🚨 Hazing Victims in Van Buren County: You Are Not Alone
If you or your child has been hazed at a college, university, or Greek organization in or near Van Buren County, Michigan, we can help. The same fraternities that waterboarded a student at the University of Houston have chapters operating in Michigan. The same negligence that led to a $10 million lawsuit in Texas exists right here in our community.
At Attorney 911, we’re currently fighting a $10 million hazing lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi and the University of Houston — and we’re bringing that same aggressive representation to hazing victims in Van Buren County and across Michigan. You don’t have to suffer in silence. You don’t have to pay for your own medical bills. You don’t have to let them get away with it.
📞 Call Now: 1-888-ATTY-911
Free consultation. No upfront costs. We don’t get paid unless you win.
🔥 This Is What Hazing Really Looks Like — And It’s Happening Near Van Buren County
In November 2025, our attorneys filed a $10 million lawsuit against Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and the University of Houston after a student was hospitalized with kidney failure from extreme hazing. This wasn’t just “roughhousing” or “tradition.” This was torture:
- Waterboarded with a garden hose — simulated drowning, a technique considered torture when used on enemy combatants
- Forced to do 500 squats and 100+ pushups until he couldn’t stand
- Struck with wooden paddles — physical assault with weapons
- Forced to eat until vomiting, then made to lie in his own vomit
- Another pledge lost consciousness during hazing — they kept going
- Hog-tied face-down on a table with an object in his mouth for over an hour
He wasn’t even a student yet. He was a “ghost rush” — someone the fraternity recruited before he even enrolled. They did this to someone who wasn’t even part of their university.
This happened in Houston. But the same fraternities operate chapters near Van Buren County. The same culture exists at Michigan universities. And the same negligence is happening right here.
⚠️ Hazing in Michigan: The Reality for Van Buren County Families
Van Buren County is home to hardworking families who send their children to college expecting them to be safe. But the truth is:
- National fraternities like Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Pi Kappa Alpha have active chapters at universities near Van Buren County
- These same organizations have paid millions in hazing settlements nationwide
- 55% of Greek organization members experience hazing — and 95% don’t report it
- Since 2000, there has been at least one hazing death every year in the United States
If your child is pledging a fraternity or sorority near Van Buren County, they face the same risks that hospitalized our client in Houston.
🏛️ Universities Near Van Buren County: They Know Hazing Happens — And They Do Nothing
Universities near Van Buren County have the power to stop hazing. They own the fraternity houses. They regulate Greek life. They receive tuition money from students. But time and time again, they choose reputation over safety:
- Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo) — Home to multiple Greek organizations with documented hazing risks
- Michigan State University (East Lansing) — Major Greek system with prior hazing incidents
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) — Large fraternity/sorority presence
- Grand Valley State University (Allendale) — Growing Greek life community
- Central Michigan University (Mount Pleasant) — Active Greek organizations
These universities know hazing happens. They have the power to stop it. They choose not to — until someone gets hospitalized or dies. Then they “suspend” the chapter and claim they’re “shocked.”
Van Buren County families deserve better.
💰 Hazing Costs Millions — And Van Buren County Victims Can Win Big
We’re not just talking about justice. We’re talking about real money to cover medical bills, therapy, lost wages, and the pain and suffering you’ve endured. Hazing cases win millions of dollars — and Van Buren County victims get the same results.
Recent Hazing Settlements & Verdicts:
| Case | Fraternity | University | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Foltz | Pi Kappa Alpha | Bowling Green State | $10.1 MILLION settlement |
| Maxwell Gruver | Phi Delta Theta | Louisiana State | $6.1 MILLION jury verdict |
| Timothy Piazza | Beta Theta Pi | Penn State | $110 MILLION+ settlement |
| Leonel Bermudez | Pi Kappa Phi | University of Houston | $10 MILLION lawsuit pending (OUR CASE) |
These aren’t just numbers. These are messages. Messages that say: Hazing will cost you millions. Torturing students will have consequences. Van Buren County families won’t stand for it.
🛡️ What Van Buren County Hazing Victims Can Sue For
You may be entitled to compensation for:
Medical Expenses
- Hospital bills
- Emergency room visits
- Doctor appointments
- Medications
- Physical therapy
- Future medical care (if injuries are permanent)
Psychological Trauma
- Therapy for PTSD, anxiety, depression
- Counseling for emotional distress
- Treatment for trust issues and social withdrawal
Lost Wages & Academic Impact
- Time missed from work
- Lost internship opportunities
- Disrupted education
- Delayed graduation
- Lost scholarships
Pain and Suffering
- Physical pain from hazing injuries
- Emotional distress from abuse
- Humiliation and shame
- Fear of retaliation
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Punitive Damages
- Additional money to punish the organization for egregious conduct
- Waterboarding, forced exercise to collapse, wooden paddles — this is not “tradition,” it’s torture
⚖️ Michigan Hazing Laws: You Have Strong Legal Rights
Michigan has strong anti-hazing laws that protect students. Under Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.411t, hazing is a misdemeanor, and if it causes serious injury or death, it can be a felony.
