Hazing in Texas: A Comprehensive Guide for Taft Families

If Your Child Was Hazed, You Are Not Alone. We Can Help.

For families in the close-knit coastal community of City of Taft, Texas, the values of hard work, family, and looking out for one another run deep. Parents here, many with deep roots in San Patricio County and the Coastal Bend, send their children to college with pride and hope—to Texas A&M University-Kingsville down the road, to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi across the bridge, or to major universities across the state like the University of Texas at Austin or Texas A&M in College Station. You trust these institutions with your most precious responsibility.

Imagine a late-night phone call that shatters that trust. Your son, a student at a Texas university, is in the emergency room. His urine is brown. Doctors say he has acute kidney failure—a condition called rhabdomyysis caused by severe muscle breakdown. Through tears and pain, he describes weeks of humiliation: being forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” containing condoms and sex toys, hours of being sprayed in the face with a hose “like waterboarding,” and being made to consume impossible quantities of food until vomiting, only to be forced into more sprints. The people doing this to him weren’t strangers; they were fraternity brothers he trusted.

This is not a hypothetical scenario.

Right now, our firm, Attorney911, represents Leonel Bermudez in a $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and 13 individual members. The alleged conduct—occurring at the UH chapter house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park—is shockingly brutal and led to a four-day hospitalization for life-threatening kidney injury. As reported by Click2Houston and ABC13, the chapter was swiftly suspended and then voted to surrender its charter after the allegations surfaced.

If you are a parent in Taft whose child has been hurt, humiliated, or threatened in connection with a fraternity, sorority, Corps of Cadets program, athletic team, or other campus group, this guide is for you. We will explain what hazing really looks like today, your family’s legal rights under Texas law, and how the patterns seen in national tragedies connect directly to campuses across our state. Most importantly, we will show you how our firm—with deep Texas roots and a proven record against powerful institutions—can help you seek 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 your child insists they are “fine.”
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Take screenshots of group chats, texts, and DMs immediately.
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles.
  • Save physical items (clothing, receipts, objects used in hazing).
• Write down everything while memory is fresh (who, what, when, where).
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team.
  • Sign anything from the university or an insurance company.
  • Post details on public social media.
  • Let your child delete messages or “clean up” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney. Evidence vanishes quickly. We can help secure it and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Texas

Hazing is not just “boys being boys” or “harmless tradition.” In Texas, it is a crime. It is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership. For Taft parents, understanding the modern reality is critical, as tactics have evolved to evade detection.

Today’s hazing often falls into three escalating categories:

1. Subtle Hazing: Creates a power imbalance. This includes forced servitude (like being an on-call chauffeur), social isolation, being given a derogatory nickname, or mandatory events that interfere with academics.
2. Harassment Hazing: Causes emotional or physical discomfort. This involves sleep deprivation, verbal abuse, forced consumption of unpleasant foods (like milk or hot dogs until sick), “calisthenics” or “workouts” designed to punish rather than condition, and public humiliation.
3. Violent Hazing: Has a high potential for serious injury or death. This includes forced alcohol consumption (like the “Big/Little” nights that have killed pledges), physical beatings or paddling, sexualized acts, kidnapping, and exposure to extreme elements.

The “Digital Layer” Every Taft Parent Must Understand:
The hazing described in the UH Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit was coordinated and enforced through technology. Today, pledges are subjected to:

• 24/7 digital control: GroupMe or WhatsApp chats where they must respond instantly at all hours.
• Social media policing: Being forced to post humiliating content on Instagram or TikTok.
• Location tracking: Required to share their live location via apps.
• Evidence destruction: Members quickly delete incriminating messages after events.

These acts don’t just happen in fraternities. They occur in sororities, the Corps of Cadets, athletic teams, spirit groups like cheerleading, marching bands, and other campus organizations. The common thread is an abuse of power cloaked in “tradition.”

Texas Law & Liability: A Framework for Taft Families

Texas has specific statutes that govern hazing, and understanding them is the first step toward accountability.

The Texas Education Code (Chapter 37, Subchapter F) states:

• Hazing is a crime. It can be a Class B misdemeanor, escalating to a State Jail Felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death—exactly what happened to Leonel Bermudez at UH.
• Consent is NOT a defense. Even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law recognizes the powerful coercion of peer pressure and the desire to belong. This invalidates the common defense of “they wanted to do it.”
• Individuals AND organizations can be held liable. Not only can the students who committed the acts be charged, but the fraternity or sorority chapter itself can face fines up to $10,000 and lose its university recognition.
• Good-faith reporters are protected. Texas law provides immunity for those who report hazing to authorities, encouraging bystanders and victims to come forward and call for help.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Two Paths to Justice

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (like the Harris County District Attorney in the UH case). The goal is punishment: jail time, fines, probation.
• Civil Cases: Brought by the victim and their family. The goal is compensation for damages and institutional accountability. A criminal conviction is not required to file a civil lawsuit. Our firm focuses on civil litigation to secure justice for families.

