The Complete Guide to Hazing Litigation for Schertz, Texas Parents: University of Houston, Texas A&M, UT Austin & More

If Your Student Is Hurt: Immediate Help

Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies in Schertz:

• If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

  • Call 911 for medical emergencies.
  • Then call Attorney911: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). We provide immediate help—that’s why we’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™.

• In the first 48 hours:

  1. Get medical attention immediately, even if your student insists they are “fine.”
  2. Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted: Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, texts), photograph injuries, save any physical items.
  3. Write down everything your child tells you while memory is fresh.
  4. Do NOT: Confront the fraternity/sorority, sign anything from the university, post details on social media, or let your child delete messages.

• Contact an experienced Texas hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. We help preserve it and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.

Introduction: For Every Parent in Schertz, Texas, Who Worries About Campus Safety

Imagine your child, a bright student from Schertz or the surrounding Guadalupe County area, excitedly starts their freshman year at a major Texas university. Months later, you get a call no parent ever wants. Your child is in the hospital, their body broken down from extreme, forced workouts. Their urine is brown. Doctors diagnose rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. Your child confesses, through tears and shame, that this was part of “pledging.” They were forced to endure hundreds of push-ups, bear crawls in cold weather, lying in vomit, and being sprayed in the face with a hose “like waterboarding.” They were told this was the price of brotherhood.

This is not a hypothetical. This is exactly what happened to Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student and Pi Kappa Phi pledge in the fall of 2025. Attorney911—our firm—filed his $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit against the University of Houston, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, the UH Board of Regents, the Beta Nu chapter housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The case, reported by Click2Houston and ABC13, reveals a pattern of horrific abuse that culminated in a life-threatening medical crisis and the chapter’s shutdown.

For parents in Schertz, Cibolo, Universal City, and across Comal and Guadalupe Counties, this case is a stark wake-up call. Your children attend schools where these organizations exist. Whether they’re at a local campus like Texas State University in San Marcos or have ventured to statewide hubs like the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M in College Station, or the University of Houston, the risk is real.

This comprehensive guide is written specifically for you. We will explain what modern hazing truly looks like, detail Texas law and liability, connect national patterns to Texas campuses, and provide a concrete action plan. Our goal is to arm you with knowledge and to demonstrate that when the worst happens, our firm has the specific, data-driven expertise and institutional-fighting experience necessary to seek justice for your family.

1. Modern Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Texas

Hazing is not just “boys being boys” or “harmless tradition.” It is a calculated system of abuse that exploits power imbalances to create loyalty through trauma. For Schertz families, understanding its modern forms is the first step in recognition.

A Three-Tiered System of Abuse

Tier 1: Subtle Hazing (The “Gateway”)
This establishes control and sets the stage for escalation. It includes forced servitude (24/7 chauffeur duties, cleaning members’ rooms), social isolation, mandatory “study hours” that interfere with classes, and demeaning rules like the “pledge fanny pack” filled with humiliating items, as seen in the UH Pi Kappa Phi case.

Tier 2: Harassment Hazing (Psychological & Physical Torment)
This causes measurable harm. It includes sleep deprivation through all-night “meetings,” verbal abuse and degradation, forced consumption of unpalatable foods (milk, hot dogs, raw eggs), and extreme, punitive calisthenics (“smokings”) far beyond any reasonable fitness standard.

Tier 3: Violent Hazing (Life-Threatening Acts)
This is where hospitalization and death occur. It includes:

• Forced/Coerced Alcohol Consumption: “Big/Little” nights, “family tree” drinking games, line-ups, and coerced chugging leading to alcohol poisoning.
• Physical Assault: Paddling, beatings, “glass ceiling” tackling rituals, and dangerous physical tests.
• Sexualized Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, and degrading sexual role-playing.
• Environmental Torture: Exposure to extreme cold/heat, being confined in tight spaces, or—as in the Bermudez case—being sprayed with a hose under threat of waterboarding.

