Hazing & Campus Abuse in Texas: A Guide for Throckmorton County Families

The Call No Texas Parent Wants to Get

It starts with a late-night call, a text that doesn’t sound right, or a sudden silence from your child who’s away at college. For families across the Texas plains, from the rural stretches of Throckmorton County to the halls of major state universities, the nightmare of hazing and campus abuse is a painful reality. Right now, we are actively litigating one of the most severe hazing cases in recent Texas history—a case that shows this is not a distant problem, but one happening at universities where Throckmorton County students study.

In November 2025, we filed a $10 million lawsuit on behalf of Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter, its national headquarters, and 13 individual fraternity leaders. The details are harrowing, and they serve as a critical warning for every Texas family. Bermudez, a transfer student seeking community, endured months of systematic abuse as a Pi Kappa Phi pledge. He was forced to carry a “pledge fanny pack” filled with condoms, a sex toy, and humiliating items at all times. He faced extreme physical hazing: sprints, bear crawls, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting. The culmination was a November 3 “workout” of over 100 push-ups and 500 squats that left him physically broken.

The medical outcome was catastrophic. Bermudez developed rhabdomyolysis—severe skeletal muscle breakdown—and acute kidney failure. He passed brown urine, could not stand without help, and was hospitalized for four days with critically high creatine kinase levels. He faces an ongoing risk of permanent kidney damage. Following our lawsuit and intense media scrutiny, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters suspended the chapter on November 6, 2025. On November 14, the chapter members voted to surrender their charter, shutting down the UH chapter for good. The university called the conduct “deeply disturbing.”

This case is not an anomaly. It is the flagship example of the brutal, institutionalized hazing that persists in 2025. Our firm, Attorney911, represents Bermudez, and we use this case—along with a proprietary data engine tracking over 1,400 Greek organizations in Texas—to fight for families across the state, including those right here in Throckmorton County.

This guide is for you: the parents, grandparents, and students of Throckmorton County and West Texas. Whether your child attends a local community college, has ventured to Texas A&M in College Station, or is part of the University of Texas system, understanding the reality of modern hazing, your legal rights under Texas law, and the path to accountability is critical. You are not alone, and you do not have to face this powerful machinery of universities and national fraternities by yourself.

IMMEDIATE HELP FOR HAZING EMERGENCIES

If your child is in danger RIGHT NOW:

• Call 911 for any medical emergency.
• 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.” Conditions like rhabdomyolysis (as in the UH case) can be fatal.
• Preserve evidence BEFORE it’s deleted:
  • Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), texts, and DMs immediately.
  • Photograph injuries from multiple angles with good lighting.
  • Save physical items (torn clothing, paddles, receipts for forced purchases).
• Write down everything your child tells you while memory is fresh: names, dates, locations, specific acts.
• 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” evidence.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24–48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. Universities move quickly to control narratives. We can help preserve evidence and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888–ATTY–911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

For many in Throckmorton County, “hazing” might conjure images of old movie pranks or tough military initiations. The reality in 2025 is far more sinister, digitally enabled, and psychologically complex. Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of joining, maintaining membership in, or holding office in any organization. Crucially, under Texas law, the victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

Modern hazing tactics have evolved into several disturbing categories:

Alcohol & Substance Hazing: This remains the deadliest form. It includes forced consumption during “lineups,” “Big/Little” reveal nights (like the one that killed Stone Foltz at Bowling Green), or drinking games like “Bible study” (which killed Max Gruver at LSU). Pledges may be given handles of liquor and told to finish them.

Physical Hazing: This includes paddling; extreme, punitive calisthenics (“smokings”); sleep and food deprivation; exposure to extreme elements; and dangerous physical tests like the “glass ceiling” tackle that killed Michael Deng. The UH Pi Kappa Phi case involved all of the above.

Psychological & Digital Hazing: This is where hazing has evolved most. It involves 24/7 control via group chats, where pledges must respond instantly at all hours. It includes public shaming on social media, forced embarrassing posts, geo-tracking via apps, and isolation from friends and family. The degradation is constant and inescapable.

Sexualized & Humiliating Hazing: This includes forced nudity, simulated sexual acts (“roasted pig” positions, “elephant walks”), and acts with racist, sexist, or homophobic overtones. The psychological scars from this abuse can be profound and lasting.

