A Guide for City of Muleshoe Families: Understanding Hazing, Texas Law, and Your Rights at Major Universities

When a parent in City of Muleshoe sends their child to college—whether to nearby Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas A&M University in College Station, or any of Texas’ other large campuses—they imagine lecture halls, football games, and new friendships. They don’t imagine their child being forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass, sprayed in the face with a hose until they struggle to breathe, or pushed through extreme workouts until their muscles break down and their kidneys fail.

This is not a hypothetical fear. Right now, our firm is actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas: the $10 million lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The details, covered by Click2Houston and ABC13, include a “pledge fanny pack” filled with humiliating items, forced overeating until vomiting, and physical abuse that led to Bermudez developing rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, requiring a four-day hospitalization.

For families in City of Muleshoe, Bailey County, and across the Texas Panhandle, this case is a stark reminder that hazing is not a distant problem. It happens at universities where our children enroll. This guide is written specifically for you—parents and students in City of Muleshoe—to understand what hazing looks like in 2025, the Texas laws that protect victims, and the legal pathways to accountability when things go terribly wrong.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

• If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW: Call 911, then call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.
• In the first 48 hours: Get medical attention. Preserve evidence: screenshot group chats, photograph injuries, save physical items. Write down everything. Do NOT confront the organization, sign anything from the university, or post on social media.
• Contact an experienced hazing attorney: Evidence disappears fast. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, immediate consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like for Texas Students

Hazing is no longer just about secret handshakes or silly pranks. It is a calculated system of power, control, and degradation that often leaves lasting physical and psychological scars. For students from City of Muleshoe attending Texas universities, hazing can take many forms:

The Subtle Coercion (Tier 1): This includes being “on call” 24/7 for errands, forced chauffeuring, mandatory attendance at late-night meetings that interfere with sleep and studies, and social isolation from non-members. It sets the stage for worse by establishing absolute control.

Harassment and Humiliation (Tier 2): This involves sleep deprivation, verbal abuse, forced consumption of unpalatable foods or substances, and extreme calisthenics framed as “workouts.” The Leonel Bermudez case at UH included being forced to carry a degrading “pledge fanny pack” at all times.

Violent and Life-Threatening Abuse (Tier 3): This is where serious injury and death occur. It includes forced alcohol consumption (like the “Big/Little” nights that have killed pledges nationwide), physical beatings, paddling, sexualized acts, and dangerous physical tests. Bermudez was sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” forced to eat until he vomited, and then made to sprint.

The methods have evolved with technology. Today’s hazing is coordinated in GroupMe chats, documented on Snapchat and Instagram, and involves geo-tracking of pledges. Organizations often move the most severe hazing to off-campus houses or Airbnbs to avoid university oversight. The core truth remains: hazing is about power, not tradition.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: A Framework for City of Muleshoe Families

Texas has specific laws to combat hazing, found in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37. Understanding these laws is crucial for families seeking accountability.

The Legal Definition: Under Texas law, hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—on or off campus—that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with an organization.

Critical Protections for Victims:

• Consent is NOT a Defense: It doesn’t matter if your child “agreed” to participate. The law recognizes the power imbalance and coercion inherent in hazing.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing is a crime. It can range from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death, as in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case.
• Immunity for Good Faith Reporting: Students who call for help in an emergency are protected from certain penalties.

Civil Liability: Who Can Be Held Accountable?
A civil lawsuit seeks compensation for damages and to force institutional change. Potentially liable parties include:

1. The Individual Perpetrators: The students who planned, carried out, or covered up the abuse.
2. The Local Chapter: The fraternity or sorority chapter as an entity.
3. The National Organization: Headquarters that collect dues, set policies, and often have a history of similar incidents at other schools.
4. The University: Schools can be liable for negligent supervision if they knew or should have known about a dangerous pattern and failed to act.
5. Third Parties: Property owners, alcohol providers, or security companies.

The Bermudez lawsuit names all of these: 13 individuals, the local Pi Kappa Phi chapter, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, the UH Board of Regents, and the University of Houston itself.

The Texas Hazing Reality: Where City of Muleshoe Students Attend College

Families in City of Muleshoe and Bailey County send their students to universities across Texas. Each campus has its own Greek life ecosystem and history of incidents. Our firm maintains a Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—a database of over 1,400 Greek organizations across 25 Texas metros—to understand the full landscape of risk.