The “Loopholes” Fraternities Use to Evade Schertz Parents & Universities

Organizations have grown sophisticated in hiding abuse from parents in Schertz and campus authorities:

• “It’s Optional” Framing: Activities are called “voluntary,” but non-participation means social exile.
• Off-Campus/Retreat Shifting: Hazing moves to Airbnbs, rural properties, or members’ family homes outside university jurisdiction.
• Digital Control & Humiliation: 24/7 GroupMe demands, location tracking via Snapchat Map, and forced participation in humiliating TikTok challenges.
• Euphemistic Language: Hazing is rebranded as “character building,” “wellness challenges,” “team bonding,” or “new member education.”
• Evidence Destruction: Members are coached to delete group chats and social media posts immediately after events.

2. The Texas Law & Liability Framework: A Schertz Parent’s Legal Roadmap

Understanding the law is crucial. Texas has robust statutes, but they only work if families know how to use them.

The Core Texas Law: Education Code Chapter 37, Subchapter F

Texas defines hazing (§37.151) as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—on or off campus—directed at a student for the purpose of pledging or affiliation that endangers mental or physical health or safety.

Key Provisions for Schertz Families:

• Consent is NOT a Defense (§37.155): Even if your child “agreed,” it’s still hazing under Texas law. Peer pressure and power imbalance negate true consent.
• Criminal Penalties Escalate (§37.152):
  • Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine).
  • Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury needing medical treatment.
  • State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Organizations Can Be Prosecuted (§37.153): The fraternity/sorority itself can be fined up to $10,000 if it authorized or knew about the hazing and failed to act.
• Good-Faith Reporter Immunity (§37.154): Someone who reports hazing to get help is generally protected from liability. This is critical—your child should never fear calling 911.

The Full Universe of Liability: Who Can Be Held Responsible?

In a civil lawsuit, our goal is to identify every entity with responsibility and insurance coverage.

1. Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
2. Local Chapter & Its Officers: The chapter as an entity and its leadership (President, Pledgemaster, Risk Manager).
3. National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: They collect dues, set policies, and have a duty to supervise. Their knowledge of prior incidents at other chapters creates “foreseeability.”
4. University Administration (UH, Texas A&M, UT, etc.): Schools have a legal duty to protect students. Liability can arise from:
   • Negligent Supervision: Failing to monitor known high-risk groups.
   • Deliberate Indifference: Knowing about prior hazing and failing to take meaningful action.
   • Title IX Violations: If hazing is sexualized or gender-based.
5. Alumni Housing Corporations & Property Owners: Entities that own or control the houses where hazing occurs (e.g., the “Beta Nu housing corporation” in the UH case).
6. Third Parties: Bars that overserve minors, security companies that fail to intervene.

Federal Laws Overlay

• The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires colleges receiving federal aid to publicly report hazing incidents and strengthen prevention programs.
• Title IX: Applies when hazing involves sexual harassment, assault, or gender-based discrimination.
• Clery Act: Requires reporting of certain campus crimes, which can include hazing-related assaults.

3. The Blueprint from National Cases: Patterns Texas Parents Must Know

The tragic cases below are not abstract; they are the playbook defense attorneys use, and the patterns we must break. They prove that holding institutions accountable is possible.

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): A bid-acceptance night with forced drinking led to fatal falls. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. Result: 18 members charged with over 1,000 counts; new Pennsylvania “Timothy’s Law”; massive civil settlements.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died from alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game. Result: “Max Gruver Act” making hazing a felony in Louisiana; individual criminal convictions.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Pledge died after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. Result: $10 million settlement ($7M from national Pike, ~$3M from BGSU); chapter president ordered to pay $6.5 million personally.
• Andrew Coffey (Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Died from alcohol poisoning at a “Big Brother” event. Result: Chapter closed; FSU suspended all Greek life.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. Result: Multi-million dollar settlements with 22 defendants; chapter closed.

The Texas Connection: The same national organizations responsible in these cases—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Phi—have active chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT Austin, SMU, and Baylor. Their national histories establish a pattern of known danger.

