A Guide to Hazing and the Law for Families in Uvalde, Texas

For Uvalde Parents: Understanding the Crisis in Our Texas Universities

We understand the tight-knit nature of our community here in Uvalde. When our children leave for college, we trust they will be safe, focused on their studies, and building a bright future. The reality of hazing on Texas campuses shatters that trust in the most devastating ways.

Picture this: a young man from Uvalde, eager to find his place at a major Texas university, accepts a bid to join what seems like a prestigious fraternity. What begins as exciting “new member education” quickly descends into something far darker. He is handed a “pledge fanny pack” he must carry at all times, filled with humiliating items. He is awakened before dawn and driven to a Houston park for brutal, hours-long workouts. He is forced to consume milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until he vomits, then made to sprint. He is sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding.” After one particularly severe session of over 100 push-ups and 500 squats, he collapses. Days later, he is crawling up the stairs at home, unable to stand. His urine is brown. He is rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis—severe muscle breakdown—and acute kidney failure, requiring a four-day hospitalization with the risk of permanent damage.

This is not a hypothetical scenario. This is the real-life experience of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student whose $10 million hazing and abuse lawsuit against the University of Houston, the Pi Kappa Phi national fraternity, its Beta Nu chapter, and 13 individual members we are actively litigating right now. The chapter has been shut down, but the physical and psychological harm to this young man remains. If this can happen at a major public university in our state, it can happen anywhere.

This comprehensive guide is written specifically for parents and families in Uvalde, Uvalde County, and throughout the surrounding Texas Hill Country and South Texas region. Whether your child attends Sul Ross State University’s Rio Grande College right here in Uvalde, or has ventured to Texas A&M in College Station, UT Austin, Texas State in San Marcos, or any other Texas campus, you need to know the truth about modern hazing, the laws designed to protect students, and the legal recourse available when those systems fail.

If You Suspect Hazing Is Happening to Your Child: Immediate Steps

Your first priority is safety and evidence.

1. If there is immediate danger or injury, call 911. Then, call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.
2. Get medical attention. Even if your child insists they are “fine,” symptoms of rhabdomyolysis, internal injury, or psychological trauma require professional evaluation. Tell the doctors exactly what happened—”hazing”—so it is documented.
3. Preserve evidence BEFORE it disappears. This is critical:
   • Screenshot all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage) showing planning, threats, or discussions of the events.
   • Photograph any injuries from multiple angles with a ruler or coin for scale.
   • Save any physical items (clothing, paddles, receipts for forced purchases).
   • Write down everything your child tells you: names, dates, locations, specific acts.
4. Do NOT:
   • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or team directly.
   • Allow your child to delete messages or “clean up” their phone.
   • Sign any documents from the university or an insurance company.
   • Post details on public social media.
5. Contact an experienced hazing attorney within 24-48 hours. Evidence vanishes quickly. Universities and national organizations move faster to control the narrative than families realize. We can help you secure evidence, understand your rights, and navigate the complex institutional response. Call us at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential consultation.

Hazing in 2025: It’s Not Just “Party Pranks”

For families in Uvalde, where community and respect are core values, the brutality of modern hazing can be difficult to comprehend. It has evolved far beyond stereotypical “initiation rites.” Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the mental or physical health of a student for the purpose of joining, affiliating with, or maintaining membership in any group. Crucially, under Texas law, a victim’s “consent” is not a defense.

Today’s hazing takes many destructive forms:

• Alcohol & Substance Hazing: Forced consumption during “lineups,” “Big/Little” nights, or drinking games like “Bible Study” where wrong answers mandate drinking. This is the leading cause of hazing deaths nationwide.
• Physical Hazing: Paddling, beatings, “smokings” (extreme calisthenics), sleep and food deprivation, exposure to extreme elements, and dangerous physical tests.
• Sexualized & Humiliating Hazing: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, degrading costumes or positions, and acts rooted in racism, sexism, or homophobia.
• Psychological & Digital Hazing: Verbal abuse, isolation, threats, and public shaming amplified through 24/7 group chat monitoring, forced social media posts, and cyberstalking via location-sharing apps.

This happens in fraternities and sororities, athletic teams, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, Corps of Cadets programs, marching bands, and other campus organizations. It frequently occurs “off-campus” at rented houses, Airbnb retreats, or remote parks—a deliberate tactic to avoid university oversight.

