Hazing Victims in Laurens County, South Carolina: Your Rights and How We Can Help
🚨 The Hazing Crisis in Laurens County and Beyond
Every year, students across South Carolina—including those in Laurens County—are subjected to dangerous, degrading, and sometimes life-threatening hazing rituals. These aren’t harmless traditions—they’re abuse, and they’re happening at colleges and universities near Laurens County, including:
- Presbyterian College (Clinton, SC)
- Lander University (Greenwood, SC)
- Anderson University (Anderson, SC)
- University of South Carolina Upstate (Spartanburg, SC)
- Clemson University (Clemson, SC)
The same fraternities and sororities involved in high-profile hazing cases nationwide—Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, and others—have active chapters at these schools. If your child was hazed at a college near Laurens County, they’re not alone—and you have legal rights.
💔 What Laurens County Families Need to Know About Hazing
1. Hazing Is Not “Tradition”—It’s Abuse
Hazing isn’t just “boys being boys” or “building brotherhood.” It’s assault, battery, and sometimes torture. Common hazing practices include:
- Forced alcohol consumption (leading to alcohol poisoning, coma, or death)
- Extreme physical punishment (500+ squats, beatings with paddles, forced exercise to exhaustion)
- Waterboarding and simulated drowning (a form of torture)
- Sleep deprivation and psychological torment (humiliation, threats, isolation)
- Sexual assault and degradation
This isn’t hazing—it’s criminal behavior.
2. Hazing Can Cause Permanent Damage (Or Death)
Hazing doesn’t just leave emotional scars—it can destroy lives. Common injuries include:
- Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown leading to kidney failure—like our client in Houston)
- Traumatic brain injuries (from beatings or falls)
- Alcohol poisoning (leading to coma or death)
- Heatstroke or hypothermia (from forced exposure to extreme temperatures)
- PTSD, anxiety, and depression (long-term psychological trauma)
If your child was hospitalized, forced to drop out, or suffered long-term harm, they deserve justice.
3. Universities and Fraternities Are Liable
Colleges and national fraternities know hazing happens—but they often look the other way until someone gets hurt. When they fail to stop it, they can be held legally responsible.
Who can be sued?
✅ The local fraternity/sorority chapter (directly responsible for hazing)
✅ The national fraternity/sorority organization (failed to supervise)
✅ The university (failed to protect students, especially if they own the fraternity house)
✅ Individual members (those who participated in or facilitated hazing)
📜 South Carolina Hazing Laws: What You Need to Know
1. Hazing Is a Crime in South Carolina
Under South Carolina Code § 59-101-200, hazing is a misdemeanor, punishable by:
- Up to 1 year in jail
- Fines up to $5,000
- Expulsion from school
But here’s the catch: Consent is NOT a defense. Even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law still holds the hazers accountable.
2. Civil Lawsuits Can Win Millions for Victims
Criminal charges punish the hazers—but civil lawsuits force the institutions to pay for their negligence. Recent hazing cases have resulted in multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts, including:
| Case | Fraternity | University | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Foltz (2021) | Pi Kappa Alpha | Bowling Green State | $10.1M settlement |
| Max Gruver (2017) | Phi Delta Theta | Louisiana State | $6.1M jury verdict |
| Timothy Piazza (2017) | Beta Theta Pi | Penn State | $110M+ settlement |
| Andrew Coffey (2017) | Pi Kappa Phi | Florida State | Confidential settlement |
Laurens County families can pursue the same justice.
3. You Have a Limited Time to Act
South Carolina has a 3-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. If your child was hazed, you must act quickly—evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and universities will try to cover it up.
🏥 What to Do If Your Child Was Hazed in Laurens County
1. Seek Medical Attention Immediately
- Go to the ER—even if injuries seem minor. Some conditions (like rhabdomyolysis) take days to appear.
- Document everything—photos of injuries, medical records, hospital bills.
- Get a psychological evaluation—hazing causes PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
2. Preserve All Evidence
- Save all texts, GroupMe chats, and social media posts about hazing.
- Take screenshots—fraternities often delete incriminating messages.
- Get witness names and contact info—other pledges may have seen what happened.
- Don’t confront the fraternity alone—they’ll destroy evidence and intimidate witnesses.
3. Report the Hazing (But Be Careful)
- File a police report—hazing is a crime in South Carolina.
- Report to the university—but do not give a statement without a lawyer.
- Contact the national fraternity—but expect them to protect their reputation, not your child.
4. Call Attorney 911 Immediately
We are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston—and we’re ready to fight for Laurens County families.
📞 Call us now at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.
💰 What Compensation Can Laurens County Hazing Victims Recover?
If your child was hazed, you may be entitled to compensation for:
| Type of Damage | Examples | Potential Value |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Bills | ER visits, hospital stays, therapy, future treatment | $50,000–$500,000+ |
| Pain & Suffering | Physical pain, emotional trauma, PTSD | $100,000–$5M+ |
| Lost Wages | Missed work, lost internships, career setbacks | $10,000–$1M+ |
| Educational Damages | Tuition refunds, scholarship losses, delayed graduation | $20,000–$200,000+ |
| Punitive Damages | Punishment for egregious conduct (e.g., waterboarding, forced drinking) | $1M–$10M+ |
Our firm has recovered millions for victims of institutional negligence—and we’ll do the same for Laurens County families.
🔥 Why Laurens County Families Choose Attorney 911
1. We’re Fighting This Battle Right Now
We’re currently representing a hazing victim in a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston—the same fraternity that operates near Laurens County. We know how to build these cases, hold institutions accountable, and win.
2. We Know How to Beat the “Consent” Defense
Fraternities will argue: “He agreed to participate. He could have left.” South Carolina law says consent is NOT a defense. We’ll make sure the jury understands that no one consents to torture.
3. We Have Insider Knowledge of Greek Life
Both of our attorneys were former insurance defense lawyers—we know how fraternities and universities try to avoid liability. We use that knowledge to destroy their defenses.
4. We’ll Travel to Laurens County
We’re based in Texas, but we serve hazing victims nationwide. We’ll come to Laurens County for depositions, meetings, and trials—distance is not a barrier to justice.
5. No Upfront Costs—We Only Get Paid If You Win
We work on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing upfront. We only get paid if we win your case. If we don’t recover money for you, you owe us nothing.
📢 Fraternities Near Laurens County: We’re Coming for You
To the fraternities operating at Presbyterian College, Lander University, Anderson University, USC Upstate, and Clemson:
We are watching. We are building cases. And we will hold you accountable.
- Pi Kappa Phi (Presbyterian College, USC Upstate)
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon (Clemson, USC Upstate)
- Pi Kappa Alpha (Clemson, Anderson)
- Phi Delta Theta (Clemson, Lander)
- Sigma Chi (Clemson, USC Upstate)
If your chapter hazes students, we will find out. We will sue you. And we will shut you down.
🚨 Laurens County Families: Time Is Running Out
Every day you wait is a day closer to losing your legal rights. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget. Universities and fraternities will do everything to cover it up.
✅ If your child was hazed, call us NOW at 1-888-ATTY-911.
✅ We offer FREE, confidential consultations.
✅ We work on contingency—you pay nothing unless we win.
Laurens County hazing victims deserve justice. We’re ready to fight for you.
📞 Call 1-888-ATTY-911 today.