The Greek Ecosystem Surrounding City of Muleshoe Students

While City of Muleshoe itself is a tight-knit community, its students often head to larger universities with extensive Greek systems. Based on our analysis of public records (IRS B83 filings, university rosters, and Cause IQ data), here is a snapshot of the organizations connected to campuses where City of Muleshoe students frequently enroll:

At Texas Tech University (Lubbock):

• Farm House Fraternity Inc. (EIN 751565336) – Lubbock, TX 79416. IRS B83 filing.
• Epsilon Nu Housing Corporation (EIN 237359384) – Lubbock, TX 79401. IRS B83 filing.
• Alpha Omega Epsilon-Beta Alpha Chapter (EIN 473967233) – Lubbock, TX 79416. IRS B83 filing.
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (EIN 820644459) – Lubbock, TX 79430. IRS B83 filing (Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences).

At West Texas A&M University (Canyon):

• Frank Heflin Foundation (EIN 203507402) – Canyon, TX 79015. IRS B83 filing (Phi Delta Theta alumni fund).
• Kappa Alpha Order – Gamma Sigma Chapter – Canyon, TX (Cause IQ Amarillo Metro listing).
• Chi Omega – Upsilon Zeta Building Assn. (EIN 752290669) – Amarillo, TX 79118. IRS B83 filing.

At Major Statewide Hubs (UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin):

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc. (EIN 462267515) – Frisco, TX 75035. IRS B83 filing (connected to the active UH lawsuit).
• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity – Epsilon Kappa Chapter (EIN 746064445) – Nederland, TX 77627. IRS B83 filing.
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc. (EIN 741380362) – Fort Worth, TX 76147. IRS B83 filing.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon – Texas Rho Corp. – Austin, TX (Cause IQ Austin Metro listing).

This is just a fraction of the 125+ Texas-registered Greek entities in our database. The point is clear: behind every fraternity or sorority house is a network of legally recognized organizations, many with their own insurance and assets. When hazing occurs, we know how to identify every potentially liable entity.

Campus Spotlight: Where Incidents Occur

Texas Tech University: As the closest major university to City of Muleshoe, Texas Tech has a significant Greek life presence. Incidents here can involve longstanding fraternity traditions and the challenges of supervising a large student population in Lubbock.

Texas A&M University: The Corps of Cadets and a massive Greek system create a high-risk environment. In a recent lawsuit, a cadet alleged being bound in a “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth. A Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) chapter faced a $1 million lawsuit after pledges suffered severe chemical burns from an industrial-strength cleaner.

University of Houston: The ongoing Leonel Bermudez case is the flagship example. It shows how hazing can escalate from humiliation to life-threatening injury in a matter of weeks, and how a university and national fraternity can be caught flat-footed despite policies.

University of Texas at Austin: UT maintains a public hazing violations log. Entries show a pattern: Pi Kappa Alpha for forced milk consumption and calisthenics (2023); other groups for forced drinking and dangerous workouts. This public record is a powerful tool for establishing a “should have known” case against the university.

Southern Methodist University & Baylor University: These private, affluent campuses have their own histories. SMU’s Kappa Alpha Order was suspended for paddling and forced drinking. Baylor’s baseball team saw 14 players suspended for hazing. The culture of tradition and secrecy persists.

Building a Case: The Attorney911 Approach for Texas Families

When a family from City of Muleshoe contacts us after a hazing incident, we deploy a proven, data-driven strategy built on our experience in complex institutional litigation.

1. Immediate Evidence Preservation: We guide families to secure evidence before it vanishes. This includes:

• Digital Forensics: Screenshots of GroupMe, WhatsApp, and text threads. Recovery of deleted messages. Preservation of social media stories and posts. We have a video guide on using your phone to document evidence.
• Physical Evidence: Photographing injuries, saving damaged clothing, securing objects used in hazing.
• Medical Records: Obtaining complete ER, hospitalization, and follow-up records that explicitly link injuries to hazing.

2. Investigating the Full Institutional Picture: Using our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, we map the entire organizational structure behind the chapter. We identify:

• Local housing corporations (like the Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation).
• Alumni chapter entities.
• National headquarters and their insurers.
• University oversight bodies and prior incident reports.

3. Leveraging National Pattern Evidence: We research the national history of the organization involved. If a Pi Kappa Phi chapter at UH is accused of forced drinking and physical abuse, we look at the death of Andrew Coffey at Florida State University in 2017 from the same fraternity. This pattern establishes foreseeability—the national org knew or should have known this could happen again.

