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The Hazing Crisis in Texas: A Comprehensive Legal Guide for Families in the Town of Domino and Across Cass County

Your child left for college with dreams of friendship, tradition, and a bright future. Now, your phone rings late at night. Their voice is shaky, they’re making excuses for unexplained injuries, or worse—you’re getting a call from a hospital hours away. The world of Greek letters, Corps traditions, or team spirit has turned dangerous. You feel helpless, angry, and unsure where to turn. If you are a parent in the Town of Domino, in Atlanta, or anywhere in Cass County, this nightmare is closer than you think.

Right now, we are actively litigating one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas. We represent Leonel Bermudez in a $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, and 13 individual members of its Beta Nu chapter. The allegations are harrowing: forced consumption of food until vomiting, extreme physical workouts, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and a “pledge fanny pack” filled with humiliating items. This calculated abuse led Mr. Bermudez to develop rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, requiring a four-day hospitalization with brown urine and critically high creatine kinase levels. This is not a historical example; this is a live case in Harris County, demonstrating the severe, ongoing danger facing Texas students.

This guide is for you—the parents and families in the Town of Domino, Linden, and all of Cass County. Whether your child attends a local college, Texas A&M University in nearby College Station, the University of Houston, or any campus across Texas, you deserve to know the truth about hazing, the law, and your family’s right to accountability. We will explain what modern hazing really looks like, break down Texas and federal law, analyze patterns at major Texas universities, and provide a clear path forward for protecting your child and pursuing justice.

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) for immediate legal guidance.

In the first 48 hours, you must:

1. Get Medical Attention: Seek immediate care, even if injuries seem minor. Tell medical staff the context—”My child was hazed.”
2. Preserve Digital Evidence: Screenshot ALL group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, texts), social media posts, and DMs. Photograph injuries and locations.
3. Document Everything: Write down names, dates, times, and everything your child tells you while memories are fresh.
4. Secure Physical Evidence: Keep clothing, receipts, or any objects involved.

Do NOT:

• Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
• Allow your child to delete messages or “clean up” their phone.
• Sign anything from a university or insurance company.
• Post details on public social media.

Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24-48 hours. Evidence disappears fast. Call Attorney911 at 1-888-ATTY-911.

Hazing in 2025: What It Really Looks Like in Texas

Hazing is not just “boys will be boys” or harmless tradition. Under Texas law, 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 maintaining membership in a group. For families in Domino, this often means your child is hours away, subject to pressures you cannot see.

Modern hazing has evolved into three dangerous tiers:

1. Subtle Hazing: This establishes power imbalance and sets the stage for worse. It includes forced servitude (being an on-call driver, cleaning members’ rooms), social isolation, demeaning nicknames, and mandatory events that interfere with sleep and academics. Digitally, it manifests as 24/7 group chat monitoring, required location sharing, and social media policing.

2. Harassment Hazing: This causes emotional or physical distress. It includes verbal abuse and humiliation, sleep deprivation through all-night “meetings,” food/water restriction, and forced physical exertion like “smokings” with hundreds of push-ups or sprints. It often involves public degradation or being covered in unpleasant substances.

3. Violent Hazing: This has a high potential for serious injury or death. This is what we see in cases like Leonel Bermudez’s. It includes:

• Forced Alcohol Consumption: “Big/Little” nights, lineup drinking games, chugging handles of liquor.
• Physical Assault: Paddling, beatings, brandings, dangerous “rituals” like blindfolded tackles.
• Sexualized Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, sexual assault.
• Extreme Environmental Hazing: Exposure to extreme cold, lock-ins, or forced ingestion of harmful substances.

These acts occur in fraternities, sororities, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations, Corps of Cadets programs, athletic teams, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, and even marching bands. The common threads are secrecy, power imbalance, and the tragic misconception that enduring abuse builds loyalty.

Texas Hazing Law & Liability: The Legal Framework for Cass County Families

When hazing impacts a family from the Town of Domino, Texas law provides the foundation for accountability. The primary statute is the Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, Subchapter F.

