Hazing in Texas: A Comprehensive Guide for Stinnett Parents and Families

We know that the moment you suspect your child is being hazed at college, a wave of fear, confusion, and anger washes over you. For families in Stinnett, in the heart of Hutchinson County, this nightmare scenario can feel both distant and terrifyingly close. Your child, who you raised with Texas Panhandle values of honesty, hard work, and respect, is now hours away at a university, potentially being subjected to brutal rituals for the sake of acceptance. Right now, in Texas, we are actively fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in the country, representing Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who was viciously hazed by the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter. His ordeal—forced consumption of food until vomiting, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and extreme physical workouts that led to rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure—is a stark reminder that this abuse is happening here in our state. This guide is written specifically for you—parents and families in Stinnett, Borger, Fritch, and across Hutchinson County—to provide the knowledge, resources, and legal understanding you need to protect your child and seek justice.

If This Just Happened: Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

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

In the first 48 hours, you must:

• Get Medical Attention: Even if your child insists they are “fine,” emergency care documents injuries and can save lives.
• Preserve Evidence BEFORE It’s Deleted: Screenshot every group chat (GroupMe, WhatsApp, texts), photograph injuries from multiple angles, and save any physical items involved (clothing, paddles, receipts).
• Write Everything Down: While memories are fresh, document who, what, when, and where. Note names of members, locations, and what was said.
• DO NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
  • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
  • Post details on public social media.
  • Allow your child to delete messages or “clean up” their phone.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24-48 hours. Evidence disappears within days. Universities move quickly to control the narrative. We can help preserve evidence and protect your child’s rights starting with a free, confidential consultation.

Understanding the Full Scope of Hazing in 2025

Hazing is not just about “bad apples” or “boys being boys.” It is a systematic abuse of power designed to humiliate, control, and indoctrinate new members. For families in Stinnett, it’s crucial to look beyond the stereotypes and recognize the modern reality.

Hazing is legally defined in Texas (Education Code, Chapter 37) as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership in any organization. Crucially, the victim’s “consent” is not a defense. The law recognizes that a young person under intense peer pressure cannot truly consent to their own abuse.

Modern hazing takes many forms, often layered together:

• Alcohol & Substance Hazing: The leading cause of hazing deaths. This includes forced chugging, “family tree” drinking games, lineups, and coerced consumption of drugs or unknown substances.
• Physical Hazing: Paddling, beatings, “smokings” (extreme calisthenics), sleep deprivation, exposure to extreme elements, and food/water restriction.
• Sexualized & Humiliating Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, degrading costumes, and acts with racist, sexist, or homophobic overtones.
• Psychological Hazing: Verbal abuse, threats, isolation, “silent treatment,” and manipulation designed to break down an individual’s will.
• Digital Hazing: A 21st-century nightmare. This includes coercive control via 24/7 group chats, forced social media posts, online harassment, and the use of location-sharing apps to track pledges.

This abuse isn’t confined to fraternity basements in big cities. It happens in sororities, athletic teams (from football to cheerleading), the Corps of Cadets, marching bands, spirit groups, and academic clubs—anywhere a hierarchy exists and tradition is used as a weapon.

The Texas Legal Landscape: Criminal Penalties and Civil Accountability

Texas has specific laws to combat hazing, but navigating them requires understanding both the criminal and civil paths to justice.

Texas Hazing Law (Chapter 37, Education Code):

• Definition: Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers physical or mental health for purposes of initiation or affiliation.
• Criminal Penalties: Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. If it causes serious bodily injury or death, it becomes a state jail felony. Individuals who fail to report hazing or who retaliate against reporters can also face misdemeanor charges.
• Organizational Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be fined up to $10,000 per violation.
• Immunity for Reporting: Texas law provides immunity from prosecution for individuals who in good faith report hazing or seek emergency medical assistance.

Civil Liability – Where True Accountability is Often Found:
A criminal case, handled by the state, seeks to punish. A civil lawsuit, which we file on behalf of your family, seeks to compensate your child for their harm and hold every responsible party accountable. The defendants in a civil hazing case can include:

1. The Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, carried out, or facilitated the abuse.
2. The Local Chapter: As a legal entity, it can be sued for negligence and creating a dangerous environment.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: Often the deepest pocket, nationals can be liable for negligent supervision, failure to enforce their own policies, and for having prior knowledge of similar dangerous “traditions” in other chapters. The national Pi Kappa Phi organization, for example, is a defendant in the Leonel Bermudez lawsuit.
4. The University: Public universities like UT Austin, Texas A&M, and the University of Houston have a legal duty to protect students. They can be sued for negligent supervision, premises liability, and, in some cases, violations of Title IX or the Clery Act.
5. Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, alumni advisors, and even alcohol providers may share liability.

A National Crisis with Local Impact: Landmark Cases That Shape Texas Litigation

The tragic stories from other states are not abstract; they set legal precedents and reveal patterns that repeat in Texas. They show us how institutions fight and how families can win justice.