Where It Happens: While fraternities and sororities are often the focus, hazing pervades Corps of Cadets programs, athletic teams, spirit groups (like cheer and dance), marching bands, and even academic clubs. The common threads are power imbalance, secrecy, and tradition used as a shield for abuse.

Texas Law & Your Rights: The Legal Framework for Accountability

Texas has specific laws to combat hazing, primarily found in the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F. Understanding this framework is the first step to holding perpetrators accountable.

The Texas Definition of Hazing: The law defines hazing broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, directed against a student for the purpose of initiation or affiliation that either endangers physical health/safety or seriously affects mental health/safety. This includes forced drinking, physical brutality, sleep deprivation, and forced acts that cause humiliation or intimidation.

Criminal Penalties (Texas Education Code § 37.152):

• Class B Misdemeanor: Hazing that does not cause serious injury (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine).
• Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes injury requiring medical treatment.
• State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death—exactly what we allege in the Leonel Bermudez UH case.

Critical Protections:

• Consent is NOT a Defense (§ 37.155): Even if your child “went along with it,” that is irrelevant under Texas law. The power dynamics and coercion inherent in hazing negate true consent.
• Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting (§ 37.154): A person who reports hazing in good faith to university or law enforcement is immune from civil or criminal liability. Many universities also have medical amnesty policies to encourage calling 911.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases:

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (DA) to punish with jail/fines. Charges can include hazing, furnishing alcohol to minors, assault, or manslaughter.
• Civil Cases: Brought by victims and families to secure compensation for damages and force institutional change. This is where our firm specializes. A criminal conviction is not required to file a civil lawsuit for damages.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Case?

1. Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: As an entity, if it authorized or encouraged the conduct.
3. The National Organization: Headquarters can be liable for negligent supervision, failing to act on known patterns, or providing inadequate training. We are suing Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters for these reasons.
4. The University: Schools can be liable for deliberate indifference to known risks, negligent supervision, or Title IX violations if the hazing is sexualized.
5. Third Parties: Landlords of off-campus houses, alcohol providers, or security companies.

The National Playbook: How Major Cases Shape the Fight in Texas

The Leonel Bermudez case at UH is part of a tragic national pattern. Understanding these landmark cases shows that what happens in Throckmorton County courtrooms is connected to a nationwide fight for accountability.

The Deadly Alcohol Pattern:

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injuries after a bid-acceptance drinking event. Brothers delayed calling 911 for hours. Resulted in the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law in Pennsylvania and numerous criminal convictions.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Died from alcohol poisoning after a “Big/Little” event where he was forced to drink a bottle of whiskey. His family secured a $10 million settlement ($7M from the national fraternity, $3M from the university).
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died from alcohol toxicity after a “Bible study” drinking game. Led to the Max Gruver Act in Louisiana, making hazing a felony.

The Physical & Ritualized Violence Pattern:

• Chun “Michael” Deng (Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi, 2013): Died from a traumatic brain injury after a blindfolded, violent “glass ceiling” ritual at a retreat. The national fraternity was convicted of manslaughter and banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.

What This Means for Throckmorton County Families: These cases set legal precedents. They establish that national fraternities have foreseeable patterns of conduct, that universities can be liable, and that juries will award substantial damages. When we investigate a case at Texas Tech or Midwestern State, we look for these same patterns of forced drinking, delayed help, and institutional failure.

The Texas University Landscape: Where Throckmorton County Students Are at Risk

Throckmorton County families are deeply connected to the Texas higher education system. Students often attend local institutions like Texas State Technical College or venture to major universities across the state. Each campus has its own Greek ecosystem and history of hazing challenges.

A Snapshot of the Texas Greek Ecosystem: Our Data-Driven View

At Attorney911, we don’t guess about the Greek landscape. We maintain the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, built from public records, to understand every entity involved. This includes IRS records of over 125 Texas-registered Greek organizations (house corporations, alumni chapters), data on 96 Texas universities, and metro-level tracking of 1,423 fraternity and sorority entities across 25 Texas metros.

For Throckmorton County families, this means we can immediately identify the legal entities behind the Greek letters at your child’s school. For example, here are just a few of the hundreds of documented Texas Greek entities from public IRS (B83) filings:

• Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, EIN 746064445, Nederland, TX 77627 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc., EIN 462267515, Frisco, TX 75035 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc., EIN 741380362, Fort Worth, TX 76147 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, EIN 364091267, Waco, TX 76710 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, EIN 237279532, Prairie View, TX 77446 (IRS B83 Filing)

This is the level of detail we bring to every case. We know the names, EINs, and addresses before we even begin discovery.