Who Can Be Held Responsible in a Civil Lawsuit?
A thorough investigation aims to identify every liable party, which can include:

• The individual students who planned and carried out the acts.
• The local chapter officers who authorized or failed to stop it.
• The national fraternity or sorority headquarters that collected dues, provided the charter, and often had prior knowledge of similar risks at other chapters.
• The university, if it knew or should have known about dangerous practices and failed to take corrective action.
• Property owners of off-campus houses where hazing occurred.
• Alumni advisors or housing corporations that exercised control.

National Hazing Cases: The Patterns That Repeat in Texas

The tragedy at UH is not an isolated event. It follows a national pattern that Texas families must recognize. These cases provide the legal precedent and heartbreaking proof that hazing is foreseeable and preventable.

• Stone Foltz, Bowling Green State University (Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): A pledge died after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. Result: A $10 million settlement, with individual chapter officers facing massive personal liability.
• Timothy Piazza, Penn State University (Beta Theta Pi, 2017): A pledge died from traumatic brain injuries after a night of forced drinking, with help delayed for hours. Result: Dozens of criminal charges and a new Pennsylvania anti-hazing law.
• Max Gruver, LSU (Phi Delta Theta, 2017): A pledge died during a “Bible study” drinking game. Result: A $6.1 million verdict and the “Max Gruver Act” in Louisiana, making hazing a felony.
• Andrew Coffey, Florida State University (Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): A pledge died from alcohol poisoning at a “Big Brother” event. This is the same national fraternity involved in the UH case.
• Danny Santulli, University of Missouri (Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): A pledge suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. Result: Multi-million dollar settlements with 22 defendants.

Why This History Matters for Your Case: When a fraternity like Pi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha, or Sigma Alpha Epsilon has a documented history of fatal hazing rituals involving forced drinking, courts can find they had “constructive notice.” This means they knew or should have known the extreme risks, making them potentially more liable for failing to prevent it from happening again—whether in Ohio, Louisiana, or right here in Texas.

Texas University Focus: Where Taft Families Send Their Kids

Parents in Taft often have children at universities within the Coastal Bend region, as well as at major flagship schools across Texas. Each campus has its own Greek life ecosystem and history of addressing hazing.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville & Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

For many Taft students, higher education begins close to home at these respected institutions.

• Local Greek Life: These campuses host active chapters of national and local Greek organizations. The proximity to home doesn’t eliminate risk; hazing can occur anywhere a power imbalance exists.
• Relevant Data: Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine tracks Greek organizations in the Corpus Christi metro area. For example, public IRS filings show entities like the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc – Iota Phi Chapter (EIN 831418972) in Corpus Christi and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity – Rho-Psi Colony operating in the area.
• Action for Parents: If your child is at TAMUK or TAMU-CC, familiarize yourself with the university’s specific hazing policy and reporting channels. Document any concerning changes in your child’s behavior, as the short distance home can sometimes mask the severity of a situation.

Major Texas Universities (Common Destinations for Taft Graduates)

When Taft students head to larger campuses, they encounter vast Greek systems with complex histories.

University of Houston: As the site of our firm’s active litigation in the Bermudez case, UH is a prime example. The university called the Pi Kappa Phi conduct “deeply disturbing” and worked to shut down the chapter. UH has multiple Greek councils with dozens of chapters, and prior incidents have led to suspensions. Any family with a student at UH should be acutely aware of both the risks and the university’s obligation to act when those risks become reality.

Texas A&M University (College Station): The Corps of Cadets and a massive Greek system present unique hazing risks. Recent years have seen lawsuits alleging severe abuse, including a Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) case where pledges suffered chemical burns requiring skin grafts, and a Corps of Cadets lawsuit alleging degrading sexualized hazing. Texas A&M’s tradition-rich environment can sometimes provide cover for abusive “traditions.”

University of Texas at Austin: UT maintains a public online log of hazing violations, offering more transparency than many schools. Entries show sanctions against chapters for forced drinking, extreme calisthenics, and humiliation. This public record can be a powerful tool in establishing a pattern of known, unchecked behavior.

Baylor University & Southern Methodist University: These private institutions have faced their own hazing scandals within athletics and Greek life. The closed nature of private schools often makes internal investigations less transparent, requiring aggressive legal discovery to uncover the truth.

The Greek Ecosystem: National Organizations Behind the Letters

When your child joins a fraternity or sorority, they aren’t just joining a local club. They are joining a chapter of a national corporation with assets, insurance policies, and a legal team. These national organizations are often the key to achieving meaningful compensation.

