Hazing at Texas Universities: A Complete Guide for Waller County Families Seeking Justice

For Waller County Parents: When Your Child’s Search for Belonging Turns to Brutality

Imagine your child, a bright student from right here in Waller County, has just started at a nearby Texas university. They’re excited to find their place, to belong. An invitation to join a fraternity, sorority, or campus organization feels like a golden ticket. But what begins as camaraderie and tradition spirals into something darker: forced, humiliating acts; physical exhaustion pushed to the breaking point; the suffocating pressure to stay silent. Your child calls home, injured and afraid, their voice trembling as they describe being hazed.

This is not a hypothetical fear. It is a reality playing out right now on campuses across Texas, including those where our Waller County families send their children. At this very moment, we are fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in Texas history: the case of Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who suffered acute kidney failure and was hospitalized for four days after horrific hazing by the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter in fall 2025. This $10 million lawsuit, which we filed in Harris County, exposes a system of normalized abuse that every Texas parent must understand.

If your child has been hurt by hazing at any Texas campus—from Prairie View A&M right here in our county to schools hours away—you are not powerless. This comprehensive guide, written by the Texas hazing litigation team at The Manginello Law Firm (Attorney911), will equip you with the knowledge to recognize hazing, understand your legal rights, and take decisive action to protect your child and hold every responsible party accountable.

Immediate Help for a Hazing Crisis

If you are reading this during a crisis, here is what to do right now:

If your child is in immediate danger or severely injured:

• Call 911. Get medical attention first.
• Then call us immediately at 1-888-ATTY-911. We are the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ for a reason. We provide urgent guidance 24/7.

Within the first 48 hours, before evidence disappears:

• Preserve Digital Evidence: Help your child take screenshots of all group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), text messages, and social media posts related to the incident. Do not let them delete anything, no matter how embarrassing.
• Document Physically: Photograph any injuries from multiple angles. Save any clothing or objects involved. Write down a detailed timeline of events while memories are fresh.
• Seek Medical Care: Even if injuries seem minor, get a medical evaluation. Conditions like rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) or internal trauma may not be immediately apparent. Tell the doctor the injuries resulted from hazing.
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or university directly.
  • Sign any documents from the university or an insurance company.
  • Post details about the incident on public social media.
  • Allow your child to attend any “resolution” or “exit” meetings alone.

Contact our hazing litigation team within 24-48 hours. Evidence vanishes quickly—group chats are deleted, witnesses are coached, and organizations circle the wagons. We act fast to secure evidence and protect your child’s rights. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential, and immediate consultation.

What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

Hazing is not a relic of the past or mere “horseplay.” In 2025, it is a calculated, often digitally-facilitated system of coercion that endangers mental and physical health for the sake of “tradition.” For Waller County families, understanding its modern forms is the first step toward recognizing it.

Texas law (Education Code Chapter 37) defines hazing broadly as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers the physical or mental health of a student for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership in any organization. Crucially, a victim’s “consent” is not a legal defense.

Modern hazing typically falls into three escalating tiers:

1. Subtle Hazing: Behaviors that emphasize power imbalance and condition new members for worse abuse.

• Digital Servitude: Mandatory 24/7 monitoring of group chats with instant response requirements.
• Forced Labor: Acting as on-call chauffeurs, personal assistants, or cleaners for older members.
• Social Isolation: Being cut off from non-member friends or requiring permission for social activities.
• “Optional” Mandates: Events framed as voluntary but with clear social consequences for non-attendance.

2. Harassment Hazing: Acts that cause clear emotional or physical distress.

• Sleep & Food Deprivation: Late-night “study sessions,” dawn workouts, restricted meals.
• Verbal Abuse & Humiliation: Yelling, insults, public degradation, forced embarrassing attire.
• Strenuous Physical Activity: “Smokings” or extreme calisthenics (hundreds of push-ups/squats) presented as “conditioning.”
• Forced Consumption: Eating excessive amounts of bland food (milk, hot dogs) or unpleasant substances.

