A Guide for West Columbia Families: Understanding Hazing, the Law, and University Accountability in Texas

If you are a parent in West Columbia, Brazoria County, your worst nightmare might begin with a late-night phone call. Your child, who you thought was safely navigating college life at the University of Houston, Texas A&M, or another Texas campus, is in the hospital. The story is confusing—a “pledge event,” a “team-building exercise,” or “just a party.” But the reality is a medical emergency, an administrative cover-up, and a profound violation of trust. This guide is for you.

Right now in Texas, our firm is fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in recent memory. We represent Leonel Bermudez, a University of Houston student who was hazed by the Pi Kappa Phi Beta Nu chapter in Fall 2025. The alleged abuse—which included forced extreme exercise, food consumption until vomiting, humiliation with a “pledge fanny pack,” and being sprayed with a hose “similar to waterboarding”—led to rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) and acute kidney failure. His urine turned brown, he required a four-day hospitalization, and he faces a lifetime of health risks. This $10 million lawsuit against the university, Pi Kappa Phi national headquarters, and 13 fraternity leaders is unfolding right here in our state.

This guide will explain what hazing really is in 2025, how Texas law protects your child, what we’ve learned from national tragedies, and what is happening on major Texas campuses. As parents in West Columbia and across the Brazos Valley, your children may attend local colleges or universities across the state; the risks and the legal recourse are the same.

If This Just Happened: Immediate Steps for West Columbia Families

• Medical Emergency? Call 911. Then call us at 1-888-ATTY-911.
• Preserve Evidence: Screenshot EVERY group chat, text, and social media post before they are deleted. Photograph all injuries and any physical objects involved.
• Write it Down: Document names, dates, times, locations, and everything your child tells you while memories are fresh.
• Do NOT:
  • Confront the fraternity, sorority, or coach directly.
  • Let your child delete anything from their phone.
  • Sign any documents from the university or an insurance company.
  • Post details on public social media.
• Call a Lawyer Fast: Evidence disappears within hours. Universities move quickly to control the narrative. Contact Attorney911 at 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation.

1. What Hazing Really Looks Like in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

For West Columbia families, hazing might conjure images of outdated movies. The reality is more insidious, dangerous, and digitally entrenched.

Hazing is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—on or off campus—that endangers a student’s mental or physical health for the purpose of joining, maintaining membership in, or holding office in any organization. The law recognizes that what a teenager “agrees to” under immense peer pressure and the fear of exclusion does not constitute true consent.

Modern hazing has evolved into a tiered system of abuse:

Tier 1: Subtle Hazing (The “Gateway”)
This establishes power imbalances and is often dismissed as “tradition.” It includes forced labor (chauffeuring members, cleaning), deceptive secrecy oaths, being “on call” 24/7 via group chat, social isolation from non-members, and time-consuming, meaningless tasks interfering with academics.

Tier 2: Harassment Hazing
This causes real emotional and physical distress: sleep deprivation with 3 AM wake-up calls, verbal abuse and “grilling” sessions, food/water restriction, forced consumption of disgusting substances, and extreme calisthenics under threats of expulsion. The Leonel Bermudez case at UH illustrates this with the “pledge fanny pack” humiliation and the Nov 3 workout of 100+ push-ups and 500 squats.

Tier 3: Violent Hazing
This carries a high risk of injury or death. It includes forced alcohol consumption (like the “Big/Little” nights that killed Stone Foltz at Bowling Green), physical beatings/paddling, dangerous physical “tests,” sexualized acts, kidnapping/restraint, and exposure to extreme elements. At UH, this escalated to a pledge being hog-tied and Bermudez being sprayed in the face with a hose.

Today, this abuse is digitally coordinated, archived on smartphones, and often moved to off-campus Airbnbs or remote retreats to avoid university oversight. The psychological pressure is constant, delivered via GroupMe, Instagram DMs, and Snapchat.

2. The Legal Framework: Texas Law and Your Family’s Rights

As a West Columbia family, your case is governed by Texas law and the federal statutes that apply to all students.

