Hazing at Texas Universities: A Comprehensive Guide for Sterling City Families and Students

If Your Child Was Hazed in Texas, You’re Not Alone—And You Have Rights

Your phone rings at 2 AM. It’s your son, a freshman at Texas A&M. His voice is slurred, barely coherent. Between garbled words, you hear chanting in the background. “I’m okay, Mom,” he insists, but you hear panic beneath the bravado. Or maybe it’s your daughter at UT Austin who’s stopped calling home altogether, her Instagram shows late-night gatherings with captions that make your stomach tighten. The texts have become cryptic: “Can’t talk about it,” “Just have to get through this,” “Everyone did it before me.”

For families in Sterling City, Sterling County, and across West Texas, sending a child to college should be about opportunity, not danger. Yet right now, in our own state, students are being hospitalized, traumatized, and in the worst cases, dying because of hazing traditions that universities and national fraternities have failed to stop.

At The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™), we’re fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas right now. We represent Leonel Bermudez in his $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, and 13 individual fraternity members. The allegations in this case—documented in detailed media reports from Click2Houston, ABC13, and Hoodline—show exactly how hazing operates in 2025: systematic humiliation, forced physical abuse, and life-threatening medical consequences.

This comprehensive guide explains what Texas families in Sterling City and throughout our state need to know about hazing: what it really looks like today, Texas and federal laws that protect students, what’s happening at major Texas universities, and how experienced legal counsel can help families obtain answers, accountability, and 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)
• We provide immediate help—that’s why we’re the Legal Emergency Lawyers™

In the first 48 hours:

• Get medical attention immediately, even if the student insists they are “fine”
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Screenshot group chats, texts, DMs immediately
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles
  • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects)
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where)
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity/sorority
  • Sign anything from the university or insurance company
  • Post details on public social media
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours:

• Evidence disappears fast (deleted group chats, destroyed paddles, coached witnesses)
• Universities move quickly to control the narrative
• We can help preserve evidence and protect your child’s rights
• Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for immediate consultation

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like Beyond the Stereotypes

Hazing isn’t just “boys being boys” or harmless tradition. In 2025, hazing has evolved into sophisticated, often digitally-enabled systems of coercion that exploit psychological vulnerabilities while creating physical danger.

A Modern Definition of Hazing

Hazing is any forced, coerced, or strongly pressured action tied to joining, keeping membership, or gaining status in a group, where the behavior endangers physical or mental health, humiliates, or exploits. The critical legal principle Texas families in Sterling City need to understand: “I agreed to it” does not make it safe or legal when there is peer pressure, power imbalance, and fear of exclusion.

The Five Categories of Modern Hazing

1. Alcohol and Substance Hazing
This remains the most common and most deadly form of hazing. It includes forced chugging challenges, “lineup” drinking games where pledges drink until they vomit, “Big/Little” nights where pledges are given entire bottles of liquor, and games like “Bible study” where incorrect answers trigger forced drinking. In the Leonel Bermudez case at University of Houston, pledges were forced to consume milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting, then immediately forced to run sprints.

2. Physical Hazing
Beyond traditional paddling, modern physical hazing includes extreme calisthenics (“smokings”) far beyond normal conditioning, sleep deprivation through all-night “study sessions,” food and water restriction, exposure to extreme temperatures, and dangerous physical tests. At UH, Bermudez was forced through 100+ push-ups and 500 squats in a single session, leading to rhabdomyolysis—a life-threatening muscle breakdown that caused acute kidney failure and brown urine.

3. Sexualized and Humiliating Hazing
This includes forced nudity or partial nudity, simulated sexual acts, degrading costumes and positions, and acts with racial, sexist, or homophobic overtones. In the UH case, pledges were required to carry a “pledge fanny pack” 24/7 containing condoms, sex toys, and other humiliating items. Another pledge was allegedly hog-tied face-down on a table with an object in his mouth for over an hour.

4. Psychological Hazing
Verbal abuse, threats, isolation from non-members, manipulation, forced confessions, and public shaming—often veiled as “character building.” Students from Sterling City at Texas universities report being cut off from family and friends, required to ask permission for basic activities, and subjected to constant criticism designed to break down self-esteem.