4. The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Data-Driven Advocacy for Schertz

General personal injury firms start from zero. We start with data. We maintain a proprietary investigative engine built from public records to map the Texas Greek ecosystem. This means when a family from Schertz contacts us, we already understand the organizational landscape behind the letters.

Public Records Directory: Fraternities, Sororities & Greek Entities Serving Schertz Families

The organizations below are a fraction of the 1,423 Greek-related entities we track across 25 Texas metros. These are public records (IRS B83, Cause IQ) that we use to trace liability and insurance coverage.

Fraternities & Sororities with Texas-Registered Entities (IRS Records):

• Sigma Phi Lambda, Inc. – EIN 201237505 – Corinth, TX 76210 – IRS B83 Filing
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – EIN 237279532 – Prairie View, TX 77446 – IRS B83 Filing
• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, Inc. – EIN 475370943 – Houston, TX 77204 – Theta Delta Chapter – IRS B83 Filing
• Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity – EIN 746064445 – Nederland, TX 77627 – Epsilon Kappa Chapter – IRS B83 Filing
• Sigma Chi Fraternity Epsilon Xi Chapter – EIN 746084905 – Houston, TX 77204 – IRS B83 Filing
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc. – EIN 462267515 – Frisco, TX 75035 – IRS B83 Filing
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Sigma Gamma Chapter – EIN 392352450 – Houston, TX 77254 – IRS B83 Filing
• Kappa Sigma – Mu Gamma Chapter Inc. – EIN 273662583 – Lufkin, TX 75904 – IRS B83 Filing

Metro-Level Greek Organizations (Cause IQ Data – San Antonio-New BraunscvjMetro):

• Cause IQ reports 86 Greek-related organizations in the San Antonio metro area, which includes Schertz.
• Example entities include local alumni chapters, housing corporations, and honor societies tied to universities like UTSA and Texas State.

Where Schertz & Comal County Students Go to College

Parents in Schertz, Cibolo, Garden Ridge, and McQueeney have children at a mix of local and flagship schools:

Local & Regional Campuses:

• Texas State University (San Marcos, Hays County) – A major destination with active Greek life.
• University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) (Bexar County) – Growing Greek community.
• San Antonio College / Alamo Colleges (Bexar County).

Major Statewide Hubs (Common for Schertz Graduates):

• University of Texas at Austin (Travis County)
• Texas A&M University (College Station, Brazos County)
• University of Houston (Harris County) – Site of the active Bermudez/Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit.
• Baylor University (Waco, McLennan County)
• Southern Methodist University (SMU) (Dallas County)
• Texas Tech University (Lubbock County)

5. Texas University Deep Dive: Realities at UH, A&M, UT, SMU & Baylor

University of Houston (UH) – The Active Front Line

The Flagship Case: Our active litigation for Leonel Bermudez alleges Pi Kappa Phi’s Beta Nu chapter engaged in systemic hazing throughout Fall 2025 at the UH chapter house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park. Acts included the degrading “pledge fanny pack,” forced overeating until vomiting, “waterboarding” with a hose, and the Nov 3 workout that caused rhabdomyolysis. The chapter was suspended Nov 6 and voted to surrender its charter Nov 14, 2025. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing.” This case is live proof of the severe, ongoing hazing risk at Texas campuses.

UH’s Greek Landscape: UH hosts chapters of nationals with severe hazing histories: Pi Kappa Alpha (Stone Foltz), Sigma Alpha Epsilon (multiple deaths), Phi Delta Theta (Max Gruver), and Pi Kappa Phi (Andrew Coffey). Prior UH incidents, like a 2016 Pi Kappa Alpha case involving a lacerated spleen, show a recurring pattern.

Texas A&M University – A Culture of Tradition & Risk

Texas A&M’s unique Corps of Cadets and powerful Greek system create a high-risk environment.

