A Guide for Littlefield Parents: Understanding Hazing Laws, Fraternity Risks, and Your Child’s Rights in Texas

If you’re a parent in Littlefield, your child’s journey to college is a source of immense pride. You’ve watched them grow up in our close-knit Lamb County community, with its strong values and tight family bonds. The thought of them facing danger, not from strangers but from the very organizations promising brotherhood and lifelong friendships at a Texas university, is a nightmare no family should endure. Yet, right now, in our state, a case is unfolding that every Texas parent needs to understand.

We represent Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student whose fall 2025 pledge period with the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter allegedly involved brutal hazing that led to a life-threatening medical crisis. According to a detailed Click2Houston report and ABC13 coverage, the hazing included forced consumption of milk and hot dogs until vomiting, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and extreme workouts that resulted in Bermudez developing rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. He was hospitalized for four days and faces ongoing health risks. This is not an isolated incident from years past; this is an active, $10 million lawsuit we are litigating right now in Texas.

This guide is for you—parents and families in Littlefield, Amherst, Earth, and across the South Plains. Whether your child attends nearby Texas Tech University in Lubbock, heads to the University of Houston, Texas A&M, or any other Texas campus, you deserve to know the realities of modern hazing, the legal landscape in our state, and the resources available to protect your family.

Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for medical emergencies.
• Then call us immediately: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ for a reason.

In the first 48 hours:

• Get medical attention immediately. Conditions like rhabdomyolysis can be fatal if untreated.
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted: Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, iMessage, WhatsApp), photograph injuries, and save any physical items.
• Write down everything your child tells you while their memory is fresh.
• DO NOT: Confront the fraternity/sorority, sign anything from the university or an insurance company, or let your child delete digital evidence.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like on Texas Campuses

Hazing has evolved far beyond simple pranks. It is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—on or off campus—that endangers a student’s mental or physical health for the purpose of joining or maintaining membership in a group. For families in Littlefield, it’s critical to understand that a student’s “consent” is not a defense under Texas law when peer pressure and power imbalances are at play.

Modern hazing often falls into these categories:

• Alcohol & Substance Hazing: Forced drinking games, “lineups,” chugging contests, or coerced consumption of drugs or unknown substances.
• Physical Hazing: Paddling, beatings, extreme calisthenics (“smokings”), sleep deprivation, exposure to extreme elements, or food/water deprivation.
• Sexualized & Humiliating Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, degrading costumes, or acts involving racial or sexist slurs.
• Psychological & Digital Hazing: Verbal abuse, isolation, threats, and public shaming via social media or group chats. This includes 24/7 demands through apps like GroupMe, where pledges are expected to respond instantly at all hours.

These acts don’t just happen in fraternity houses. They occur in sororities, athletic teams, Corps of Cadets programs, marching bands, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, and other campus organizations. The common thread is a toxic mix of tradition, secrecy, and an imbalance of power.

Texas Hazing Law: A Framework for Accountability

For Littlefield families, Texas law provides clear avenues for both criminal prosecution and civil accountability. The key statutes are in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37.

Texas Hazing Law (Education Code §37.151-§37.156):

• Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the physical or mental health of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. It becomes a Class A misdemeanor if it causes bodily injury and a state jail felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Consent is NOT a Defense (§37.155): Even if a student “agreed” to participate, it is not a legal defense. The law recognizes the coercive environment of pledging.
• Organizational Liability (§37.153): The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 per violation.
• Immunity for Reporting (§37.154): Individuals who in good faith report hazing or seek medical help are immune from civil or criminal liability related to that report.

Civil vs. Criminal Cases:

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (DA’s office) to punish individuals with jail time, fines, or probation. Charges can include hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to minors, or manslaughter.
• Civil Lawsuits: Brought by victims and their families to secure compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost educational opportunities, and to hold all responsible parties accountable. A criminal conviction is not required to file a civil case.

Federal Overlay: The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024) requires universities to increase transparency in hazing reporting. Furthermore, if hazing involves sexual harassment or assault, federal Title IX obligations are triggered, and the Clery Act may require the incident to be included in campus crime statistics.

National Hazing Cases: Patterns That Repeat in Texas

The tragic case at UH follows a national pattern. Understanding these precedents is crucial because they show how courts and juries view hazing liability, and they reveal the foreseeable risks that national fraternities have long ignored.