Key Provisions for Texas Parents:

• Definition (§37.151): Hazing is broadly defined as any reckless or intentional act that endangers physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation or affiliation, on or off campus.
• Criminal Penalties (§37.152): Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor. It becomes a Class A misdemeanor if it causes injury and a State Jail Felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
• Consent is NOT a Defense (§37.155): Even if your child “agreed,” it is not a legal defense. Texas recognizes that consent under peer pressure is not valid.
• Immunity for Good-Faith Reporting (§37.154): Students who report hazing or call 911 in an emergency are protected from disciplinary action by the university, a critical rule to encourage saving lives.
• Organizational Liability (§37.153): The fraternity, sorority, or team itself can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000.

Civil Liability vs. Criminal Charges
It is crucial to understand the two parallel legal paths:

• Criminal Case: Brought by the state (e.g., Cass County District Attorney or Harris County DA) to punish wrongdoing with jail time and fines. Your family has little control over this process.
• Civil Lawsuit: Brought by your family to hold all responsible parties accountable and recover damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other losses. This is where you seek justice and compensation to help your child rebuild their life. You can pursue a civil case even if no criminal charges are ever filed.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Case?
A thorough investigation aims to identify every entity that failed in its duty:

1. Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, executed, or covered up the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: As an organized entity with its own insurance or assets.
3. The National Headquarters: For failing to supervise, enforce policies, or act on known patterns of abuse across its chapters.
4. The University: For negligent supervision, deliberate indifference to known risks, or Title IX violations (if sexual harassment is involved).
5. Housing Corporations & Alumni Boards: Entities that own chapter houses or govern local operations.
6. Third Parties: Property owners, bars that furnished alcohol, or security companies.

National Hazing Case Patterns: The Script Repeats Itself

The tragedy in Texas is not unique. National patterns prove that hazing is a foreseeable, preventable risk. For Cass County families, these cases show what is legally possible and what is at stake.

• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Died from traumatic brain injury after a forced drinking event. Brothers delayed calling 911. Result: 18 members charged, new Pennsylvania law, and massive civil settlements.
• Max Gruver (LSU, Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Died of alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game. Result: Felony hazing convictions and the Max Gruver Act in Louisiana.
• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): Died after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. Result: $10 million in total settlements from the national fraternity and university, with the chapter president held personally liable for $6.5 million.
• Andrew Coffey (Florida State, Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Died from alcohol poisoning at a “Big Brother” night. His case is a direct parallel to the allegations we are litigating at the University of Houston.
• Danny Santulli (University of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Suffered permanent brain damage from forced drinking. Result: Settlements with 22 defendants, illustrating the multi-party liability in severe injury cases.

These cases reveal the same script: forced consumption, delayed help, institutional failure, and life-altering consequences. They demonstrate that juries and courts will hold organizations financially accountable, with settlements and verdicts ranging into the millions for deaths and catastrophic injuries.

Texas University Focus: Where Domino and Cass County Students Are at Risk

Families in Domino often send their children to a mix of regional campuses and major state universities. Understanding the landscape at these schools is essential.

For Cass County Families: The Local & Regional Campus Landscape

Cass County students frequently attend institutions in the Ark-La-Tex region and across East Texas. These include:

• Texas A&M University-Texarkana (Bowie County)
• University of Texas at Tyler (Smith County)
• Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches County)
• Texas A&M University-Commerce (Hunt County)

Furthermore, countless students from Domino and surrounding areas enroll at the premier Greek life and tradition-heavy campuses in Texas, where the risks are well-documented:

University of Houston (UH) – The Active Crisis

Our ongoing litigation against UH and Pi Kappa Phi highlights systemic failures. Beyond this case, UH has a history of hazing incidents, including a 2016 Pi Kappa Alpha case where a pledge suffered a lacerated spleen. UH policies prohibit hazing, but enforcement is often reactive. For a Domino family, a case at UH would involve the Harris County court system and Houston-based defendants.

Texas A&M University – Corps and Greek Life Traditions

Texas A&M’s unique Corps of Cadets culture and powerful Greek system present specific risks. Notable incidents include:

• A 2023 lawsuit alleging a Corps freshman was subjected to degrading hazing, including being bound in a “roasted pig” position.
• A 2021 Sigma Alpha Epsilon lawsuit where pledges alleged being doused with industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts.
  These cases show hazing permeating both military-style and social organizations. A&M’s response often involves internal Corps or Student Conduct proceedings, but civil action is necessary for full accountability.