5. Digital/Online Hazing
The newest frontier includes group chat dares and challenges, public humiliation via Instagram stories or TikTok videos, pressure to create or share compromising content, 24/7 availability demands via messaging apps, and location tracking. Digital evidence—GroupMe chats, Snapchat messages, Instagram posts—has become the single most important evidence category in modern hazing cases.

Where Hazing Happens

While fraternities receive most attention, hazing occurs across campus organizations:

• Fraternities and sororities (IFC, Panhellenic, NPHC Divine Nine, multicultural groups)
• Corps of Cadets / ROTC / military-style groups (particularly at Texas A&M)
• Athletic teams (football, basketball, baseball, cheer, swimming)
• Spirit squads and tradition clubs (like Texas Cowboys at UT)
• Marching bands and performance groups
• Some academic, cultural, and service organizations

For Sterling City families with children at any Texas university, understanding that hazing extends beyond Greek life is crucial. The common threads are power imbalance, secrecy, tradition justification, and institutional tolerance.

Texas Hazing Law and Liability: What Sterling City Families Need to Know

Texas has specific legal protections against hazing, but navigating these laws requires understanding both criminal penalties and civil liability pathways.

Texas Education Code Chapter 37: The Anti-Hazing Statute

Texas law defines hazing broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, directed against a student that:

• Endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, AND
• Occurs for the purpose of pledging, initiation into, affiliation with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization whose members include students.

For Sterling City families, several key provisions matter:

Criminal Penalties (Texas Education Code §37.152)

• Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing that doesn’t cause serious injury (up to 180 days jail, fine up to $2,000)
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment
• State Jail Felony: Hazing causing serious bodily injury or death

Organizational Liability (§37.153)
Fraternities, sororities, and other organizations can be criminally prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 per violation if they authorized or encouraged hazing, or if officers knew about hazing and failed to report it.

Consent Is NOT a Defense (§37.155)
This is crucial for Sterling City families to understand: Texas law explicitly states “consent is not a defense” to hazing prosecution. Even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law recognizes that power imbalance and peer pressure invalidate true consent.

Good-Faith Reporting Immunity (§37.154)
Students who report hazing in good faith are immune from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise result. This protection encourages reporting and calling 911 in emergencies.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Different Paths to Accountability

Criminal Cases

• Brought by the state (district attorney)
• Aim: punishment (jail, fines, probation)
• Typical charges: hazing, furnishing alcohol to minors, assault, manslaughter in fatal cases
• Outcome affects: criminal record, possible incarceration

Civil Cases

• Brought by victims or surviving families
• Aim: monetary compensation and institutional accountability
• Legal theories: negligence, gross negligence, wrongful death, negligent supervision, premises liability, emotional distress
• Outcome affects: financial recovery, policy changes, public accountability

Both types can proceed simultaneously. A criminal conviction is not required to pursue a civil case, and many families obtain justice through civil litigation even when criminal charges aren’t filed.

Federal Laws That Overlay Texas Hazing Cases

Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024)
This new federal law requires colleges receiving federal aid to:

• Report hazing incidents more transparently
• Strengthen hazing education and prevention
• Maintain public hazing data (fully phased in by 2026)
  For Sterling City families, this means increased transparency from universities in coming years.

Title IX
When hazing involves sexual harassment, sexual assault, or gender-based hostility, Title IX obligations trigger additional university responsibilities and potential federal claims.

Clery Act
Requires reporting certain crimes and maintaining safety statistics; hazing incidents often overlap with reportable categories like assault, alcohol crimes, or sexual offenses.

Who Can Be Liable in a Civil Hazing Lawsuit?

Multiple parties may share liability:

1. Individual Students
Those who planned, supplied alcohol, carried out acts, or helped cover them up. In the UH Pi Kappa Phi case, 13 individual members were named as defendants.

2. Local Chapter/Organization
The fraternity/sorority or club itself if incorporated. Chapter officers acting in official capacity can be individually liable.

3. National Fraternity/Sorority
Headquarters that set policies, receive dues, and supervise chapters. Liability often hinges on what they knew or should have known from prior incidents. Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters is a defendant in the UH case.