• Timothy Piazza, Penn State (Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a forced drinking event. Security cameras captured members delaying help for hours. This led to sweeping criminal charges and the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law in Pennsylvania.
• Stone Foltz, Bowling Green State (Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Died from alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink a bottle of liquor. His family secured a $10 million settlement ($7M from the national fraternity, $3M from the university). In 2024, the former chapter president was ordered to pay an additional $6.5 million personally.
• Max Gruver, LSU (Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died during a “Bible study” drinking game. His family’s fight led to the Max Gruver Act in Louisiana, making hazing a felony, and they secured a $6.1 million verdict.
• Danny Santulli, Univ. of Missouri (Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. His family has settled with 22 defendants for confidential, multi-million-dollar amounts to fund his lifelong care.

These cases prove that juries and courts will hold organizations financially accountable. They also show a common thread: national fraternities often have prior knowledge of these deadly rituals but fail to eradicate them.

Where Stinnett Families Send Their Kids: A Focus on Texas Campuses

Parents in Hutchinson County and the Texas Panhandle proudly send their children to universities across the state. While many attend outstanding regional institutions like West Texas A&M University in Canyon or Texas Tech University in Lubbock, countless others head to the state’s flagship campuses: the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University in College Station, the University of Houston, Baylor University in Waco, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Each of these campuses has a significant Greek life presence and a history of hazing incidents.

University of Houston (UH): A Current Battleground

Our firm is currently leading the charge at UH, representing Leonel Bermudez in his $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, and 13 individual members. The allegations are horrific: a “pledge fanny pack” filled with humiliating items, forced overconsumption of milk and hot dogs, being hosed in the face, and brutal workouts at Yellowstone Boulevard Park that led to life-threatening kidney failure. This case is active proof that severe, institutional hazing is happening at Texas schools right now. UH has suspended and seen chapters closed, but the patterns persist, showing that internal discipline is not enough without external legal accountability.

Texas A&M University & The Corps of Cadets

Texas A&M’s culture of tradition, including its storied Corps of Cadets, can sometimes mask abusive behavior. In recent years, lawsuits have alleged disturbing hazing within the Corps, including a cadet being bound in a “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth. Fraternity hazing also remains a serious issue; a Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) lawsuit alleged pledges were doused with industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. These cases demonstrate that hazing permeates both Greek life and military-style organizations at A&M.

University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin maintains one of the most transparent hazing violation logs in the state. A review shows repeated sanctions against fraternities like Pi Kappa Alpha for forced calisthenics and alcohol consumption. In 2024, a lawsuit was filed against the SAE chapter by an Australian exchange student who alleged a brutal assault at a party, resulting in a broken nose, fractured tibia, and dislocated leg. UT’s public data is a tool for families, as it can establish a pattern of known, prior conduct that strengthens a negligence case against the university and the organization.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

At private institutions like SMU and Baylor, the pressure to maintain reputation can sometimes lead to institutional resistance. SMU’s Kappa Alpha Order chapter was suspended for paddling and forced drinking. Baylor, while emphasizing its Christian mission, has faced hazing scandals within its baseball program. These schools have significant Greek life influence and the same national organizations with dangerous histories present on their campuses.

The Greek Ecosystem Connected to Texas Campuses

The fraternity or sorority your child is pressured to join is not just a local club. It is part of a vast national network with a documented history, substantial financial assets, and complicated insurance policies. For example, the same Pi Kappa Phi national organization being sued in the UH case has chapters at Texas A&M, UT Austin, and schools nationwide. Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), implicated in lawsuits at both Texas A&M and UT Austin, has been involved in multiple deaths across the country.

This is not coincidence; it is pattern. National fraternities create “risk management” policies because they know the dangers. When a local chapter repeats the same deadly rituals that have killed pledges elsewhere, it becomes far easier to prove the national organization was negligent in its supervision and training.

Public Records: The Texas Greek Organization Directory We Maintain

If you are a parent in Stinnett, you deserve to know who really stands behind the Greek letters connected to your child’s campus. We maintain an exhaustive Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public IRS records, university data, and corporate filings. This allows us to immediately identify every legally responsible entity behind a chapter—the housing corporation, the alumni association, the national headquarters—each of which may carry insurance and liability.

Below is a snapshot of the kind of public records we track for organizations operating in the regions surrounding Hutchinson County and across Texas. This is not an accusation against these specific groups but an illustration of the dense, formal network that exists.

Greek Organizations in the Amarillo Metro & Texas Panhandle Region:

• Frank Heflin Foundation, EIN 20-3507402, Canyon, TX 79015 – A Phi Delta Theta alumni fund associated with West Texas A&M University.
• Chi Omega – Upsilon Zeta Building Association, EIN 75-2290669, Amarillo, TX 79118 – A housing corporation for the Chi Omega chapter at West Texas A&M.
• Kappa Alpha Order – Gamma Sigma Chapter, Canyon, TX – West Texas A&M University chapter (from Cause IQ data).
• Alpha Tau Omega – Zeta Kappa Chapter, Canyon, TX – West Texas A&M University chapter (from Cause IQ data).