University of Texas at Austin (UT) – A Pattern of Violations

UT maintains a public online log of hazing violations, offering a window into recurring issues. Recent entries include:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): New members forced to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.
• Texas Wranglers (Spirit Group): Sanctioned for forced workouts and alcohol-related hazing.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon: Faced a 2024 lawsuit from an exchange student alleging assault resulting in broken bones.
  This public record is a powerful tool for proving a national organization or university had prior knowledge of dangerous patterns.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

These private institutions have their own significant histories. SMU’s Kappa Alpha Order chapter was suspended for paddling and forced drinking. Baylor has faced hazing scandals within its baseball program. Their private status does not shield them from civil liability for negligent supervision.

The Texas Greek Ecosystem: Public Records & Organizational Histories

To hold organizations accountable, you must first identify them. Through our Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine, we maintain detailed data on the Greek organizations operating in Texas. This is not speculation; it is compiled from public IRS records, university rosters, and commercial databases tracking over 1,400 Greek-related entities across 25 Texas metros.

Public Records Directory: Organizations Relevant to East Texas & Statewide Campuses

The following are real examples of Texas-registered Greek organizations, illustrating the complex network behind campus letters. These entities may hold insurance policies or assets that can provide recourse for injured students.

• Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc – EIN 462267515 – Frisco, TX 75035
• Kappa Sigma – Mu Gamma Chapter Inc – EIN 273662583 – Lufkin, TX 75904 (East Texas)
• Alpha Tau Omega Housing Corporation of Eta Iota Chapter – EIN 300517788 – Nacogdoches, TX 75965 (SFA)
• Sigma Phi Epsilon Texas Eta – EIN 824398421 – Richmond, TX 77406
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc – EIN 741380362 – Fort Worth, TX 76147
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – EIN 900293166 – College Station, TX 77843 (Texas A&M)
• Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation – EIN 371768785 – Missouri City, TX 77459

For the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area (which exerts cultural and organizational influence across Texas, including in Cass County), Cause IQ data shows 510 Greek-related organizations. Examples include Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity in Fort Worth and multiple Delta Delta Delta alumnae chapters.

This data matters because when hazing occurs, we don’t start from zero. We know how to trace liability from a campus chapter to its national headquarters, its local housing corporation, and its alumni advisory board. The same national brands named in lawsuits in Ohio, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Phi—have active chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, and Baylor. Their national histories of fatalities and injuries are directly relevant to proving they knew or should have known of the risks.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Damages, and Strategic Advantage

If your family is facing this crisis, building a powerful case requires immediate action and sophisticated strategy.

Critical Evidence Collection:

• Digital Forensics: Deleted GroupMe, WhatsApp, and text messages can often be recovered. Social media posts, Instagram stories, and TikTok videos are vital.
• Medical Documentation: ER records must explicitly connect injuries to hazing. Follow-up care with specialists documenting PTSD, anxiety, or permanent injury is crucial.
• University Records: Through discovery, we obtain prior conduct reports for the chapter, revealing a pattern that the university ignored.
• National Fraternity Files: We subpoena risk management reports and communications showing what the national headquarters knew.

Recoverable Damages for Your Family:
A civil lawsuit seeks to make your family whole and punish wrongdoing. Damages can include:

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (emergency, hospital, therapy), future medical care, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity if your child’s injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional trauma, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages: If tragedy strikes, this includes funeral costs, loss of companionship, and emotional suffering for surviving family members.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of egregious recklessness, these may be awarded to punish the defendants and deter future conduct.

Why Attorney911’s Expertise is Critical:
Fighting a university and a national fraternity requires a specific skill set. We bring:

• Insurance Insider Knowledge: Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña, spent years as a defense lawyer for large insurance companies. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers try to deny, delay, and minimize claims. We anticipate their tactics and counter them effectively.
• Experience Against Giant Institutions: Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by billion-dollar corporations or powerful universities; we have a proven record of holding them accountable.
• Dual Civil & Criminal Insight: Mr. Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil litigation, allowing us to advise clients through both processes.
• A Deep Investigative Network: We work with digital forensics experts, medical specialists, life care planners, and economists to build an unassailable case from day one.