3. Violent Hazing: Activities with a high potential for severe injury or death.

• Forced Alcohol/Substance Consumption: The most common fatal pattern. “Big/Little” nights, drinking games like “Bible Study,” lineups, or forced chugging.
• Physical Beatings: Paddling, punching, kicking, or other physical assaults.
• Sexualized Abuse: Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, sexual assault.
• Dangerous Physical Rituals: “Glass ceiling” tackles, blindfolded challenges, exposure to extreme elements, being restrained or tied up.

Our flagship case, Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston & Pi Kappa Phi, illustrates this brutal spectrum. As reported in media coverage, Bermudez was subjected to a “pledge fanny pack” humiliation rule, forced overnight driving, cold-weather exposure, being sprayed in the face with a hose “similar to waterboarding,” and forced consumption of milk, hot dogs, and peppercorns until vomiting. The culminating “workout” on November 3, 2025—involving 100+ push-ups and 500 squats—induced rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, turning his urine brown and requiring multi-day hospitalization. This is what hazing looks like today.

The Texas Legal Framework: Criminal Penalties and Civil Liability

Waller County families have powerful legal tools. Hazing is both a crime and a civil wrong in Texas, creating multiple pathways to accountability.

Texas Criminal Hazing Law (Education Code Chapter 37)

• Definition: Any reckless or intentional act that endangers physical/mental health for purposes of initiation into or affiliation with an organization.
• Key Provisions:
  • §37.152: Hazing is a Class B Misdemeanor. It becomes a State Jail Felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death.
  • §37.153: Organizations themselves can be prosecuted and fined up to $10,000 if they authorize hazing or if an officer knowingly fails to report it.
  • §37.154: Good-Faith Immunity protects those who report hazing or seek emergency medical assistance.
  • §37.155: Consent is NOT a Defense. This directly counters the common argument that “they wanted to do it.”
• Jurisdiction for Waller County Families: Criminal charges can be filed with the local police where the hazing occurred (campus PD, city PD) or the county sheriff. For incidents at Prairie View A&M, the Waller County Sheriff’s Office and Prairie View University Police have jurisdiction.

Civil Liability: The Path to Compensation and Accountability

A civil lawsuit is separate from criminal charges. Its goal is to compensate the victim and hold all responsible entities financially accountable. Potential defendants in a hazing lawsuit include:

1. Individual Perpetrators: The members who planned, executed, or supervised the hazing.
2. The Local Chapter: As an unincorporated association or housing corporation.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: Often the deepest pocket, liable for negligent supervision, failure to enforce policies, and prior knowledge of dangerous patterns.
4. The University/Board of Regents: For negligence in supervision, failure to investigate prior reports, or violating duties under Title IX or the Clery Act.
5. Third Parties: Property owners of off-campus houses, alumni advisors, or event venues.

The Bermudez case showcases this comprehensive approach. The lawsuit names 13 individual fraternity leaders, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu housing corporation, Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters, the University of Houston, and the UH System Board of Regents. This reflects our strategy of leaving no liable party unexamined.

Federal Law Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and the Stop Campus Hazing Act

• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, universities have a federal duty to investigate and address it.
• Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain crimes, including assaults that may occur during hazing.
• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires increased transparency, public reporting of hazing incidents, and enhanced prevention programs at federally-funded schools by 2026.

Learning from National Tragedy: Pattern Evidence that Strengthens Your Case

Successful hazing litigation often relies on “pattern evidence”—showing that a national organization knew or should have known its chapters were engaging in dangerous, predictable conduct. These landmark cases shape the legal landscape for Waller County families.

