A Guide to Hazing Lawsuits and Accountability for Families in San Patricio County, Texas

When your child leaves for college, you envision new friends, academic growth, and cherished memories. You do not imagine the phone call where they whisper about forced drinking, sleepless nights, or waking up in a hospital bed. For parents in San Patricio County—in Sinton, Odem, Taft, and across the Coastal Bend—this nightmare became a real, legal battle at the University of Houston, less than 200 miles from your doorstep. We are The Manginello Law Firm, known as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. Right now, we are actively litigating one of the most severe hazing cases in recent Texas history. This guide is for you: the San Patricio County parent who needs to understand the real risks, the law, and the path to accountability when campus “tradition” turns into life-threatening abuse.

The Case That Changed the Conversation: A Texas Student’s Brush with Death

In the fall of 2025, Leonel Bermudez, a transfer student at the University of Houston (UH), accepted a bid to join the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter. What followed was not brotherhood but a calculated campaign of degradation and physical torture culminating in a medical catastrophe. As detailed in the Click2Houston report on UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing, Bermudez was subjected to a “pledge fanny pack” rule, forced to carry condoms, sex toys, and nicotine devices at all times.

The physical hazing was extreme. Pledges were forced to sprint, bear crawl, and perform “save-your-brother” drills. They were sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” forced to lie in vomit-soaked grass, and made to consume excessive amounts of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, only to be forced to sprint again. In one incident, another pledge was hog-tied face-down on a table for over an hour. The breaking point came on November 3, 2025, when Bermudez was forced to perform over 100 push-ups and 500 squats under threat of expulsion.

The result was not mere soreness. Bermudez developed rhabdomyolysis, a severe skeletal muscle breakdown that flooded his system with toxins, leading to acute kidney failure. His urine turned brown. He could not stand without help and was hospitalized for four days with critically high creatine kinase levels. He faces an ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage. This case, which we filed as a $10 million lawsuit in Harris County, names a universe of defendants: the University of Houston, its Board of Regents, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, the Beta Nu housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders.

The response was swift but reactive: Pi Kappa Phi national suspended the chapter on November 6, and members voted to surrender their charter on November 14. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing.” But for a family, the question remains: how did this happen, and could it happen to my child at Texas A&M, UT, or another school? The answer, supported by our firm’s Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, is that the infrastructure for such abuse exists on campuses across our state, including those where San Patricio County students enroll.

Understanding the Texas Greek Ecosystem That Serves San Patricio County Families

As parents in San Patricio County, your children may attend universities close to home or venture to major hubs across Texas. These campuses are not isolated; they are nodes in a vast, interconnected network of Greek organizations, each with its own legal and financial footprint. Our firm maintains a proprietary directory built from public records—IRS filings, university rosters, and metro-level data—to track this ecosystem. This intelligence is critical for holding the right entities accountable.

Public Records Snapshot: Greek Organizations Operating in and Near San Patricio County

San Patricio County sits within the Corpus Christi metropolitan area, a region with its own dense network of Greek-letter organizations, honor societies, and alumni chapters. Furthermore, our children often attend schools in other major Texas metros. Below is a sample from our public records directory, showing the type of organizations that exist behind the fraternity and sorority letters.

Greek Entities in the Corpus Christi Metro Area & Surrounding Region:

• Phi Kappa Phi – TAMU Corpus Christi Chapter (Honor Society), Corpus Christi, TX. Data Source: Cause IQ metro listing.
• Alpha Sigma Phi – Iota Phi Chapter (Fraternity chapter at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi), Corpus Christi, TX. Data Source: Cause IQ metro listing.
• Sigma Chi Fraternity – Zeta Pi (TAMUK) (Fraternity chapter at Texas A&M University-Kingsville), Kingsville, TX. Data Source: Cause IQ metro listing.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Corpus Christi Alumnae (Graduate chapter), Corpus Christi, TX. Data Source: Cause IQ metro listing.
• Kappa Sigma Fraternity – Rho-Psi Colony (Fraternity chapter at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi), Corpus Christi, TX. Data Source: Cause IQ metro listing.

Texas-Wide Greek Organizations (Relevant to Major University Hubs):

• KAPPA SIGMA – MU CAMMA CHAPTER INC (EIN: 133048786), 3007 EARL RUDDER FWY S, COLLEGE STATION, TX 77845. Data Source: IRS B83 public filing.
• BETA NU PI KAPPA PHI FRATERNITY HOUSING CORPORATION INC (EIN: 462267515), 10601 BIG HORN TRL, FRISCO, TX 75035. Data Source: IRS B83 public filing. (This is the housing corporation for the UH chapter involved in the Bermudez case).
• TEXAS KAPPA SIGMA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION INC (EIN: 741380362), PO BOX 470061, FORT WORTH, TX 76147. Data Source: IRS B83 public filing.
• HONOR SOCIETY OF PHI KAPPA PHI (EIN: 900293166), 114 HENDERSON HALL 4233 TAMU, COLLEGE STATION, TX 77843. Data Source: IRS B83 public filing.
• PI KAPPA ALPHA FRATERNITY (EIN: 746064445), 1855 HIGHWAY 69 N, NEDERLAND, TX 77627. Data Source: IRS B83 public filing.