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case (2021): Pledges alleged being doused with industrial cleaner and other substances, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. A lawsuit sought $1 million; the chapter was suspended.
• Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged being bound between beds in a degrading, simulated sexual position as part of hazing. The lawsuit sought over $1 million, highlighting that hazing extends beyond Greek letters.
• Our Data Insight: The Texas A&M University campus in College Station sits in a metro (College Station-Bryan) with 42 Greek organizations tracked in our Cause IQ data, including entities like the “Beta Theta Pi – Eta Chapter House Corp.”

University of Texas at Austin – Transparency & Recurring Violations

UT Austin publishes a public hazing violations log, one of the more transparent in the state. This log is a goldmine for establishing “prior notice” in litigation.

• Recent Violations (From UT’s Log):
  • Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members directed to consume excessive milk and perform strenuous calisthenics. Sanction: Probation, hazing prevention education.
  • Texas Wranglers (Spirit Group): Multiple violations for forced workouts, alcohol-related hazing.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon Assault Case (2024): An Australian exchange student allegedly assaulted at an SAE party suffered a dislocated leg, broken nose, and fractures. He sued for over $1 million, noting the chapter was already on suspension for prior violations.
• Our Data Insight: The Austin-Round Rock metro has 154 Greek organizations. IRS records show entities like the “Building Corporation of Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi” (EIN 746047117) in Austin, which can be crucial for piercing the corporate veil.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

• SMU: A private university with a affluent Greek culture. Past incidents include a 2017 Kappa Alpha Order suspension for paddling and forced drinking. Private schools often have less public reporting, making skilled discovery vital.
• Baylor: Beyond its Greek system, Baylor’s athletic programs have faced hazing allegations, including a 2020 baseball team hazing incident that led to 14 player suspensions. Baylor’s history with institutional response to scandal is a factor in any litigation strategy.

6. Building a Bulletproof Case: Our Investigation Strategy for Schertz Families

When you hire us, you get a law firm that litigates like an investigative agency. Here’s how we build leverage from day one:

Phase 1: Evidence Triage & Preservation (Hours 0-48)
We guide you to preserve the evidence that wins cases:

• Digital Forensics: Securing and recovering deleted group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, Snapchat), social media posts, and location data. We know how to subpoena metadata and work with digital experts.
• Medical Investigation: Obtaining all ER/hospital records, toxicology reports, and connecting with treating physicians to document the direct causal link between hazing and injury.
• Witness Identification: Immediately identifying other pledges, bystanders, and former members who may be willing to provide statements.

Phase 2: Institutional Discovery & Pattern Evidence
This is where our data engine and experience matter. We subpoena and request:

• National Fraternity Records: All prior incident reports, risk management files, and communications regarding the specific chapter and hazing practices nationally. We use national cases like Foltz (Pike) or Gruver (Phi Delt) to prove foreseeability.
• University Disciplinary Files: The complete history of complaints, warnings, probations, and suspensions for the involved organization—like the public UT log or internal UH/ A&M files.
• Insurance Policy Discovery: Identifying every potentially liable insurance policy from nationals, housing corporations, and universities. Mr. Lupe Peña’s background as an insurance defense attorney is invaluable here—he knows how insurers fight and how to overcome coverage exclusions.

Phase 3: Damages Modeling & Expert Testimony
We quantify the full toll to maximize recovery and accountability:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (current + future), lost tuition if education is disrupted, and lost future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Working with psychologists to document PTSD, depression, anxiety, and the profound emotional suffering from betrayal and humiliation.
• Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of future support, and the unimaginable grief of a family.
• Expert Network: We engage medical specialists, life care planners, economists, and Greek culture experts to build an unassailable case.

7. Practical Action Guides for Schertz Parents, Students & Witnesses

For Parents: The “See Something, Say Something” Guide

Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, drastic weight change.
• Sudden secrecy, withdrawal from family/friends, anxiety about phone notifications.
• Personality changes: irritability, depression, fearfulness.
• Constant, servitude-like errands or “mandatory” events that interfere with school.

First Conversations: Ask open, non-judgmental questions: “How is the new member process going? Is there anything that makes you uncomfortable? Do you feel you can say no to things?” Assure them your love is unconditional and their safety is the only priority.