• Stone Foltz, Bowling Green State University (Pi Kappa Alpha, 2021): A pledge died after being forced to drink a bottle of alcohol. Result: A $10 million settlement, with individual chapter officers held personally liable.
• Timothy Piazza, Penn State University (Beta Theta Pi, 2017): Death from traumatic brain injury after a bid-night drinking event. Result: Dozens of criminal convictions and Pennsylvania’s “Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law.”
• Max Gruver, LSU (Phi Delta Theta, 2017): Death from alcohol poisoning after a “Bible study” drinking game. Result: Felony convictions and Louisiana’s “Max Gruver Act.”
• Andrew Coffey, Florida State University (Pi Kappa Phi, 2017): Death from acute alcohol poisoning. Result: Chapter closure and statewide reforms.
• Danny Santulli, University of Missouri (Phi Gamma Delta, 2021): Permanent brain damage from forced drinking. Result: Multi-million dollar settlements with 22 defendants.

These cases prove that juries and courts will hold national organizations massively accountable when their “traditions” lead to injury and death. The same national fraternities named in these tragedies—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Pi Kappa Phi—have active chapters at Texas universities. Their national history of hazing becomes powerful evidence of foreseeability and negligence in a Texas case.

The Texas University Landscape: A Waller County Parent’s Guide

Waller County families have deep connections to the broader Texas university system. While Prairie View A&M University is in our own backyard, many of our students also attend major hubs in Houston, College Station, Austin, and beyond. Hazing is a risk across this ecosystem.

Prairie View A&M University (Waller County)

Campus Snapshot: As our local historically Black university and a member of the Texas A&M System, PVAMU has a vibrant campus life including National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC or “Divine Nine”) fraternities and sororities, whose traditions, unfortunately, have sometimes been perverted into dangerous hazing.

Hazing Policy & Reporting: PVAMU prohibits hazing under Texas law and A&M System policy. Reports can be made to the Office of Student Conduct, PVAMU Police, or anonymously through campus hotlines.

For Waller County Families: An incident at PVAMU may involve the Waller County Sheriff’s Office, PVAMU Police, and student conduct offices. Civil cases could be filed in Waller County courts. We have the local knowledge to navigate this specific jurisdiction.

University of Houston (UH) – The Flagship Case in Our Backyard

The Active Case: The Leonel Bermudez lawsuit is our primary example of serious, active hazing litigation in the Houston area. As detailed in the Click2Houston and ABC13 reports, the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter engaged in systemic abuse at their chapter house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park. The chapter was suspended on November 6, 2025, and voted to surrender its charter on November 14, 2025, after Bermudez was hospitalized.

Why This Matters to Waller County: UH is a major destination for students from our region. This case proves that catastrophic hazing is happening right now at a major Texas university we are closely connected to. It demonstrates the legal strategies we use: naming every entity from national headquarters to individual members.

Texas A&M University (Including the Corps of Cadets)

High-Risk Environment: Texas A&M’s strong tradition includes a large Greek system and the Corps of Cadets, both with documented hazing issues.

Documented Incidents:

• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burn Case (2021): Pledges alleged being doused in industrial-strength cleaner and other substances, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts. A lawsuit sought $1 million.
• Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Case (2023): A lawsuit alleged a cadet was bound between beds in a degrading, simulated sexual position as part of hazing.

For Waller County Families: The A&M System governs both Texas A&M and Prairie View A&M. Patterns of oversight (or lack thereof) in College Station can be relevant to cases in Prairie View.

University of Texas at Austin (UT)

Public Transparency Leader: UT maintains a public online log of hazing violations, providing a unique window into ongoing issues.

Example from UT’s Log:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): Sanctioned for hazing that included directing new members to consume milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.

Legal Advantage: This public record is invaluable for proving a university’s prior knowledge of a specific organization’s dangerous behavior, a key element in negligence claims.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

As private institutions with prominent Greek life, hazing cases here involve complex insurance coverage and discovery battles against well-resourced defendants. Our experience in federal court and against large institutions is critical in these venues.