Where Throckmorton County Families Send Their Kids: Campus Realities

Major State Universities: Students from our region commonly attend Texas Tech University (Lubbock), West Texas A&M (Canyon), Texas A&M University (College Station), and the University of Texas system. Each has significant Greek life and documented hazing incidents.

The University of Houston & Our Flagship Case: As detailed, UH is the site of our active, high-stakes litigation in the Bermudez case. The Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter is now closed, but the systemic issues that allowed such brutal hazing to persist for months remain a subject of our lawsuit.

Texas A&M University: The Corps of Cadets and Greek system have both faced serious allegations. In one lawsuit, a cadet alleged being bound in a “roasted pig” position with an apple in his mouth. Fraternities like Sigma Alpha Epsilon have faced lawsuits over alleged hazing causing severe chemical burns.

University of Texas at Austin: UT maintains a public hazing violations log—a transparency tool other schools should emulate. Its log shows repeated sanctions against groups like Pi Kappa Alpha for forced consumption (milk) and strenuous calisthenics, and other spirit groups for alcohol hazing and physical abuse.

Texas Tech University & West Texas A&M: As primary destinations for many Panhandle and North Texas students, these schools have active Greek communities. Hazing incidents here often mirror national patterns but may receive less media scrutiny due to their location.

The Common Thread: At every major Texas campus, the national fraternities and sororities with the worst hazing histories—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Phi—have active chapters. They bring their dangerous “traditions” with them.

Why National Fraternity Histories Matter for Your Case

When a Pi Kappa Phi chapter at UH hazes a pledge into kidney failure, it’s not an isolated “bad apple” incident. Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters has seen this before—most tragically with the alcohol-poisoning death of pledge Andrew Coffey at Florida State University in 2017.

This is the concept of “foreseeability,” a cornerstone of negligence law. If a national organization knows (or should know) that its chapters repeatedly engage in a dangerous practice—like forced drinking on “Big/Little” night—it has a duty to take effective steps to stop it. When it fails, as we allege in the Bermudez case, it can be held liable.

Our litigation strategy involves meticulously documenting these national patterns. We subpoena national headquarters for their internal records on:

• Prior complaints and incidents at the local chapter.
• Risk management reports and investigations.
• Communications between nationals and local officers.
• Their anti-hazing training materials (often revealed to be inadequate or perfunctory).

This evidence builds a powerful case that the organization failed in its duty to supervise, turning a blind eye to a known, dangerous culture.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and the Path to Accountability

If your family is facing this crisis, know that a successful civil case is built on a foundation of compelling evidence and strategic legal arguments. Here is what we focus on at Attorney911.

The Evidence That Wins Cases:

1. Digital Communications: The #1 source of evidence. We preserve and analyze GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, and Snapchat threads. These show planning, boasting, coercion, and cover-ups. Deleted messages can often be recovered via digital forensics.
2. Photos & Videos: Media shared in chats or on social media that document injuries, humiliation, or the events themselves.
3. Medical Records: Documentation of the acute injury (ER reports, lab results showing toxicology or rhabdomyolysis) and ongoing treatment for physical or psychological trauma (PTSD, depression, anxiety).
4. University Records: Prior conduct violations for the same organization, obtained through discovery or public records requests. This proves a pattern the school knew about.
5. Witness Testimony: Other pledges, former members, roommates, and RAs can provide crucial accounts.

Damages: What Can Be Recovered in a Civil Lawsuit
Civil lawsuits seek to make victims whole and hold defendants accountable through financial compensation for:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (past and future), lost wages, lost educational opportunities, and diminished future earning capacity if there is a permanent disability.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain and suffering, severe emotional distress, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and psychological trauma (PTSD).
• Wrongful Death Damages (for families): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the profound loss of companionship, love, and guidance.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of particularly egregious or reckless conduct, courts may award extra damages to punish the defendant and deter future behavior.

Overcoming the Defense Playbook: We know how fraternities and universities fight back. They argue: “The pledge consented,” “It was off-campus,” “It was rogue individuals,” “We have an anti-hazing policy.” Our experience, particularly Mr. Lupe Peña’s background as a former insurance defense attorney, gives us insider knowledge to dismantle these arguments. We show that consent is irrelevant under Texas law, that nationals maintain control off-campus, and that paper policies are meaningless without enforcement.