If Harm is Confirmed:

1. Seek Medical Care Immediately. Health comes first.
2. Document Everything. Photograph injuries, screenshot texts, write down their story with dates/times/names.
3. Contact Us at 1-888-ATTY-911. Do not contact the fraternity/sorority or sign anything from the university first.
4. File Reports. With our guidance, report to campus police, the Dean of Students, and potentially local police.

For Students/Victims: How to Exit Safely & Protect Your Rights

• Your Safety is Paramount. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• You Have the Right to Quit. Send a simple text/email to the chapter president: “I resign my pledge/membership effective immediately.” You do not owe them a meeting.
• Preserve Evidence. Take screenshots of ALL group chats and DMs. Do not delete anything, even if it’s embarrassing. This evidence protects you.
• Seek Medical & Mental Health Care. Tell doctors you were hazed. See a campus counselor.
• Know Your Rights: Texas law protects good-faith reporters. You cannot be punished for calling for help.

Critical Mistakes That Can Destroy a Hazing Case

1. Deleting Evidence: “Cleaning up” group chats is obstruction and destroys your case.
2. Confronting the Fraternity First: This triggers their defense lawyers and evidence destruction.
3. Signing University “Resolution” Forms: These often contain liability waivers or lowball settlements.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence vanishes, witnesses clam up, and the statute of limitations ticks away. Watch our video on Texas statutes of limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c

8. Why Attorney911 Is the Right Firm for Schertz Hazing Families

We are not a general personal injury firm that dabbles in hazing. We are Texas complex litigation specialists who apply a military-grade investigative approach to these cases. Here is what that means for you:

Our Proven Institutional-Fighting Pedigree:

• BP Texas City Explosion Litigation: Our managing partner, Ralph Manginello, was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in litigating against BP after the catastrophic 2005 refinery explosion. We have faced billion-dollar defendants with unlimited legal budgets and won. Universities and national fraternities operate the same way.
• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as a defense attorney for a national insurance defense firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny, delay, and undervalue your claim. He knows their playbook for fighting coverage and their formulas for lowball settlements. This insider edge is priceless. Learn more about Mr. Peña’s background: https://attorney911.com/attorneys/lupe-pena/
• Data-Driven Investigation: As shown in this guide, we don’t start from scratch. We use our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine—built from IRS filings, campus rosters, and metro data—to immediately identify all potentially liable entities. We know how to find the housing corporations and alumni boards that hold insurance.

A Track Record of Serious Results:
We have recovered multi-million dollar settlements for wrongful death and catastrophic injury, including a multi-million dollar settlement for a logging accident brain injury and millions for a trucking wrongful death. We apply the same relentless preparation and expert-backed strategy to hazing cases.

Dual Civil & Criminal Capability: Ralph Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the criminal exposure in hazing cases. We can strategically advise on the interaction between criminal proceedings and civil litigation, whether your child is a victim or a witness with potential exposure.

Compassionate, Victim-Centered Advocacy: We understand the trauma, shame, and fear your family is experiencing. We fight not just for compensation, but for answers, accountability, and institutional change to prevent the next tragedy. We keep you informed at every step.

9. Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation

If you are a parent in Schertz, New Braunfels, or anywhere in Texas, and you suspect or know your child has been hazed, time is the enemy of evidence. You do not have to navigate this crisis alone.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

In your consultation, we will:

• Listen with compassion and without judgment.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain the legal landscape and your family’s specific options.
• Outline a potential strategy for investigation and advocacy.
• Answer all your questions about the process, timeline, and our contingency fee structure (you pay nothing unless we win). Learn how contingency fees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

We are here to help Schertz families. Call us today.

Contact Attorney911 – The Legal Emergency Lawyers™

• 24/7 Phone: 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 fluent Spanish-language services.

Legal Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or form an attorney-client relationship. Each case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and law. We encourage you to seek legal counsel for advice on your specific situation. The information is current as of late 2025. Let the legally licensed attorneys at The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, review your case.