The Greek Ecosystem: National Histories That Haunt Texas Campuses

The fraternities and sororities on Texas campuses are chapters of national organizations. When we take a case, we immediately investigate the national organization’s history—because patterns repeat. Here is a snapshot of organizations with documented, severe hazing histories that also operate at Texas schools:

• Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ): National pattern of alcohol-related hazing deaths (Stone Foltz at BGSU). Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, Baylor.
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ): Multiple deaths and injuries nationwide; faced the chemical burn lawsuit at Texas A&M. Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU.
• Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ): Andrew Coffey’s death at FSU; now the subject of our active Bermudez lawsuit at UH. Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT.
• Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ): Max Gruver’s death at LSU. Present at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, Baylor.
• Kappa Alpha Order (ΚΑ): Multiple hazing suspensions, including at SMU. Present at Texas A&M, SMU, Baylor.

This is not guilt by association—it is evidence of foreseeability. When a national organization has paid millions for hazing deaths in Ohio or Louisiana, it cannot claim ignorance when the same rituals cause injury in Texas. We use this pattern evidence to break through defenses and secure justice.

How We Build a Hazing Case: Evidence, Damages, and Strategy

When you come to us, we launch a multi-front investigation designed to identify every source of liability and maximize accountability. Here is our process:

The Evidence We Pursue

1. Digital Forensics: The #1 source of evidence. We secure and analyze group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp), text messages, social media (Instagram stories, Snapchats), and chapter communications. We work with experts to recover deleted messages.
2. Internal Organization Records: Through discovery, we obtain the national fraternity/sorority’s risk management files, prior incident reports for the chapter, training materials, and communications with local advisors.
3. University Records: We subpoena the school’s disciplinary files on the organization, prior complaints, Clery Act reports, and internal emails discussing the chapter or hazing risks.
4. Medical & Psychological Documentation: We compile all ER records, hospitalizations, specialist reports, and mental health evaluations to fully document the harm.
5. Witness Testimony: We interview other pledges, former members, roommates, and bystanders to reconstruct events and establish a culture of coercion.

Types of Damages We Seek to Recover

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (past and future), lost wages, costs of therapy, and diminished future earning capacity if injuries are permanent.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional trauma, PTSD, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the profound grief and loss of companionship suffered by the family.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of egregious conduct or cover-ups, we seek damages intended to punish the wrongdoers and deter future hazing.

Overcoming the Common Defenses

We anticipate and dismantle the standard defenses:

• “They Consented”: Texas law explicitly voids this defense. We show the power imbalance and coercion.
• “It Was a Rogue Chapter”: We use pattern evidence to prove the national organization knew of the risks.
• “It Happened Off-Campus”: Liability is based on sponsorship and control, not just property lines.
• “Our Insurance Doesn’t Cover Hazing”: Our insider knowledge (from Mr. Lupe Peña’s years as an insurance defense attorney) helps us navigate coverage battles and argue for negligent supervision, which is often covered.

Practical Guide for Waller County Families and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and Action Steps

Red Flags Your Child May Be Hazed:

• Unexplained injuries, bruises, or burns.
• Extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, or drastic weight changes.
• Sudden secrecy about organization activities.
• Personality changes: anxiety, depression, withdrawal.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Financial drains for unexplained “fines,” alcohol, or gifts.

If You Suspect Hazing:

1. Talk Calmly: Ask open-ended questions. “I’m concerned about you. Is anything happening that feels unsafe or degrading?”
2. Prioritize Safety: If they are in danger, get them out. Medical care comes first.
3. Preserve Evidence: Follow the 48-hour checklist at the start of this guide.
4. Contact Us Before Reporting: We can advise on how to report to campus or police in a way that protects your child’s rights and preserves legal claims.
5. Do Not Go It Alone: Universities have legal teams whose goal is to limit liability. Have an advocate.

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

Trust Your Instincts. If an activity feels coercive, dangerous, or degrading, it likely is hazing.
You Have the Right to Leave. Your safety and dignity are more important than any organization.
Safe Exit Strategy:

• Tell a trusted person outside the group (parent, friend, advisor) first.
• Send a simple, written resignation: “I am resigning my membership, effective immediately.”
• Do NOT attend “exit meetings” where you could be pressured or threatened.
• If you fear retaliation, report it immediately to campus police and the Dean of Students.