A Practical Guide for Throckmorton County Parents & Students

For Parents: Warning Signs & Immediate Steps

Warning Signs:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation.
• Sudden secrecy about organizational activities.
• Personality changes: anxiety, depression, withdrawal.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Financial pressure or unexplained expenses.

What to Do:

1. Prioritize Safety & Health: Get medical care immediately.
2. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot all relevant messages and photos. Do not let them delete anything.
3. Document: Write down everything your child tells you with dates and names.
4. Consult a Lawyer BEFORE Reporting: While reporting to the university is important, speak with an attorney first to understand how to protect your child’s rights during the process. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.
5. Do Not Confront the Organization: This can trigger evidence destruction and witness coaching.

For Students: Is This Hazing? How to Get Out Safely

Ask Yourself:

• Am I being pressured or coerced?
• Is this activity dangerous, degrading, or illegal?
• Would I do this if there was no threat of being kicked out?
• Am I being told to keep it a secret?
  If you answer “yes,” it is hazing.

How to Exit:

• Your physical safety comes first. In an emergency, call 911.
• You have the right to quit. Send a simple, written resignation to the chapter president.
• Tell a trusted person outside the group (parent, RA, counselor) first.
• If you fear retaliation, report that fear to the Dean of Students and campus police immediately.
• Preserve all evidence before you leave.

Why Attorney911 for Your Throckmorton County Hazing Case

When your family is in crisis, you need advocates who understand both the devastating human cost and the complex legal battlefield. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) brings a unique combination of experience, tenacity, and Texas-specific expertise to hazing litigation.

Our Proven Hazing Litigation: The UH Pi Kappa Phi Case
We are not theoreticians; we are active litigators. Our leadership in the Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi case proves we have the skill and courage to take on a major state university and a national fraternity. We secured national media coverage that led to the chapter’s closure, and we are fighting for full accountability and compensation for our client’s life-altering injuries.

Insider Knowledge of How Institutions Fight:
Our Associate Attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as an attorney for a national insurance defense firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurance companies value claims, deploy delay tactics, and argue coverage exclusions. We know their playbook because we used to run it. This insider perspective is invaluable in securing fair settlements or winning at trial.

Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants:
Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City refinery explosion litigation. We have faced some of the largest, most well-funded corporate defendants in the world. National fraternities and university systems do not intimidate us. We have the resources, expert network, and federal court experience to match them at every stage.

A Data-Driven Investigative Advantage:
We don’t start from scratch. Our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, referenced earlier, gives us a foundational map of the Greek organizational landscape. We know how to trace liability from a local chapter to its housing corporation, its alumni foundation, and its national headquarters. This deep, pre-litigation investigation is often the key to uncovering the full scope of liability and insurance coverage.

Compassionate, Client-Focused Advocacy:
We understand the trauma and confusion your family is experiencing. We treat you with respect, keep you informed at every step, and fight not just for compensation, but for the institutional changes that can prevent future tragedies. Our goal is accountability and healing.

Your Next Step: A Confidential Consultation

If hazing has impacted your child and your family, you do not have to navigate this alone. The universities and national organizations have teams of lawyers. You deserve experienced advocates in your corner.

We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation to every family in Throckmorton County and across Texas. In this conversation, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Outline the potential paths forward, including investigations, civil lawsuits, and navigating parallel university or criminal proceedings.
• Answer your questions about the process, timelines, and our contingency-fee structure (you pay nothing unless we win your case).

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911 Today

Call our 24/7 line: 1–888–ATTY–911 (1–888–288–9911)

Direct Line: (713) 528–9070
Cell: (713) 443–4781
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email Ralph Manginello: ralph@atty911.com
Email Lupe Peña: lupe@atty911.com

Se habla Español. Mr. Peña provides fluent Spanish-language legal services.

We serve families throughout Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Whether you’re in Throckmorton, Haskell, or Young County, if hazing has touched your life, we are here to help you seek justice, secure your child’s future, and force the change that makes campuses safer for all Texas students.

Legal Disclaimer

This guide is 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 and university policies are subject to change. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and evidence. If you or your child has been affected by hazing, we strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified attorney to discuss your specific situation and legal rights.

The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911
Houston | Austin | Beaumont
Call 24/7: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
https://attorney911.com