Texas Education Code Chapter 37 (The Hazing Statute)

Texas law is clear and powerful. Hazing is a criminal offense defined as reckless or intentional acts that endanger a student for purposes of initiation or affiliation. Key provisions vital for parents:

• § 37.155: Consent is NOT a Defense. It doesn’t matter if your child “went along with it.” The law is designed to protect them from their own coerced consent.
• Penalties Escalate: Hazing is a Class B misdemeanor, but becomes a State Jail Felony if it causes serious bodily injury or death. Fraternity leaders can face years in prison.
• Organization Liability: The fraternity, sorority, or club itself can be fined up to $10,000 and lose its campus recognition.
• Immunity for Reporting: Those who call for medical help in good faith are protected from prosecution related to that call.

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Two Paths to Accountability

• Criminal Cases: Brought by the state (DA or county attorney). Goal: Punishment (jail, fines, probation). Charges can include hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to minors, and more.
• Civil Cases: Brought by your family and your attorneys. Goal: Compensation for damages and institutional accountability. This is where we hold every responsible party liable—the individuals, the local chapter, the national headquarters, and sometimes the university itself.

The Federal Overlay

• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): Requires universities to report hazing incidents publicly and bolster prevention programs. This increases transparency for families.
• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based abuse, federal Title IX procedures and potential liability apply.
• The Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain campus crimes, which can include hazing-related assaults.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Civil Lawsuit?

Our job is to identify and pursue every entity with responsibility and insurance coverage:

1. The Individual Participants: The members who planned, supervised, or carried out the acts.
2. The Local Chapter: As a legal entity, often with its own insurance.
3. The National Fraternity/Sorority Headquarters: They collect dues, set policies, and have a duty to supervise. Their national history of incidents proves they knew the risks.
4. The University: May be liable for negligent supervision, especially if they had prior knowledge of dangerous practices.
5. Third Parties: Property owners, landlords of off-campus houses, or bars that overserved alcohol.

3. National Cases: The Tragic Patterns That Shape Texas Law

The following high-profile cases are not just news stories; they are legal precedents that establish patterns of negligence your Texas attorney can use. They show juries and insurance companies that these tragedies are foreseeable and preventable.

• Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, 2021 – Pi Kappa Alpha): Died from alcohol poisoning after a “Big/Little” night. Result: $10 million settlement ($7M from national fraternity, ~$3M from university). The chapter president was personally ordered to pay $6.5 million.
• Timothy Piazza (Penn State, 2017 – Beta Theta Pi): Died from traumatic brain injury after a bid-acceptance drinking event, with help delayed for hours. Result: Dozens of criminal convictions and the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law in Pennsylvania.
• Max Gruver (LSU, 2017 – Phi Delta Theta): Died from alcohol toxicity after a “Bible study” drinking game. Result: The Max Gruver Act made hazing a felony in Louisiana.
• Danny Santulli (Univ. of Missouri, 2021 – Phi Gamma Delta): Suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage from forced drinking. Result: Confidential multi-million-dollar settlements with 22 defendants.
• Andrew Coffey (Florida State, 2017 – Pi Kappa Phi): Died from alcohol poisoning during a “Big Brother” event, leading to a system-wide Greek life suspension at FSU.

These cases share a DNA with what allegedly happened to Leonel Bermudez at UH: forced consumption, extreme physical exertion, a culture of secrecy, and delayed medical concern. They prove that national organizations are on notice about these deadly rituals.

4. The Texas University Landscape: Where West Columbia Students Go

The “Big 5” & Their Hazing Realities

West Columbia families often send students to major universities across Texas. Each has its own Greek life ecosystem and history of incidents.

University of Houston (UH)

• For West Columbia: As part of the Greater Houston area, UH is a major destination. The courts handling a UH case would be in Harris County.
• Recent Major Case: The Leonel Bermudez v. UH & Pi Kappa Phi lawsuit is the flagship example. The complaint details hazing at the chapter house, a Culmore Drive residence, and Yellowstone Boulevard Park. UH called the conduct “deeply disturbing” and the chapter voted to surrender its charter. This case is active, high-stakes proof of the severe hazing occurring at Texas universities.
• UH’s Framework: Hazing violations are handled by the Dean of Students and UHPD. Prior incidents, like a 2016 Pi Kappa Alpha case involving a lacerated spleen, show a pattern.

