Hazing in Texas: A Comprehensive Legal Guide for Thrall and Williamson County Families
If you are a parent in Thrall, Texas, and your child is considering joining a fraternity, sorority, or campus organization at any Texas university, this guide is for you. The reality of modern hazing—with its hidden rituals, digital coercion, and potential for catastrophic injury—is not a distant problem. It is happening right now at campuses across our state, and it can affect families from right here in Williamson County.
Consider this: a student, eager to belong, is pressured into a “pledge workout” that goes far beyond normal exercise. Forced to perform hundreds of squats and push-ups until their muscles literally begin to break down, they later collapse, passing brown urine—a telltale sign of a life-threatening condition called rhabdomyolysis. This is not a hypothetical. This is exactly what allegedly happened to Leonel Bermudez, a student at the University of Houston (UH), during his fall 2025 pledge period with the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter.
Our firm, The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (operating as Attorney911), represents Leonel Bermudez in a $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit against UH, the Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters, the chapter’s housing corporation, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The lawsuit, detailed in Click2Houston and ABC13 coverage, describes a campaign of humiliation and violence. It included a degrading “pledge fanny pack” rule, forced overconsumption of food leading to vomiting, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and the extreme physical hazing that led to Bermudez’s acute kidney failure and four-day hospitalization.
This case is your proof that severe, injurious hazing is not a relic of the past. It is a present and active danger in Texas. For families in Thrall, Taylor, Hutto, and across Williamson County who send their children to universities across Texas, understanding this risk and knowing your legal rights is critical.
Immediate Help for Hazing Emergencies
- If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW: Call 911 for medical emergencies. Then call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911).
- In the first 48 hours: Secure medical care. Preserve evidence—screenshot group chats, photograph injuries, save physical items. Write down everything. Do NOT confront the organization, sign anything from the university, or let your child delete messages.
- Contact an experienced hazing attorney: Evidence disappears fast. Call us for an immediate, confidential consultation.
The Texas Greek Ecosystem: What Thrall Families Are Really Dealing With
When your child joins a fraternity or sorority in Texas, they are not just joining a local club. They are affiliating with a complex network of legally recognized organizations, each with its own insurance, assets, and national hierarchy. At Attorney911, we maintain a proprietary Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine built from public records to track these entities. This means when a family from Thrall comes to us, we don’t start from zero.
Greek Organizations in the Austin-Round Rock Metro & Beyond
Thrall is part of the greater Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area, a hub for Greek-life activity. According to our analysis of IRS and organizational data, there are over 150 Greek-related entities in this metro. These aren’t just student clubs; they are formal organizations like housing corporations, alumni chapters, and educational foundations. For example, public records show entities like:
- Building Corporation of Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi, EIN 746047117, Austin, TX 78705 (IRS B83 filing)
- Texas Rho Housing Corporation (Sigma Alpha Epsilon), Austin, TX (Cause IQ metro listing)
- Beta Xi House Corp. of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Austin, TX (Cause IQ metro listing)
- Sigma Chi Fraternity – Eta Upsilon Chapter, College Station, TX (Cause IQ metro listing for Texas A&M)
- Delta Tau Delta – Gamma Iota Chapter, Austin, TX (Cause IQ metro listing)
Nationally, brands like Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) and Pi Kappa Alpha appear across multiple Texas metros in both undergraduate chapters and alumni foundations, showing a deep, interconnected financial and operational presence. This network is what families and their attorneys must navigate to secure full accountability.
Where Thrall and Williamson County Families Send Their Children to College
Students from Thrall attend a wide range of Texas institutions. Many stay close to home at Central Texas schools, while others head to major flagship universities. Our data shows the most common destinations include:
Local & Central Texas Schools:
- Texas State University (San Marcos, Hays County)
- Southwestern University (Georgetown, Williamson County)
- Austin Community College (Various campuses)
- University of Texas at Austin (Travis County)
Major Statewide Universities (Common Destinations):
- University of Texas at Austin
- Texas A&M University (College Station, Brazos County)
- University of Houston (Harris County)
- Baylor University (Waco, McLennan County)
- Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Dallas County)
Each of these campuses hosts a vibrant, and sometimes dangerously unsupervised, Greek life ecosystem. The hazing that occurred at UH in the Bermudez case is a pattern we see echoed in reports and lawsuits across these other campuses.
Understanding Hazing Liability: Texas Law and Institutional Responsibility
Texas law takes a firm stance against hazing. Under Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code, hazing is a criminal offense. It is defined broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of initiation or affiliation. Critically, the victim’s “consent” is not a defense. The law recognizes the power imbalance and coercion inherent in these situations.
Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death is a state jail felony. Furthermore, the law allows for organizational liability, meaning the fraternity or sorority itself can be fined up to $10,000 per violation.