Practical Guides & FAQs for Domino Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and Steps

• Signs Your Child May Be Hazed: Unexplained injuries, extreme fatigue, sudden secrecy, withdrawal from family/friends, personality changes (anxiety, anger), declining grades, and constant, anxious phone use.
• Steps to Take:
  1. Listen & Document: Talk calmly. Write down dates, names, and details.
  2. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot everything. Photograph injuries.
  3. Seek Medical Care: Get a full evaluation. Ensure the doctor documents the cause as “hazing.”
  4. Consult an Attorney BEFORE Reporting: We can guide you on how to report to the university or police without jeopardizing your civil case.
  5. Do Not Engage the Organization: Let your attorney handle all communications.

For Students: Your Rights and Safety

• You Have the Right to Be Safe: “Consent” is not a defense in Texas. You can say no.
• How to Exit Safely: You can resign your pledge or membership at any time via email. Inform a trusted adult or the Dean of Students first for support.
• If You Are Injured: Call 911 or go to the ER immediately. Tell the medical staff what happened. You have legal immunity for seeking help.
• Preserve Evidence: Take screenshots, photos, and voice memos (Texas is a one-party consent state).

Critical Mistakes That Can Damage Your Case:

1. Deleting Evidence: Do not let your child “clean up” their phone. Deleted messages can often be recovered, but destruction can harm credibility.
2. Confronting the Chapter: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Signing University Paperwork: Do not sign any resolution, waiver, or settlement from the university without an attorney’s review.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: The Texas statute of limitations for personal injury is generally two years, but evidence decays rapidly.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• “Can we sue the university?” Yes, under theories of negligent supervision or deliberate indifference. Public universities have some immunity, but exceptions exist, especially for gross negligence.
• “What if it happened off-campus?” Location does not matter. Liability extends to organizations that sponsor or control the activity.
• “How long will this take?” Each case is unique. We work efficiently to resolve cases, but we prepare every case for trial to force fair settlements.
• “Can we afford a lawyer?” We work on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront fees. We only get paid if we recover compensation for you.

Why Attorney911 is the Right Choice for Cass County Families

When your family is in crisis, you need more than a lawyer; you need advocates who understand the depth of your trauma and the complexity of fighting powerful institutions. The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) was founded to provide immediate, aggressive, and professional help in legal emergencies—exactly what a hazing crisis represents.

We are a Texas-based firm with deep roots in this state. We serve families from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, and we represent clients across Texas, including in Cass County, the Town of Domino, and the entire Ark-La-Tex region. We understand the communities you come from and the campuses your children attend.

We are currently on the front lines, fighting for Leonel Bermudez against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi. We are not theorizing about hazing law; we are actively shaping it through litigation. We combine Mr. Peña’s insider knowledge of insurance defense with Mr. Manginello’s experience in catastrophic injury and complex institutional litigation. We speak Spanish and are committed to serving the diverse families of Texas.

Call to Action for Domino Families: You Are Not Alone

If hazing has hurt your child, you are facing a storm of fear, anger, and confusion. The path to justice begins with a single, confidential conversation. We offer a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation to every family that contacts us.

During your free consultation, we will:

• Listen compassionately to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your family’s legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Outline the potential strategies for holding the responsible parties accountable.
• Answer your questions about the process, timelines, and costs.

There is no pressure. Our goal is to empower you with knowledge so you can make the best decision for your family’s healing and future.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) Today:

• 24/7 Helpline: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct Line: (713) 528-9070
• Email Ralph Manginello: ralph@atty911.com
• Email Lupe Peña: lupe@atty911.com (Se habla Español)
• Website: https://attorney911.com

Do not let another day pass while evidence disappears and organizations close ranks. Call us now. Let us help you turn your pain into purpose and fight for the accountability that can prevent another family in Domino or anywhere in Texas from suffering the same nightmare.

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and outcomes depend on specific facts and law. If you need legal advice, please contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC or another qualified attorney for a consultation regarding your individual situation.