A Guide to Texas Hazing for Mason County Families: Your Path to Accountability

We understand the immense trust you place in a university when you send your child from the quiet ranches and tight-knit communities of Mason or Fredericksburg into the vibrant, complex world of Texas college life. The dream of brotherhood, sisterhood, and tradition is powerful. For families throughout the Texas Hill Country and Mason County, that dream can turn into a terrifying reality when the quest for belonging crosses into abuse.

Right now, we are leading one of the most serious active hazing lawsuits in Texas, representing Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national organization, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. This case, filed in late 2025, alleges a campaign of severe physical and psychological hazing that left Mr. Bermudez with rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, requiring a four-day hospitalization. The Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter has been shut down, but the fight for full accountability continues.

If you are a parent in Mason, Johnson City, Fredericksburg, or anywhere in Mason County whose child has been hurt in connection with a fraternity, sorority, Corps program, athletic team, or other campus group, this guide is for you. We aim to provide the clarity, legal context, and actionable knowledge you need to protect your child and pursue 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).
• In the first 48 hours:
  • Get medical attention immediately.
  • Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted: screenshot group chats, photograph injuries, save physical items.
  • Write down everything your child tells you (who, what, when, where).
  • Do NOT confront the organization, sign anything from the university, or let your child delete messages.
• Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. We help families across Texas, from our Houston base to the Hill Country. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

Hazing is not a relic of the past or a simple “prank.” It is a calculated misuse of power, often disguised as tradition. For Mason County families, whose children may be experiencing independence for the first time, understanding the modern face of hazing is critical.

It extends far beyond forced drinking. It can be psychological coercion, digital control, and physical punishment masked as “team building.” Texas law (Education Code Chapter 37) defines hazing broadly: any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers mental or physical health for purposes of initiation or affiliation. Crucially, the victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

The Texas Legal Framework: Criminal Penalties and Civil Justice

For parents in Mason, Llano, or Gillespie County navigating this crisis, understanding the dual legal paths is essential.

Criminal Hazing Charges in Texas:

• Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing that does not cause serious injury.
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death. This is the level applicable in cases like the UH Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit, where the victim suffered acute kidney failure.

Criminal cases are brought by the state to punish offenders. However, they do not compensate your family for medical bills, trauma, or future care.

Civil Hazing Lawsuits for Accountability and Recovery:
A civil lawsuit is how your family seeks compensation and holds every responsible party accountable. We can pursue claims against:

• The individual students who carried out or supervised the abuse.
• The local chapter as a legal entity.
• The national fraternity or sorority headquarters.
• The university (for negligent supervision or failure to act on known dangers).
• Alumni housing corporations and property owners.

Our current case against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi demonstrates this comprehensive approach, naming the national organization, the UH Board of Regents, the local housing corporation, and individual leaders.

Why National Cases Matter for Mason County Families

Hazing deaths and severe injuries at schools nationwide are not isolated incidents. They reveal dangerous, repeating scripts within specific national organizations. When a chapter at a Texas university follows that same script, it proves the national organization knew or should have known the risks.

• Pi Kappa Alpha: The 2021 death of Stone Foltz at Bowling Green State University ($10+ million in settlements) involved forced consumption of alcohol during a “Big/Little” event—a pattern seen in other Pike chapters.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon: Nationally, SAE has faced numerous hazing deaths. In Texas, a lawsuit alleged SAE pledges at Texas A&M were doused with industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts.
• Phi Delta Theta: The 2017 death of Max Gruver at LSU during a “Bible study” drinking game led to Louisiana’s felony hazing statute.
• Our Active Case – Pi Kappa Phi: The allegations against the UH Beta Nu chapter—forced “workouts” leading to rhabdomyolysis, simulated waterboarding, humiliating “pledge fanny packs”—show how violent hazing persists despite national policies.

These national histories are not just news stories; they are legal evidence. They establish foreseeability, showing that national organizations had ample warning about the lethal consequences of their chapters’ “traditions.”

The Texas Hazing Landscape: Where Mason County Students Study

Families in Mason County send their children to a range of Texas universities, from large state flagships to private institutions. Hazing risks exist across this spectrum.

University of Houston – A Current Battleground:
Our lawsuit against UH is a stark example. The complaint details how Leonel Bermudez, a transfer student, was subjected to months of degrading rules and physical torture culminating in a Nov. 3, 2025 “workout” of over 100 push-ups and 500 squats. He was hospitalized days later with brown urine, diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis—a severe muscle breakdown that floods the kidneys with toxins. The university called the conduct “deeply disturbing,” but our lawsuit alleges institutional failures that allowed it to happen. For families whose students attend UH, this case underscores the vital need for aggressive legal protection.

Texas A&M University – Corps and Greek Life Complexities:
The culture of the Corps of Cadets and a massive Greek system present unique challenges. In a 2023 lawsuit, a former cadet alleged brutal hazing including being bound in a “roasted pig” position. Settlements in such cases can reach into the millions. For students from Mason County drawn to A&M’s traditions, parents must be vigilant about the line between discipline and abuse.