Texas Law & Legal Liability: The Framework for Justice

Texas Hazing Statutes (Education Code Chapter 37)

Texas has clear laws against hazing. For Uvalde families, understanding this framework is the first step toward accountability.

• Definition: Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act, on or off campus, that endangers the physical or mental health of a student for the purpose of initiation or affiliation with a group.
• Criminal Penalties: 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. Individuals who fail to report hazing or who retaliate against reporters can also face charges.
• Organizational Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 if it authorized the hazing or if an officer knew and failed to report it.
• Consent is NOT a Defense: Texas law (§37.155) is explicit: a victim’s agreement to participate is not a legal defense against hazing charges.
• Good-Faith Reporting Protection: Those who report hazing in good faith to authorities are immune from civil or criminal liability for the report itself.

Civil Lawsuits vs. Criminal Charges

It is vital to understand the two parallel paths to justice:

• Criminal Case: Brought by the state (DA’s office). Aims to punish offenders with jail time, fines, and probation. Outcomes do not provide financial compensation to victims.
• Civil Lawsuit: Brought by the victim and their family. Aims to secure compensation for medical bills, trauma, lost future opportunities, and to hold all responsible parties accountable. A criminal conviction is not required to file a successful civil case. Our wrongful death practice page details this process.

In a civil hazing case, multiple parties can be held liable:

1. The individual students who planned, participated in, or covered up the hazing.
2. The local chapter as a legal entity.
3. The national fraternity/sorority headquarters that may have ignored prior warnings or failed to enforce its own policies.
4. The university for negligent supervision, if it knew or should have known about a dangerous culture and failed to act.
5. Property owners of off-campus houses where hazing occurred.
6. Third parties like bars that illegally provided alcohol.

The National Pattern: History Repeats Itself in Texas

The Leonel Bermudez case at the University of Houston is tragically part of a national pattern. The same fraternities and sororities present on Texas campuses have chapters across the country with documented histories of fatal and catastrophic hazing. This “pattern evidence” is powerful in court, proving that these tragedies are foreseeable and preventable.

• Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): Stone Foltz, a Bowling Green State University pledge, died in 2021 after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. His family secured a $10 million settlement.
• Beta Theta Pi: Timothy Piazza died at Penn State in 2017 after a night of forced drinking and falls; his case led to major criminal prosecutions and new Pennsylvania law.
• Phi Delta Theta: Max Gruver died at LSU in 2017 from alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game, leading to Louisiana’s “Max Gruver Act.”
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): Nationally, SAE has faced numerous lawsuits, including a traumatic brain injury case at the University of Alabama and a chemical burns case at Texas A&M where pledges were doused with industrial cleaner.
• Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI): Danny Santulli at the University of Missouri suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage in 2021 from forced drinking, resulting in multi-million dollar settlements.

These national organizations operate the same way in Texas. When a chapter at UH, Texas A&M, or UT repeats a deadly “tradition” that has already caused death elsewhere, it demonstrates a profound institutional failure. We use this national history to build undeniable cases for accountability.

The Texas Campus Landscape: Where Uvalde Families Send Their Kids

Uvalde students attend universities across our great state. Each campus has its own Greek life ecosystem and history of hazing incidents.

For Uvalde Families: Local and Regional Campus Connections

Many Uvalde graduates continue their education close to home or at major state institutions. It’s important to know the landscape.

• Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College (Uvalde): While a smaller campus, any student group can harbor hazing risks. The same Texas laws and legal protections apply here.
• Texas A&M University – Kingsville & Corpus Christi: These South Texas campuses have active Greek life and are common choices for area students. They are included in the statewide data network of Greek organizations.
• The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) & Texas State University (San Marcos): As large universities within driving distance, they are popular destinations. Both have significant Greek systems with documented conduct violations.
• Major Statewide Hubs: Uvalde families also send children to flagship schools like Texas A&M in College Station, UT Austin, and the University of Houston. These universities have vast, complex Greek systems where high-profile hazing cases, like the one we are litigating, occur.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Data That Drives Accountability

One of our firm’s critical advantages is our proprietary investigative database—the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine. We don’t start from scratch. We maintain detailed public records on the vast network of Greek organizations operating across Texas, which is essential for identifying every liable entity in a case.

Public Records Snapshot: Greek Organizations Relevant to Texas Families

The IRS and other public filings show over 125 Texas-registered Greek organizations (fraternity house corporations, alumni chapters, honor societies) with official Employer Identification Numbers (EINs). Across 25 Texas metro areas, there are approximately 1,423 fraternity and sorority-related organizations. For example, the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro has 188 such entities, and the Austin-Round Rock metro has 154.