• Stone Foltz – Pi Kappa Alpha, Bowling Green State (2021): A pledge died from alcohol poisoning after a “Big/Little” event. The family secured a $10 million settlement ($7M from the national fraternity, $3M from the university).
• Timothy Piazza – Beta Theta Pi, Penn State (2017): A pledge died from traumatic brain injuries after a bid acceptance night with extreme drinking. The case led to the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law in Pennsylvania and resulted in dozens of criminal charges.
• Max Gruver – Phi Delta Theta, LSU (2017): A pledge died during a “Bible study” drinking game. The case spurred Louisiana’s Max Gruver Act, a felony hazing statute.
• Danny Santulli – Phi Gamma Delta, University of Missouri (2021): A pledge suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. His family settled with 22 defendants.

These cases share common threads: forced consumption, delayed medical care, institutional knowledge of risks, and a culture of secrecy. They prove that hazing is not a series of unrelated “accidents” but a predictable pattern of conduct for which national organizations can be held liable.

The Texas University Landscape: Where Littlefield Families Send Their Kids

Students from Littlefield and Lamb County attend universities across our great state. Their safety depends on understanding the specific Greek ecosystems and historical incidents at these campuses.

Texas Tech University (Lubbock)

For many Littlefield families, Texas Tech is the most accessible major university. Its Greek community is substantial and active.

• Snapshot: A major public university with a significant Greek life presence in Lubbock, just an hour from Littlefield.
• Documented Incidents: Texas Tech has faced hazing incidents across various organizations. The university maintains disciplinary records, and patterns of alcohol-related and physical hazing have been reported.
• Local Legal Context: A hazing case involving a Texas Tech student would likely involve the Lubbock County court system and Lubbock Police, in addition to Texas Tech’s administration.

University of Houston

As seen in the Bermudez case, UH is currently at the center of a major hazing lawsuit.

• Snapshot: A large, diverse urban campus with active Interfraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic, and Multicultural Greek Council communities.
• The Bermudez Case: This active litigation alleges severe physical abuse, humiliation, and forced consumption leading to kidney failure at the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter. The chapter was swiftly suspended and surrendered its charter.
• Jurisdiction for Littlefield Families: If your child is hazed at UH, the civil case would typically be filed in Harris County, where the defendant organizations and the university are located.

Texas A&M University

The Corps of Cadets and a massive Greek system create a unique environment.

• Snapshot: A tradition-rich campus with a powerful Greek life and the Corps of Cadets, known for its rigorous culture.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon Chemical Burns Case (2021): Pledges allegedly had industrial-strength cleaner poured on them, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. The chapter was suspended, and a lawsuit was filed.
• Corps of Cadets Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged degrading hazing, including being bound in a “roasted pig” position. The case sought over $1 million in damages.

University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin sets a standard for transparency that other schools are slowly following.

• Snapshot: The flagship campus with one of the largest and most historic Greek systems in Texas.
• Public Hazing Violations Log: UT maintains a public online log of hazing violations. Recent entries include Pi Kappa Alpha for forcing new members to consume milk and perform extreme calisthenics, and other groups for alcohol hazing and forced workouts.
• Legal Advantage: This public record is a powerful tool for families, as it documents prior knowledge and patterns of behavior that strengthen a civil case.

Baylor University & Southern Methodist University (SMU)

These private institutions have their own histories and disciplinary processes.

• Baylor: Has faced hazing issues within its athletic programs, including a 2020 baseball team hazing incident that resulted in multiple suspensions.
• SMU: Has suspended chapters, like Kappa Alpha Order in 2017, for paddling and alcohol-related hazing.

The Greek Organization Network: Tracking Liability Behind the Letters

When hazing occurs, liability rarely stops with the individual students in the room. Our firm maintains a Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public records, to identify every entity that may share responsibility. For Littlefield families, this means we start an investigation with a map, not a blank page.

The Network of Liability Includes:

1. Individual Members & Officers: Those who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: The campus-based entity.
3. The Housing Corporation: A separate legal entity that often owns or manages the chapter house (e.g., “Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc,” EIN 46-2267515, Frisco, TX).
4. The National Headquarters: The central organization that sets policies, collects dues, and oversees chapters. In the Bermudez case, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters is a defendant.
5. The University: For negligence in supervision, enforcement of policies, or deliberate indifference to known risks.
6. Alumni Boards & Advisory Corporations: These groups, often registered with the IRS, provide support and oversight.

Public Records: A Snapshot of Texas Greek Entities
To illustrate the depth of the Greek organizational network in Texas, here are examples from public IRS (B83) filings. These are the types of legally recognized entities we investigate in every case:

• Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc (EIN 13-3048786), College Station, TX 77845
• Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation (EIN 37-1768785), Missouri City, TX 77459
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc (EIN 74-1380362), Fort Worth, TX 76147
• Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter (EIN 74-6084905), Houston, TX 77204
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc (EIN 46-2267515), Frisco, TX 75035

This network exists at every major Texas school. For example, in the Lubbock metro area (which includes Texas Tech), public data shows at least 59 Greek-related organizations. Uncovering the connections between the undergraduate chapter, its housing corporation, its alumni support, and the deep-pocketed national organization is critical to building a full recovery for victims.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

If your family is facing this crisis, know that a successful case is built on a foundation of swift, strategic action and comprehensive evidence.