Major University Chapter Entities (Where Stinnett Students Often Attend):

• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc., EIN 74-1380362, Fort Worth, TX 76147 – Supports Kappa Sigma chapters across Texas.
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc., EIN 46-2267515, Frisco, TX 75035 – The housing entity for the now-closed UH chapter being sued in the Bermudez case.
• Sigma Chi Fraternity – Eta Upsilon Chapter, College Station, TX – Texas A&M chapter (from Cause IQ data).
• Building Corporation – Alpha Delta Pi (Delta), Austin, TX – University of Texas chapter property (from Cause IQ data).
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, multiple EINs and campuses statewide – An academic honor society present at nearly every major Texas university.

This directory, encompassing over 1,400 Greek-related entities across Texas, is part of our investigative arsenal. When we take a case, we don’t start from zero. We already know how to find the organizations behind the letters.

Building a Hazing Case with Attorney911: Evidence, Strategy, and Experience

Winning a hazing case requires an investigative and legal strategy that matches the complexity of the opposition. Universities and national fraternities have teams of lawyers and crisis managers. We counter with deep preparation, insider knowledge, and relentless advocacy.

Our Evidence Collection Process:

• Digital Forensics: Recovering deleted group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp), social media archives, and email threads.
• Institutional Discovery: Subpoenaing national fraternity records for prior incident reports, and university files for past disciplinary actions against the same chapter.
• Witness Interviews: Securing testimony from other pledges, former members, and bystanders who are often afraid to come forward.
• Expert Testimony: Working with medical experts to document injuries, psychologists to evaluate trauma (PTSD, anxiety), and economists to calculate lifelong impacts.

Why Our Texas Firm Is Equipped for This Fight:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as an insurance defense lawyer for large national firms. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies value claims, deploy delay tactics, and fight coverage. We use their playbook against them.
• Complex Institutional Litigation: Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City refinery explosion litigation. We have taken on billion-dollar corporations and are not intimidated by the deep pockets of national fraternities or university systems.
• Dual Criminal & Civil Expertise: Mr. Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the criminal hazing process, which often runs parallel to a civil case. We can advise clients on interacting with law enforcement and protect their rights on both fronts.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish, ensuring Hispanic families in Stinnett and across Texas can navigate this crisis in the language they are most comfortable with.

Practical Steps for Stinnett Parents and Students

For Parents – Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries or illnesses.
• Drastic changes in mood, sleep patterns, or academic performance.
• Secrecy about organizational activities, sudden isolation from old friends.
• Constant anxiety about phone notifications (group chat demands).
• Requests for unusual amounts of money for “fines,” “dues,” or “supplies.”

For Students – If You’re Being Hazed:

1. Your Safety is Paramount: If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
2. Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots of everything. Photograph injuries. Save emails and texts. Do not delete anything.
3. Seek Medical Care: Go to the ER or student health. Tell the doctor exactly what happened—that you were hazed. This creates a vital medical record.
4. Report It: You can report to the university’s Dean of Students, Office of Student Conduct, or campus police. You can also use the anonymous National Anti-Hazing Hotline at 1-888-NOT-HAZE.
5. Talk to a Lawyer First: Before making formal statements to the university or police, consult with an attorney who can protect your interests. Remember, the university’s primary interest may be limiting its own liability, not protecting you.

Why Choose Attorney911 for Your Texas Hazing Case

When your family is in a legal emergency caused by hazing, you need more than a general personal injury lawyer. You need Texas attorneys who combine investigative rigor with real-world experience fighting powerful institutions.

We are currently on the front lines, litigating the severe Leonel Bermudez case against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi. We understand the unique cultural dynamics of Texas campuses, from the Corps of Cadets at A&M to the spirit groups at UT. We know how to trace liability from the individual member in a Stinnett dorm room all the way to the national fraternity headquarters and its insurers.

We approach every case with empathy for the profound trauma your family is enduring and with the unwavering determination to secure accountability that can prevent this from happening to another family. Our mission is to get your child the resources they need for recovery—medical care, therapy, educational support—and to force the institutions that failed them to change.

Contact Attorney911 for a Free, Confidential Consultation

If hazing has impacted your child at any Texas university, you do not have to face this alone. The path forward begins with a conversation.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We will listen to your story, explain your legal options in clear terms, and help you make an informed decision about how to protect your child’s future.

• Call our Legal Emergency Line: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct Line: (713) 528-9070
• Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com
• Website: https://attorney911.com
• Se habla Español: Contact Mr. Lupe Peña directly for assistance in Spanish.

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, and we are committed to seeking justice for victims from Stinnett to South Texas.

Legal Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. Contacting Attorney911 does not create an attorney-client relationship until a written agreement is signed. We are licensed to practice law in Texas.