Beyond state law, universities have obligations under federal statutes:
- Title IX: Requires schools to address hazing that creates a hostile environment based on sex, including sexualized hazing.
- The Clery Act: Mandates reporting of certain crimes, including assaults that occur during hazing incidents.
- The Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires increased transparency and public reporting of hazing incidents by 2026.
In a civil lawsuit—like the one we filed for Leonel Bermudez—we seek to hold every responsible party accountable. This can include:
- The individual students who carried out the acts.
- The local chapter as an entity.
- The national fraternity/sorority headquarters that failed to adequately supervise or enforce its policies.
- The university if it knew or should have known about the dangerous practices and failed to act.
- The chapter’s housing corporation that owns or controls the property where hazing occurred.
Our lawsuit against UH and Pi Kappa Phi names all of these entities because we understand that true accountability requires pursuing every link in the chain of responsibility.
Building an Unbeatable Case: The Attorney911 Data-Driven Approach
The Bermudez case exemplifies our strategic approach. We didn’t just sue the active members. We used our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine to identify and name every potentially liable entity behind the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, including its housing corporation (EIN 462267515, Frisco, TX) and the national organization.
This investigative depth is powered by:
- Insider Insurance Knowledge: Our attorney, Lupe Peña, spent years as an insurance defense lawyer for large firms. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers evaluate claims, fight coverage, and attempt to minimize payouts. This insider perspective is invaluable when negotiating for our clients.
- Complex Litigation Experience: Managing partner Ralph Manginello’s experience in the BP Texas City explosion litigation proves our firm can stand toe-to-toe with billion-dollar defendants and their legal teams. National fraternities and major universities have vast resources; we know how to level the playing field.
- Digital Forensics & Evidence Preservation: Hazing evidence lives on phones—in GroupMe chats, Instagram DMs, and deleted texts. We act quickly to preserve this digital trail and work with experts to recover what organizations try to hide. We encourage families to watch our video on using your phone to document evidence.
- A Network of Experts: We collaborate with medical professionals, toxicologists, economists, and psychologists to document the full extent of our clients’ injuries—from hospital bills for rhabdomyolysis to lifelong therapy for PTSD.
What Thrall Parents and Students Must Do Now: A Practical Guide
For Parents:
- Know the Signs: Unexplained injuries, extreme fatigue, sudden secrecy, personality changes, and constant anxiety about phone notifications can all signal hazing.
- Have the Talk: Ask open-ended questions about your child’s experience. Focus on their safety and well-being, not judgment.
- Act Fast: If you suspect harm, seek medical attention immediately. Then, help your child preserve evidence before it’s deleted. Write down everything they tell you.
- Consult a Specialist: Do not navigate this alone. Contact a law firm with specific hazing experience before reporting to the university or speaking to insurance adjusters. Common mistakes can jeopardize a case; learn more in our video on client mistakes that can ruin your injury case.
For Students:
- Trust Your Gut: If an activity feels dangerous, degrading, or coercive, it likely is. Your safety is more important than any membership.
- Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots of group chats, photos of injuries, and save any physical items. Do not delete anything.
- Report Safely: You can report anonymously through campus channels or the National Anti-Hazing Hotline (1-888-NOT-HAZE). Texas law offers protections for those who report in good faith.
- Know Your Rights: You have the right to leave any organization at any time. You have the right to medical care and to legal counsel.
Critical Reminder: Texas has a statute of limitations for filing injury lawsuits. Do not wait. We explain these deadlines in our video on Texas statutes of limitations.
Why Thrall Families Choose Attorney911 for Hazing Cases
We are a Texas-based personal injury and complex litigation firm built for cases like these. While our physical offices are in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, we serve families across Texas, including those in Thrall, Georgetown, Round Rock, and throughout Williamson County.
When you choose us, you get:
- A Firm Currently in the Fight: We are actively litigating the high-profile Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi case. We are not theorizing about hazing law; we are practicing it in real-time.
- A Data-Driven Advantage: Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine gives us a map of the Greek organizational landscape that few other firms possess.
- Insider Knowledge of the Opposition: Mr. Peña’s background in insurance defense means we anticipate the other side’s tactics.
- A Commitment to Your Family: We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis—there is no cost to you unless we win. Learn how this works in our video on contingency fees.
Contact Attorney911 for a Confidential, Free Consultation
If your child has been hurt, humiliated, or threatened as part of a campus initiation, you are not alone. The path to accountability begins with a conversation.
We invite families in Thrall and across Texas to contact us for a free, confidential, no-obligation case evaluation. We will listen to your story, explain your legal options in plain English, and help you make an informed decision about the best path forward for your family.
Call us 24/7 at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911). You can also reach us directly at (713) 528-9070 or via email at ralph@atty911.com.
Hablamos Español. For Spanish-language services, please contact attorney Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly for a consultation. The mention of specific cases or outcomes does not guarantee similar results.