Critical Mistakes That Can Undermine Your Case

1. Deleting Evidence: Preserve all messages and photos. Deletion can look like a cover-up.
2. Confronting the Organization Directly: This triggers evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Signing University “Resolution” Papers: These often include waivers of your right to sue.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: The Texas statute of limitations is generally two years. Evidence and witness memories fade fast.

Why Waller County Families Choose The Manginello Law Firm (Attorney911)

When your family faces the trauma of hazing, you need more than a lawyer; you need a team of institutional fighters with a proven playbook for victory. Here is why we are uniquely equipped to serve Waller County.

1. We Are Fighting the Battle Right Now. We are not theoretical experts—we are lead counsel in the $10 million Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit, one of the most serious active hazing cases in Texas. We know the current tactics of national fraternities and university defense teams because we are in the trenches today.

2. Unmatched Investigative Depth: The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine. For our Texas clients, we don’t start from scratch. We maintain a proprietary data engine built from public records, tracking over 1,423 Greek organizations across 25 Texas metros. For the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro (which encompasses Waller County), we track 188 Greek-related entities. This means we already have insights into the organizational landscape behind the fraternities and sororities at PVAMU, UH, and other schools our Waller County students attend.

• A Sample from Our Houston-Area Public Records Directory:
  • Texas District of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity (Houston, TX – alumni/house corp.)
  • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Houston Alumnae Chapter (Houston, TX)
  • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority – Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter (Houston, TX – grad chapter)
  • Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – Beta Sigma Chapter (Houston, TX – undergrad chapter)
  • Pi Kappa Phi Delta Omega Chapter Building Corporation, EIN 371768785 (Missouri City, TX)
  • Beta Nu Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Housing Corporation Inc., EIN 462267515 (Frisco, TX)

This data allows us to immediately identify the legal entities, EINs, and potential insurance carriers behind the chapters, turning a confusing Greek alphabet into a clear liability map.

3. Insider Knowledge of the Defense Playbook. Our attorney, Mr. Lupe Peña (he/him), spent years as a defense attorney for a national insurance firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers undervalue claims, use delay tactics, and argue exclusions. We use this insider knowledge to anticipate and counter their every move.

4. Experience Against Billion-Dollar Defendants. Managing Partner Ralph Manginello was one of the few plaintiff attorneys involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We have faced the deepest pockets and most aggressive defense firms. We are not intimidated by national fraternities or university legal teams.

5. Dual Civil & Criminal Capability. Ralph Manginello’s membership in the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) means we understand criminal hazing charges. We can expertly advise families and witnesses navigating both criminal and civil proceedings, ensuring one strategy supports the other.

6. Spanish-Language Services Available. Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish (Se habla Español). We are committed to serving all Waller County and Texas families in the language they are most comfortable with.

7. A Track Record of Multi-Million Dollar Results. We have recovered millions for clients in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. We know how to work with economists and life-care planners to build a damages model that reflects the true, lifelong cost of an injury.

Your Next Step: A Free, Confidential Consultation

If hazing has hurt your child, the path forward begins with a conversation. We offer a no-obligation, completely confidential case evaluation.

In your free consultation, we will:

• Listen compassionately to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your family’s legal rights under Texas and federal law.
• Outline the potential claims and identify all possible responsible parties.
• Discuss our investigative strategy and what you can expect.
• Explain our contingency fee structure: You pay nothing unless we win your case.

We serve families throughout Texas from our offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Whether you are in Waller, Prairie View, Hempstead, or anywhere in our region, we are here to help you secure justice, obtain compensation for your child’s recovery, and force the systemic changes needed to protect the next generation of students.

You do not have to face this alone. Call the Legal Emergency Lawyers™ today.

Contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911)
Phone: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911) | Direct: (713) 528-9070
Website: https://attorney911.com
Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com
Se habla Español.

Legal Disclaimer: This guide 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. We encourage you to seek independent legal counsel for advice on your specific situation. The information is current as of late 2025.