This is merely a sample. Our full engine tracks 1,423 Greek-related organizations across 25 Texas metros, from the 188 in Houston to the 21 in Corpus Christi. Why does this matter for a San Patricio County family? Because when harm occurs, liability often extends beyond the students in the room. It can reach the alumni housing corporation that owns the house, the national headquarters that sets (and fails to enforce) policy, and the honor society chapter that turned a blind eye. We start investigations knowing the legal names, EINs, and addresses of these entities. You shouldn’t have to.

Where San Patricio County Families Send Their Students: Local and Statewide Campuses

The journey from San Patricio County to college often leads to a mix of local, regional, and flagship institutions. Understanding the Greek landscape at these schools is the first step in recognizing risk.

Local & Regional Campuses:

• Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi, Nueces County): A growing campus with active fraternity and sorority life.
• Texas A&M University-Kingsville (Kingsville, Kleberg County): A historic university with a significant Greek presence.
• Coastal Bend College (Beeville, Bee County): While primarily a community college, it serves as a starting point for many San Patricio County students who later transfer to four-year schools with Greek systems.

Major Texas University Hubs (Common Destinations):

• Texas A&M University (College Station, Brazos County): One of the largest Greek systems in the nation, including a massive Corps of Cadets.
• University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Travis County): A flagship campus with a long, documented history of hazing incidents across Greek and spirit organizations.
• University of Houston (Houston, Harris County): As the Bermudez case proves, a major urban campus where severe hazing can occur.
• Texas State University (San Marcos, Hays County): A large Greek community situated between Austin and San Antonio.
• Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Lubbock County): A dominant Greek life presence in West Texas.

For a parent in Odem or Taft, your child could be in a dorm in Corpus Christi or a fraternity house in College Station. The legal principles of accountability remain the same, but the specific defendants—the chapter, the national organization, the university—change. Our experience spans these jurisdictions.

Texas Law & Institutional Liability: What San Patricio County Parents Must Know

Texas has specific laws against hazing, but they are only as strong as the will to enforce them. For families seeking accountability, understanding the legal framework is essential.

The Texas Hazing Statute (Education Code, Chapter 37)

Hazing is a crime in Texas. It is defined broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation into or affiliation with an organization. Critically, the victim’s consent is not a defense. This means that even if your child felt pressured to “go along with it,” the law still recognizes the act as a crime.

Penalties escalate with the harm:

• Class B Misdemeanor: For hazing that does not cause serious injury.
• Class A Misdemeanor: For hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
• State Jail Felony: For hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.

In the Bermudez case, the alleged conduct that led to rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure clearly crosses into felony territory.

Civil Liability: Building a Case for Damages

A criminal case, pursued by the state, seeks punishment. A civil lawsuit, which we file on behalf of victims and families, seeks compensation for damages and institutional change. The two can proceed simultaneously. In a civil hazing case, we look to hold every responsible party accountable, which can include:

1. The Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, carried out, or directed the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: As an unincorporated association or through its officers.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: For negligent supervision, failure to enforce policies, and having “constructive notice” of dangerous traditions due to prior incidents elsewhere. (The national history of organizations like Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Phi Delta Theta is critical here).
4. The University: For negligent supervision, deliberate indifference to a known risk, or violations of Title IX if the hazing is sexualized. Public universities like UH and Texas A&M have certain immunity defenses, but exceptions exist for gross negligence.
5. Housing Corporations & Alumni Boards: The entities that own the property where hazing occurs and often provide oversight and funding.

The Critical Role of Evidence

As we explain in our video on using your phone to document a legal case, evidence is the foundation of any claim. In the digital age, hazing is often planned and bragged about in real-time. Preserving this evidence before it is deleted is the single most important step a family can take.

• Group Chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage): Screenshot entire threads with timestamps visible.
• Social Media (Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok): Save stories, posts, and DMs that reference events.
• Medical Records: Go to the ER or a doctor immediately and tell them the injuries are from hazing. This creates a crucial link in the record.
• Photographs: Take pictures of injuries, the location, and any objects used (paddles, alcohol bottles).

Do not let your child “clean up” their phone out of shame or fear. That deleted evidence could be the key to proving the university or national organization had prior knowledge.