Texas A&M University

• For West Columbia: Many Brazoria County students choose A&M. Jurisdiction for related cases would involve Brazos County courts.
• Notable Incidents:
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): A 2021 lawsuit alleged pledges were doused with an industrial-strength cleaner, causing severe chemical burns requiring skin grafts.
  • Corps of Cadets: A 2023 lawsuit alleged a freshman was subjected to sexually degrading hazing, including being bound in a “roasted pig” position.
• Key Insight: Hazing at A&M spans both traditional Greek life and the revered Corps of Cadets, requiring attorneys familiar with both cultures.

University of Texas at Austin (UT)

• For West Columbia: A top choice for academically competitive students. Travis County courts have jurisdiction.
• Transparency Tool: UT maintains a public hazing violations log, a resource for parents and attorneys. Entries show sanctions against groups like Pi Kappa Alpha for forced milk consumption and calisthenics, and spirit groups for abusive workouts.
• SAE at UT: A 2024 lawsuit alleges an exchange student was assaulted at an SAE party, suffering a broken nose and dislocated leg. The chapter was already on suspension for prior violations.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) & Baylor University

• As private, prominent universities with strong Greek systems, both have faced hazing scandals (e.g., Kappa Alpha Order at SMU in 2017, baseball team hazing at Baylor in 2020). Their private status affects transparency but not liability.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: What Universities and Fraternities Don’t Want You to Know

We don’t start from scratch. For Texas cases, we deploy a proprietary data engine built from public records to map the entire ecosystem behind a fraternity or sorority. This includes:

• IRS Records (Table A): We have the Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), legal names, and addresses of over 125 Texas-registered Greek housing corporations, alumni chapters, and honor societies.
• Metro Analysis (Table C): We track the 188 Greek-related organizations in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area and 154 in the Austin-Round Rock metro.
• Chapter Mapping: We connect national brands to their local Texas entities.

Why this matters for a West Columbia family: If your child was hazed at UH by Pi Kappa Phi, we already know to look beyond the suspended undergraduate chapter. We identify the Beta Nu housing corporation (EIN: 462267515, Frisco, TX), the national Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, and any related alumni or property entities in Texas that may hold insurance or assets. This depth of investigation is what uncovers the full scope of liability.

5. National Fraternity & Sorority Histories: Patterns of Foreseeability

When we take on a case against Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Texas A&M or Pi Kappa Alpha at UT, we are not just arguing about one night. We are presenting a national pattern that proves the organization knew the extreme risks and failed to prevent them.

• Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ): National pattern of alcohol hazing deaths (Stone Foltz, BGSU; David Bogenberger, NIU).
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ): One of the deadliest fraternities historically; faced lawsuits at Texas A&M (chemical burns) and UT Austin (assault).
• Pi Kappa Phi (ΠΚΦ): The national organization named in the UH Bermudez case also had a chapter involved in the death of Andrew Coffey at Florida State in 2017.
• Phi Delta Theta (ΦΔΘ): The death of Max Gruver at LSU led to felony hazing legislation.

This “pattern evidence” is crucial in court. It shatters the defense that an incident was an “unforeseeable accident” or the work of “a few rogue individuals.” It shows systemic failure.

6. Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and Damages

Critical Evidence for Your Case

1. Digital Communications: GroupMe, WhatsApp, and text threads are the modern “smoking gun.” We work with digital forensics experts to recover deleted messages.
2. Photos & Videos: Content shot by participants often provides undeniable proof. This includes social media stories and livestreams.
3. Medical Records: Documentation linking injuries (like rhabdomyolysis) directly to the hazing event is paramount. Psychological records for PTSD are equally critical.
4. Internal Documents: Pledge manuals, meeting minutes, and emails from national headquarters showing knowledge of risky traditions.
5. University Records: Prior conduct violations for the same organization, obtained through discovery or public records requests.

Understanding Damages: What Can Be Recovered

A successful civil case aims to make your family whole and punish the wrongdoers.