4. University or Governing Board
Schools may be liable under negligence or civil rights theories. Key questions: Did they have prior warnings? Did they enforce policies? Were they deliberately indifferent? The University of Houston and UH System Board of Regents are defendants in the Bermudez case.

5. Third Parties
Landlords/owners of houses or event spaces, bars or alcohol providers (under dram shop laws), security companies, or event organizers.

6. Housing Corporations and Alumni Organizations
Many fraternities operate through separate legal entities that own property and manage operations. Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine tracks these organizations across Texas. For example:

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc (EIN 462267515, Frisco, TX 75035)
• Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation (EIN 371768785, Missouri City, TX 77459)

National Hazing Case Patterns: What History Teaches Us About Texas Risks

The tragic cases that made national headlines aren’t abstract—they show patterns that repeat at Texas universities. For Sterling City families, understanding these patterns helps recognize warning signs and establishes legal precedents that apply here.

Alcohol Poisoning and Death Pattern

Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State University, Pi Kappa Alpha (2021)
The 20-year-old pledge was forced to consume an entire bottle of alcohol during a “Big/Little” night. He died from alcohol poisoning. The case resulted in multiple criminal convictions and a $10 million settlement ($7M from Pi Kappa Alpha national, ~$3M from BGSU). Takeaway for Texas: “Big/Little” traditions are predictable, preventable hazards.

Max Gruver – LSU, Phi Delta Theta (2017)
Pledge forced to participate in “Bible study” drinking game where incorrect answers triggered forced drinking. He died with a 0.495% BAC. The case led to Louisiana’s Max Gruver Act making hazing a felony. Takeaway: Drinking games disguised as “education” are still lethal hazing.

Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017)
Bid acceptance night with extreme drinking, fatal falls captured on chapter cameras, delayed medical help. The case resulted in 18 members charged with over 1,000 criminal counts and Pennsylvania’s Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law. Takeaway: Security footage and delayed response create powerful evidence and enhanced liability.

Andrew Coffey – Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi (2017)
Pledge died from acute alcohol poisoning during “Big Brother Night” after being given handles of hard liquor. Multiple members prosecuted, FSU temporarily suspended all Greek life. Takeaway: The same national fraternity involved in the UH case has a history of fatal alcohol hazing.

Physical and Ritualized Hazing Pattern

Chun “Michael” Deng – Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi (2013)
Pledge subjected to violent blindfolded “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat, suffered fatal head injuries, help was delayed. Multiple convictions, fraternity banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years. Takeaway: Off-campus retreats don’t eliminate liability—they often increase it.

Danny Santulli – University of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta (2021)
18-year-old pledge forced to drink excessively during “pledge dad reveal,” suffered permanent severe brain damage (cannot walk, talk, or see; requires 24/7 care). Family settled with 22 defendants for multi-million-dollar amounts. Takeaway: Non-fatal injuries can be more devastating financially than deaths, requiring lifetime care.

Athletic Program Hazing

Northwestern University Football (2023–2025)
Former players alleged sexualized, racist hazing within the football program. Multiple lawsuits, head coach fired, confidential settlements. Takeaway: Hazing extends beyond Greek life into major athletic programs with significant liability exposure.

What These Cases Mean for Sterling City Families

Common threads in national cases that we see repeating in Texas:

• Forced drinking rituals with predictable medical consequences
• Delayed medical care due to fear of consequences
• Systematic cover-ups and evidence destruction
• Institutional knowledge of patterns without adequate intervention
• National organizations with prior incident histories

These cases establish legal precedents about foreseeability, duty of care, and damages that apply directly to Texas hazing litigation. When Sterling City families face hazing at Texas universities, they’re operating in a legal landscape shaped by these national tragedies and victories.

Texas University Focus: Where Sterling City Students Attend and What Families Should Know

Sterling City families send students to universities across Texas. Whether your child attends a West Texas school, heads to the major hubs like Texas A&M or UT, or studies elsewhere in the state, understanding campus-specific hazing landscapes is crucial.

Geographic Realities for Sterling City Families

Sterling City, located in Sterling County in West Texas, sends students to various campuses:

• Local/Regional Options: Angelo State University (San Angelo), West Texas A&M (Canyon), Texas Tech University (Lubbock)
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