The Attorney911 Advantage: How Our Texas Firm Builds Hazing Cases for Families

Filing a hazing lawsuit against a national fraternity and a major university is not like a standard car accident claim. You are facing institutional defendants with deep pockets, experienced insurance defense lawyers, and a strong desire to protect their brand. At Attorney911, we are built for this fight.

1. Insurance Insider Knowledge (Mr. Lupe Peña’s Defense Background)

Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him) spent years as an attorney at a national insurance defense firm. He knows the exact playbook fraternity and university insurers use: how they undervalue claims, use “independent” medical exams to downplay injuries, and drag out cases to pressure families. We know their strategy because we used to be on their side. This insider knowledge is invaluable when negotiating for a fair settlement or presenting a case to a jury. You can learn more about Mr. Peña’s background on his profile.

2. Complex Institutional Litigation Experience (Ralph Manginello’s Track Record)

Managing Partner Ralph Manginello has over 25 years of experience, including being one of the few Texas attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. Taking on a multi-billion dollar corporation taught us how to investigate root-cause institutional failures, manage massive discovery, and stand firm against unlimited defense budgets. National fraternities and universities are formidable opponents, but we have faced giants before. Ralph’s federal court experience and membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) further equip us to handle the criminal-civil interplay often present in hazing cases.

3. Data-Driven Investigation with the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine

We don’t start from scratch. As shown in the public records section, we maintain a proprietary database of Greek organizations across Texas. When we take a case, we immediately map the defendant universe: the local chapter, its housing corporation, its alumni advisory board, and its national headquarters. We subpoena prior incident reports from the national organization to prove a pattern of known danger. We use this data to break through the common defense: “This was a rogue chapter; we didn’t know.”

4. A Focus on Catastrophic Injury and Wrongful Death

Hazing can cause permanent, life-altering injuries like traumatic brain injury (from falls or oxygen deprivation) or organ failure (from rhabdomyolysis). It can also be fatal. Our firm has a proven record of securing multi-million dollar results in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. We work with life-care planners, economists, and medical experts to ensure our clients’ future needs are fully accounted for, not just their current bills.

5. Spanish-Language Services and Cultural Understanding

Mr. Peña is a fluent Spanish speaker, born and raised in Texas. We are committed to serving the diverse families of San Patricio County and all of Texas in the language they are most comfortable with.

If You Suspect Hazing: Immediate Steps for San Patricio County Parents

If your child reveals they are being hazed, or if you see the warning signs—unexplained injuries, drastic personality changes, extreme exhaustion, secretive behavior about group activities—time is of the essence.

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: If there is any immediate danger or serious injury, call 911. Get your child to a doctor or ER. Tell the medical provider the injuries may be due to hazing.
2. Preserve Evidence, Do Not Confront: Help your child screenshot all relevant group chats, texts, and social media posts. Take photos of injuries. Do not confront the fraternity, sorority, or club. This gives them a head start to destroy evidence and coordinate stories.
3. Document Everything: Write down a timeline of events with as much detail as possible: who, what, when, where.
4. Consult an Attorney BEFORE Reporting to the University: While universities have reporting channels, their primary interest is often risk management for the institution. Contact an experienced hazing attorney first. We can advise you on how to navigate the university process while protecting your child’s rights and your legal position. We discuss common pitfalls in our video on client mistakes that can ruin your injury case.
5. Know the Deadline: In Texas, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including hazing, is generally two years from the date of injury. However, do not wait. Evidence disappears and memories fade. We explain deadlines in our video on Texas statutes of limitations.

Your Next Step: A Confidential Consultation with Attorney911

If your child has been injured, humiliated, or abused in connection with a fraternity, sorority, Corps program, athletic team, or other campus organization, you are not alone. The Leonel Bermudez case proves that even at our state’s largest universities, severe hazing persists. It also proves that dedicated legal action can force accountability, shutter dangerous organizations, and help victims rebuild their lives.

At The Manginello Law Firm / Attorney911, we combine insider insurance knowledge, complex litigation muscle, and a data-driven investigative approach to stand up for Texas families. We handle cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case.

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Whether your child was hazed at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M in College Station, UT Austin, or any other campus, we have the resources and experience to help.

Contact us today for a free, completely confidential consultation. We will listen to your story, explain your legal options, and help you decide the best path forward for your family.

Call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct Line: (713) 528-9070
Visit our website: https://attorney911.com
Se habla Español: Contact Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com

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:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs – Using your cellphone to document evidence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c – Understanding statutes of limitation in Texas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY – Common client mistakes to avoid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc – How contingency fees work.

Attorney911 Main Website:
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 assistance, please contact an attorney directly.