Here are verified examples of the types of organizations we track, which could be connected to a hazing case involving a student from any Texas town, including Uvalde:

• Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity – Beta Nu Housing Corporation Inc., EIN 46-2267515, Frisco, TX 75035 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Kappa Sigma – Mu Camma Chapter Inc., EIN 13-3048786, College Station, TX 77845 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, EIN 36-4091267, Waco, TX 76710 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, EIN 26-3170920, Denton, TX 76204 (Texas Woman’s University Chapter – IRS B83 Filing)
• Texas Kappa Sigma Educational Foundation Inc., EIN 74-1380362, Fort Worth, TX 76147 (IRS B83 Filing)
• Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity, 12650 N Beach St, Fort Worth, TX 76244 (Cause IQ Metro Listing)
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity – Texas Rho Corp., Austin, TX (Cause IQ Metro Listing – University of Texas)

This data allows us to immediately identify not just the undergraduate chapter, but the housing corporation that owns the property, the alumni board that may oversee activities, and the national headquarters—all of which may carry insurance or bear legal responsibility.

The Attorney911 Advantage in Hazing Litigation

When your family is facing a hazing crisis, you need advocates who understand both the profound human trauma and the complex legal battlefield. National fraternities and major universities have deep pockets and sophisticated defense teams. We are equipped to meet that challenge.

Why Texas Hazing Families Choose Our Firm:

1. We Are Litigating a Major Texas Hazing Case Right Now. We represent Leonel Bermudez in his $10 million lawsuit against the University of Houston and Pi Kappa Phi. We are not theorists; we are in the fight. You can read media coverage of this active case in the Click2Houston report on UH Pi Kappa Phi hazing case and the ABC13 coverage of Leonel Bermudez’s UH hazing lawsuit.

2. Insider Knowledge of Insurance Company Tactics. 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 devalue your claim. We use this insider knowledge to counter their strategies from day one. Learn more about Mr. Peña’s background on his profile.

3. Experience Against Billion-Dollar Institutions. Managing partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We have faced the largest corporate defendants and their legal teams. We are not intimidated by a university’s reputation or a national fraternity’s wealth.

4. A Dedicated Investigative Engine. We combine our legal skill with the Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine. We know how to subpoena the right records, recover deleted digital evidence, and trace responsibility through the web of national organizations, local chapters, and alumni corporations.

5. Dual Civil & Criminal Expertise. Ralph Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand the interplay between criminal hazing charges and civil lawsuits. We can strategically advise families navigating both systems.

6. Compassion for Texas Families. We are a Texas-based firm. We understand our communities. We listen to your story without judgment, and we fight not just for compensation, but for the accountability and institutional change that can prevent the next tragedy.

A Call to Action for Uvalde Families

If you are reading this because you fear your child has been hazed—whether at a university hours away or closer to home—you are not alone. The confusion, anger, and fear are overwhelming. The path forward requires clear, experienced guidance.

We invite you to contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) for a completely confidential, no-obligation consultation.

In your free consultation, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain the legal options available under Texas and federal law.
• Discuss the realistic timeline and process of a hazing investigation or lawsuit.
• Answer all your questions about how we work, including our contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Hablamos Español. Mr. Lupe Peña provides fluent Spanish-language legal services. Contact him directly at lupe@atty911.com.

Take the first step toward answers and accountability.

Call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ 24/7 at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911).

You can also visit our website at https://attorney911.com or email ralph@atty911.com.

We serve families across Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Wherever you are in Uvalde County or the state, we are here to help.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the Active UH Hazing Case We Are Litigating:

• Click2Houston (KPRC 2) Investigation: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/11/21/only-on-2-lawsuit-alleges-severe-hazing-at-university-of-houstons-pi-kappa-phi-chapter-fraternity/
• ABC13 Eyewitness News (KTRK) Coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• Hoodline Summary: https://hoodline.com/2025/11/university-of-houston-and-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity-face-10m-lawsuit-over-alleged-hazing-and-abuse/

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

• How to Use Your Phone to Document Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Understanding Texas Statutes of Limitations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client Mistakes That Can Hurt a Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Our Firm’s Website & Contact:

• Main Website & Free Consultation: https://attorney911.com

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 applicable law. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.

The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC / Attorney911
Houston, Austin, and Beaumont, Texas
Call 24/7: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com | lupe@atty911.com (Se habla Español)