Our firm maintains a proprietary Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public IRS data, university records, and national databases. This allows us to map the network of liability. For example, in the Coastal Bend and Corpus Christi metro area alone, public records show numerous Greek entities:

• Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc – Iota Phi Chapter, Corpus Christi, TX (EIN 831418972) – IRS B83 Filing
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – TAMU Corpus Christi Chapter, Corpus Christi, TX – Cause IQ Metro Listing
• Sigma Chi Fraternity – Zeta Pi (TAMUK), Kingsville, TX – Cause IQ Metro Listing
• Kappa Sigma Fraternity – Rho-Psi Colony, Corpus Christi, TX – Cause IQ Metro Listing

These entities, along with their national headquarters, often hold insurance policies and have deep pockets. A critical part of our strategy is identifying every potential defendant and insurance policy that may provide coverage for your child’s injuries.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

Winning a hazing case requires a meticulous, evidence-driven approach. As soon as you contact us, we initiate a comprehensive investigative process.

Critical Evidence We Pursue:

1. Digital Forensics: Recovering deleted GroupMe, WhatsApp, and text messages. Analyzing social media posts and metadata.
2. Internal Chapter Records: Pledge manuals, meeting minutes, and communications with national headquarters.
3. University Files: Prior disciplinary reports on the same chapter, often obtained through discovery or public records requests.
4. Medical Documentation: Connecting the injuries directly to the hazing events. In the UH case, medical records proved the rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure.
5. Witness Testimony: Interviewing other pledges, former members, and bystanders who may be afraid to come forward initially.

Damages: What Can Be Recovered
A successful civil lawsuit seeks to make the victim and family whole, and to punish reckless behavior. Recoverable damages include:

• All medical expenses (past and future), including long-term therapy or care.
• Lost earning capacity if the injuries impact the student’s career trajectory.
• Pain and suffering for the physical and emotional trauma.
• Punitive damages, intended to punish the defendants and deter future conduct, especially in cases of extreme recklessness.

Practical Guide for Taft Parents & Students

For Parents – Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue or sleep deprivation, even on weekends home.
• Sudden, secretive behavior about organizational activities.
• Anxiety or depression, especially around “pledge” or “initiation” periods.
• Requests for large amounts of money without a clear explanation.

For Students – How to Exit Safely:

• Your safety is paramount. If you are in danger, call 911.
• You have the right to quit. Send a clear text or email stating you are resigning.
• Preserve evidence immediately: Take screenshots, photos of injuries, and save all communications.
• Report the conduct to the university’s Dean of Students office. Texas law offers protections for good-faith reporters.

Critical Mistakes That Can Harm a Case:

• Deleting evidence to “move on” or avoid embarrassment.
• Confronting the chapter directly, which allows them to destroy evidence and coordinate stories.
• Signing a quick settlement with the university or fraternity without legal advice.
• Posting about the incident on social media, which can be used against you.
• Waiting too long. Evidence disappears, witnesses scatter, and the Texas statute of limitations applies.

Why Attorney911 for Taft Hazing Cases

When your family faces a hazing crisis, you need more than a general personal injury lawyer. You need a firm with specific experience fighting powerful institutions and the insider knowledge to win. Here’s why Taft families trust us:

• We Are Leading a Major Texas Hazing Case Right Now: We represent Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi. We are in the trenches, fighting the same battles your family may face. Read the coverage from Click2Houston and ABC13.
• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as a defense lawyer for a national insurance firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers will try to deny, delay, and minimize your claim. We know their playbook because we used to run it.
• Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few Texas lawyers involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by national fraternities or large universities with deep pockets.
• A Data-Driven Investigative Advantage: We don’t start from scratch. Our proprietary Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine maps the relationships between chapters, alumni corporations, and national entities. We use this data to build unshakeable cases.
• Spanish-Speaking Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish. Hablamos Español. We are committed to serving all Texas families with respect and cultural understanding.
• A Track Record of Multi-Million Dollar Results: We have secured life-changing settlements for victims of catastrophic injury and wrongful death. We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, which is how we achieve maximum leverage and results.

Call to Action for Taft Families

If your child has been hazed, assaulted, or injured in connection with a campus organization, you do not have to navigate this nightmare alone. The institutions involved will have lawyers protecting their interests from day one. You deserve the same fierce advocacy.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) today for a free, confidential case evaluation. We serve families throughout Texas, from the Coastal Bend in Taft to Houston, Austin, and beyond.

During your consultation, we will:

• Listen compassionately to your story.
• Review any evidence you have.
• Explain your legal options clearly.
• Outline our investigative strategy.
• Discuss our contingency fee structure—you pay nothing unless we win your case.

Call us 24/7 at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also visit our website at https://attorney911.com or email Ralph Manginello directly at ralph@atty911.com.

Let us help you turn this crisis into a pursuit of accountability and justice. For your child, your family, and to prevent this from happening to another student.

Legal Disclaimer

This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC.

Hazing laws, university policies, and legal precedents can change. The information in this guide is current as of late 2025 but may not reflect the most recent developments. Every hazing case is unique, and outcomes depend on the specific facts, evidence, applicable law, and many other factors.

If you or your child has been affected by hazing, we strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified Texas attorney who can review your specific situation, explain your legal rights, and advise you on the best course of action for your family.

The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911
Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, Texas
Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Direct: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com | For Spanish: lupe@atty911.com