• Economic Damages: All medical bills (past and future), lost wages, costs of therapy, and diminished future earning capacity if your child suffers a permanent disability.
• Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (if applicable): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship for the family.
• Punitive Damages: In egregious cases, meant to punish the defendants and deter future conduct.

7. Practical Guide for West Columbia Parents & Students

For Parents: Warning Signs & Action Steps

Watch For: Unexplained injuries, extreme fatigue, withdrawal from family, sudden secrecy about group activities, personality changes (anxiety, depression), constant phone checking for group chats, and declining grades.

If You Suspect Hazing:

1. Talk Supportively: Ask open-ended questions. “I’m worried about you. Is there anything you’re being asked to do that makes you uncomfortable?”
2. Preserve Evidence: If they show you messages, screenshot them immediately.
3. Seek Medical Care: A doctor can document injuries and is a mandatory reporter in some cases.
4. Consult an Attorney BEFORE Reporting: We can guide you on how to report to the university or police in a way that protects your child’s rights and preserves the case.
5. Document Everything: Create a timeline of events.

For Students: Your Rights and Safety

• You Have the Right to Leave. No matter what they’ve told you, you can quit anytime.
• Texas Law Protects Good-Faith Reporters. If you call 911 for a medical emergency, you are protected from prosecution related to that call, even for underage drinking.
• Hazing is a Crime. You are the victim, not a willing participant.
• How to Exit Safely: Tell a trusted person outside the group first. Send a clear text/email resigning your membership. Do not go to a “final meeting.”

Critical Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case

1. Deleting Evidence: Preserve all texts and group chats.
2. Confronting the Organization Directly: This triggers their defense lawyers and leads to evidence destruction.
3. Signing University Paperwork: Do not sign any “resolution” agreements without an attorney.
4. Posting on Social Media: Defense attorneys scour social media for inconsistencies.
5. Waiting Too Long: Evidence disappears, witnesses become hostile, and the statute of limitations ticks away.

8. Why Attorney911 for Texas Hazing Cases

When your West Columbia family faces a hazing crisis, you need more than a general personal injury lawyer. You need attorneys who understand the intricate power structures of universities and national fraternities, and who know how to dismantle their defenses. Here is why we are uniquely equipped:

• Insider Insurance Knowledge (Mr. Lupe Peña): Before joining our firm, Mr. Peña worked for years as an insurance defense attorney at a national 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.
• Proven Against Billion-Dollar Defendants (Ralph Manginello): Our firm was one of the few in Texas involved in the BP Texas City explosion litigation. We are not intimidated by the deep pockets of national fraternities or large universities. We have federal court experience and a 25-year track record of complex litigation.
• The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: We don’t start investigations from zero. We maintain a proprietary database of Texas Greek organizations, their legal entities, and their histories, allowing us to immediately identify all potential defendants.
• 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 advise witnesses or concerned former members who may have criminal exposure.
• Spanish-Language Services: Mr. Peña speaks fluent Spanish. We are committed to serving all Texas families.
• A Mission-Driven Approach: We take these cases not just for compensation, but for accountability and prevention. As Mr. Peña said in the Bermudez case: “If this prevents harm to another person… Let’s bring this to light. Enough is enough.”

9. Your Next Step: A Confidential Consultation

If you are a parent in West Columbia, Angleton, Lake Jackson, or anywhere in Brazoria County and suspect your child has been hazed, you are not alone. The path forward can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to navigate it by yourself.

We invite you to contact The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC (Attorney911) for a free, completely confidential, no-obligation consultation. In this meeting, we will:

• Listen compassionately to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your legal options under Texas law in clear, straightforward terms.
• Discuss our investigative approach and how we fund cases on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we win.
• Help you make an informed decision about how to protect your child and seek justice.

Contact Attorney911 Today:

• Call: 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911)
• Direct: (713) 528-9070
• Cell: (713) 443-4781
• Email: ralph@atty911.com or lupe@atty911.com
• Website: https://attorney911.com
• Se habla Español.

Let our experience be your strength.

Educational Resources & Case Media

For more information, you can view the media coverage of the active University of Houston hazing case we are litigating:

• Click2Houston report: 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 coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/

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. We encourage you to seek legal counsel for advice on your particular situation.