4. Calculating Full Damages: Hazing damages go far beyond medical bills. We work with experts to account for:

• Economic Damages: Current and future medical care, lost earning capacity, educational disruption.
• Non-Economic Damages: Pain and suffering, PTSD, severe emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: In the worst cases, we pursue compensation for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and a family’s profound grief.

Our advantage in these cases is dual-fold: Ralph Manginello’s experience taking on billion-dollar defendants in the BP Texas City explosion litigation, and Mr. Lupe Peña’s insider knowledge from his years as an insurance defense attorney. Mr. Peña knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny or minimize claims. We speak their language and are prepared to fight them in court.

Practical Steps for City of Muleshoe Parents and Students

If You Suspect Your Child Is Being Hazed:

• Talk Openly: Ask specific, non-judgmental questions about their activities, sleep, and treatment by older members.
• Look for Signs: Unexplained injuries, exhaustion, withdrawal from family, anxiety about phone notifications, drastic personality changes.
• Document Everything: If they share details, write them down with dates. If they show you messages, take screenshots immediately.

If Your Child Has Been Injured:

1. Prioritize Health: Seek medical attention and get a full evaluation.
2. Preserve Evidence: Follow the steps in our evidence preservation video.
3. Report Carefully: You can report to campus police or the Dean of Students, but understand the university’s primary interest is limiting its own liability. Consult with an attorney first.
4. Contact a Lawyer Early: Do not wait for the university’s internal process to conclude. Evidence disappears and statutes of limitations run. We explain deadlines in our statute of limitations video.

Critical Mistakes to Avoid:

• Deleting Evidence: “Cleaning up” group chats is a sure way to destroy your case.
• Confronting the Fraternity/Sorority: This triggers their defense strategy and evidence destruction.
• Signing University Paperwork: Never sign a waiver, release, or settlement without an attorney’s review.
• Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys scour social media for inconsistencies.
• Waiting Too Long: Time is your enemy. Learn how contingency fees work so you know there are no upfront costs.

Why Choose Attorney911 for Your Hazing Case

Our firm was built for legal emergencies. When a family in City of Muleshoe is facing the nightmare of hazing, they need more than a lawyer; they need advocates who understand the institutions arrayed against them and have the experience to win.

Our Proven Hazing Litigation Experience: We are currently leading the charge in the Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi case—a high-stakes, $10 million lawsuit that is making headlines and changing the conversation on hazing accountability in Texas. We are not theorizing; we are in the fight right now.

Unique Insider Knowledge: Associate Attorney Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him) spent years as a defense attorney for a national insurance firm. He knows the exact tactics insurance companies for fraternities and universities will use to deny your claim. He knows how they value cases, how they negotiate, and where their defenses are weak. This insider knowledge is invaluable.

Complex Institutional Litigation Capability: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. Taking on a global corporation with limitless legal resources prepared us for fights against national fraternities and large university systems. Our federal court experience and 25-year track record mean we are not intimidated by powerful opponents.

A Data-Driven Advantage: Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—the database of Greek organizations we’ve shared a glimpse of in this guide—is a powerful investigative tool. We don’t start from scratch. We know how to find the entities that hold liability and insurance. For a parent in City of Muleshoe, this means we can immediately begin building leverage on your behalf.

Compassionate, Client-Focused Representation: We guide you through every step, keeping you informed. We handle the legal battle so you can focus on your child’s healing. We operate on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.

Contact Attorney911 for a Free, Confidential Consultation

If your child has been hazed at any Texas university—whether it’s Texas Tech, Texas A&M, UH, or any other campus—you have rights. The path to accountability begins with a conversation.

We offer free, confidential consultations to families in City of Muleshoe and across Texas. During this call, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Explain your legal options in clear terms.
• Discuss the investigation process and potential strategies.
• Answer your questions about timing, costs, and what to expect.

You are not alone. The institutions responsible for your child’s safety must be held accountable. Let us help you take the first step.

Call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ Today: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Se habla Español: Contact Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com

Plain Text Links to Key Resources:

• Click2Houston coverage of the UH Pi Kappa Phi case: 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 of the Leonel Bermudez lawsuit: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• Attorney911 video on using your phone to document evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Attorney911 video on statutes of limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Attorney911 video on client mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• Attorney911 video on contingency fees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc
• Attorney911 main website: https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique. Contact Attorney911 for a consultation on your specific situation. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this article.