University of Texas at Austin – Public Transparency and Patterns:
UT Austin maintains a public hazing violations log, a resource that can reveal patterns. For example, Pi Kappa Alpha at UT was sanctioned for forcing new members to consume milk and perform extreme calisthenics. This public record can be powerful evidence in a civil case, demonstrating a chapter’s prior knowledge of prohibited conduct.

Southern Methodist University & Baylor University – Private Campus Dynamics:
At private institutions like SMU and Baylor, disciplinary processes can be less transparent. Past incidents, such as hazing within Baylor’s baseball program, highlight that abuse is not confined to Greek life. Navigating claims against private universities requires specific legal experience with their internal policies and governance structures.

The Organizations Behind the Letters: A Texas-Wide Network

When your child is harmed, liability does not stop with the students in the room. National fraternities and sororities operate through a complex web of legal entities in Texas. We maintain a proprietary intelligence engine tracking these organizations. For example, our data includes Texas-registered entities like:

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc (EIN 462267515), Frisco, TX 75035
• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – Epsilon Kappa Chapter (EIN 746064445), Nederland, TX 77627
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc (EIN 741380362), Fort Worth, TX 76147
• Building Corporation of Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi (EIN 746047117), Austin, TX 78705
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – Fort Worth Alumni Chapter (EIN 752755600), Fort Worth, TX 76101

These housing corporations, alumni associations, and educational foundations often hold insurance policies and assets that can be crucial for securing a full recovery for your family. Our investigation immediately identifies and targets all potentially liable entities, a process we are actively using in the Bermudez case.

How We Build a Hazing Case for Texas Families

With over 25 years of complex litigation experience, we approach hazing cases with a methodical, evidence-driven strategy perfected in cases against some of the world’s largest corporations.

1. Evidence Preservation and Investigation:
The digital footprint is critical. We work with digital forensics experts to recover deleted group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, Discord), social media posts, and location data. We secure internal chapter documents, university disciplinary records, and national fraternity files through aggressive discovery. In the UH case, detailed text messages and timelines were essential in piecing together the pattern of abuse.

2. Identifying All Liable Parties:
Using our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, we map the full organizational structure behind a chapter. This includes the national headquarters, inter/national officers, local alumni advisors, housing corporations, and the university itself. We leave no stone unturned to ensure maximum accountability and access to all available insurance coverage.

3. Calculating Full Damages:
We work with economists, life-care planners, and medical experts to document the complete harm:

• Economic Damages: All past and future medical care, lost earning capacity, therapy, and educational costs.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional trauma, PTSD, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In the most tragic cases, we seek recovery for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and a family’s profound grief.

Our Unique Litigation Advantage:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our associate, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as a defense attorney for a national insurance firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers attempt to deny or minimize claims. This insider perspective is invaluable when negotiating settlements or arguing in court.
• Complex Institutional Experience: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by powerful institutions with deep-pocketed defense teams. We’ve faced them before and won.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Understanding: Mr. Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil lawsuits, allowing us to strategically advise families and witnesses.

Practical Guide for Parents & Students

For Mason County Parents – Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, or drastic weight change.
• Secrecy about organization activities, sudden withdrawal from family.
• Personality shifts: anxiety, depression, or defensiveness.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Requests for large sums of money with vague explanations.

For Students – Your Rights and Safety:

• You have the right to leave any activity where you feel unsafe or humiliated.
• In a medical emergency, call 911 first. Texas law and most university policies offer “good faith” protections for those who seek help.
• Preserve evidence: Take screenshots of group chats, photos of injuries, and save any physical items. Do not delete anything.
• You can report anonymously through campus conduct offices or the National Anti-Hazing Hotline (1-888-NOT-HAZE).

Critical Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Deleting Evidence: “Cleaning up” texts or photos destroys your case.
2. Confronting the Organization: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Signing University Forms Prematurely: You may waive your right to sue.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense teams scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses scatter, and Texas’ two-year statute of limitations runs.

Why Choose Attorney911 for Your Family’s Hazing Case

From our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we serve hazing victims and their families across Texas, including throughout the Hill Country and Mason County. We combine the relentless investigative approach of a large firm with the personalized attention your family deserves during this crisis.

We are currently fighting the Leonel Bermudez case because we believe in forcing real change. When we take a case, we commit to uncovering the full truth, holding every responsible party accountable, and securing the resources your child needs to heal—whether that means covering lifelong medical care, therapy for PTSD, or ensuring their education can continue.

Contact Us for a Free, Confidential Consultation

If you suspect your child has been hazed at any Texas university, time is the most critical factor. The window to preserve evidence and file a claim is limited.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) today. We are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

• Call 24/7: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct: (713) 528-9070
• Website: https://attorney911.com
• Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com

Se habla Español. Mr. Lupe Peña provides full consultation and representation in Spanish.

We will listen to your story, explain your legal options based on Texas law, and help you make the best decision for your family’s future. The consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.

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 evidence. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC is licensed to practice in Texas. Principal office in Houston, Texas.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources:

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

• 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/
• https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• https://hoodline.com/2025/11/university-of-houston-and-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity-face-10m-lawsuit-over-alleged-hazing-and-abuse/

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

• Evidence Preservation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Statute of Limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client Mistakes to Avoid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Main Website:

• https://attorney911.com