Key Legal Points for Van Buren County Families:
- Consent is NOT a defense — Even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law says consent doesn’t matter
- Organizations can be held liable — Fraternities, sororities, universities, and national organizations can all be sued
- Individuals can be held personally liable — Chapter officers and members who participated can be sued individually
- Criminal charges may apply — Hazing can lead to jail time for perpetrators
If you’re a Van Buren County family dealing with hazing, you have legal rights — and we know how to enforce them.
📋 What to Do If Your Child Was Hazed in Van Buren County
Step 1: Get Medical Attention Immediately
- Even if injuries seem minor, get checked by a doctor
- Some injuries (like rhabdomyolysis) may not show symptoms right away
- Medical records are critical evidence for your case
Step 2: Preserve All Evidence
- Take photos of injuries at all stages of healing
- Save all communications — texts, GroupMe messages, social media posts
- Write down everything you remember about the hazing
- Get witness contact information — other pledges, bystanders
- Do NOT delete anything — even if it’s embarrassing, it may be evidence
Step 3: Do NOT Talk to the Organization or University Alone
- They will try to control the narrative
- They will try to get you to sign documents that waive your rights
- They will try to minimize what happened
- Anything you say can be used against you
Step 4: Contact Attorney 911 Immediately
- Call 1-888-ATTY-911 — 24/7 for hazing emergencies
- Free consultation — we’ll evaluate your case at no cost
- No upfront fees — we work on contingency; you pay nothing unless we win
- We travel to Van Buren County — for depositions, meetings, and trials
🎓 We Know Greek Life. We Know Universities. We Know How to Win.
At Attorney 911, we have decades of experience fighting for victims of institutional negligence. We know how Greek organizations operate. We know how universities cover up hazing. We know how to build cases that win millions.
Why Van Buren County Families Choose Attorney 911:
✅ 25+ Years of Courtroom Experience — Battle-tested trial attorneys
✅ Former Insurance Defense Attorneys — We know how the other side thinks
✅ Federal Court Authority — Can pursue cases in federal jurisdiction
✅ Nationwide Hazing Expertise — Currently litigating $10M UH hazing case
✅ Se Habla Español — Bilingual staff serving Spanish-speaking families
✅ We Travel to Van Buren County — For depositions, meetings, and trials
✅ Contingency Fee — $0 upfront; we don’t get paid unless you win
We don’t just talk about fighting hazing. We’re fighting it right now — and we’ll fight for Van Buren County families with the same intensity.
📢 Our Message to Fraternities Near Van Buren County
To Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha, and every other fraternity with chapters near Van Buren County:
We are watching. We are coming for you.
The same legal strategies that secured $10 million verdicts nationwide apply to your chapter. The same pattern of negligence that led to our UH lawsuit exists at your house. The same culture of abuse that waterboarded our client is happening in your basement.
If your chapter harms a student near Van Buren County, we will pursue every liable entity:
- Your local chapter
- Your national organization
- Your housing corporation
- Your alumni oversight board
- Your individual members
- The university that allows you to operate
We already shut down Beta Nu. Your chapter could be next.
🏆 Van Buren County Families: It’s Time to Fight Back
Hazing isn’t “tradition.” It isn’t “brotherhood.” It isn’t “building character.”
It’s abuse. It’s assault. It’s torture. And it has to stop.
If your child was hazed at a college or university near Van Buren County, you don’t have to suffer in silence. You don’t have to pay for your own medical bills. You don’t have to let them get away with it.
We are Attorney 911. We are Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena. And we are fighting for Van Buren County hazing victims.
📞 Call Now: 1-888-ATTY-911
Free consultation. No upfront costs. We don’t get paid unless you win.
Email: ralph@atty911.com
Website: attorney911.com
We serve Van Buren County and all of Michigan. Distance is not a barrier to justice.
💔 To the Parents of Van Buren County:
We know what you’re going through. We’ve seen the fear in our client’s eyes. We’ve heard the pain in his voice. We’ve watched a young man who just wanted to belong end up in the hospital because of what they did to him.
You sent your child to college expecting them to be safe. That trust was betrayed.
We can’t undo what happened. But we can hold them accountable. We can make them pay. We can prevent this from happening to another Van Buren County family.
Call us. Let us fight for your child. Let us fight for you.
Enough is enough. The time for justice is now.
Van Buren County hazing victims: You are not alone. We are here to help. 🚨
