We don’t get paid unless we win your case. No upfront costs. No financial risk to you.

🔥 Enough Is Enough. It’s Time for Accountability.

Lafayette County families: Your child deserves justice. We are here to fight for you.