Critical Evidence We Pursue:

• Digital Communications: Deleted and active messages from GroupMe, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat. We work with digital forensics experts to recover what has been erased.
• Photos & Videos: Content filmed by members during events, often shared within private group chats.
• Internal Organization Documents: Pledge manuals, “tradition” books, and emails between members and national officers.
• University Records: Prior conduct violations for the same chapter, obtained through discovery or public records requests.
• Medical Records: Documentation of injuries, including ER reports, toxicology screens, and diagnoses like rhabdomyolysis or PTSD.

Types of Recoverable Damages:

• Economic Damages: All medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, costs of psychological care, and lost educational opportunities.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In the worst cases, families can seek compensation for funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the profound loss of companionship.

The Insurance Battle: Fraternities and universities carry insurance, but insurers often argue hazing is an excluded “intentional act.” Our advantage is that Mr. Lupe Peña spent years as an insurance defense attorney. He knows the tactics these companies use to deny or minimize claims. We fight to prove that negligence—the failure to supervise, train, or intervene—is what’s covered, and we pursue all available policies.

Practical Guide for Littlefield Parents & Students

For Parents – Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue or sleep deprivation.
• Sudden secrecy about organization activities.
• Personality changes: anxiety, depression, or withdrawal.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Requests for large sums of money with vague explanations.

For Students – If You’re Being Hazed:

• Your safety comes first. If you are in danger, call 911.
• Texas law protects those who report in good faith. You can call for help without fear of minor-in-possession charges in an emergency.
• Preserve evidence: Take screenshots of all chats, photograph injuries, and save any physical objects.
• Tell someone you trust—a parent, a resident advisor, a counselor.
• You have the right to resign your pledge or membership at any time. No tradition is worth your life or health.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case:

1. Deleting digital evidence. This can be seen as destroying evidence.
2. Confronting the fraternity/sorority directly, which allows them to lawyer up and coach witnesses.
3. Signing a university “resolution” agreement without having an attorney review it first.
4. Posting about the incident on social media, which the defense will scour for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting too long. Evidence disappears, witnesses graduate, and the Texas statute of limitations imposes deadlines.

Why Attorney911 for Texas Hazing Cases

When your family is in crisis, you need advocates who understand both the emotional trauma and the complex legal battlefield you’re about to enter. As Texas-based hazing litigation attorneys, we bring a unique combination of experience directly relevant to families in Littlefield and across the state.

Our Core Advantages for Your Case:

• Active, High-Stakes Hazing Litigation: We are not theorists. We are currently leading the litigation in Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi, one of the most serious hazing cases in the country. We know what it takes to sue a major university and a national fraternity right now.
• Insider Insurance Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as a defense attorney for a national insurance firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny or undervalue your claim. We use that insider knowledge to counter their tactics and fight for full compensation. Learn more about Mr. Peña’s background.
• Experience Against Giant Institutions: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We have no fear of taking on billion-dollar corporations or wealthy, powerful institutions like national fraternities and major universities. Learn about Ralph’s complex litigation experience.
• The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: We don’t start from scratch. We maintain a proprietary database of over 1,400 Greek organizations in Texas, built from public records. We know how to find the housing corporations, alumni boards, and national entities that share liability.
• Full-Service Investigation: We have a network of experts—digital forensics specialists to recover deleted messages, medical experts to explain injuries like rhabdomyolysis, and economists to calculate lifelong damages.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish (Se habla Español), ensuring all Texas families can access expert legal counsel with comfort and clarity.

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. For Littlefield families, this means you have a dedicated, experienced Texas legal team ready to help, whether the incident occurred at Texas Tech, UH, or any other campus.

Your Next Step: A Confidential, No-Obligation Consultation

If hazing has impacted your child and your family, you do not have to navigate this alone. The institutions involved will have teams of lawyers. You deserve expert advocates who will fight just as fiercely for you.

We offer a free, completely confidential consultation to listen to your story, review any evidence you have, and explain your legal options under Texas law. There is no pressure, and you will not be charged any upfront fees—we work on a contingency basis, meaning we only get paid if we recover compensation for you.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911 today:

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

Let us help you secure justice for your child, hold the responsible parties accountable, and prevent other families in our Texas community from suffering the same pain.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

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

• Click2Houston Report: 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 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 Phone 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

Attorney911 Main Website & Contact:

• Homepage & Free Consultation: 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 us or another qualified attorney for a consultation regarding your individual situation.