Hazing Victims in Worcester County, Massachusetts: Your Legal Rights and How We Can Help

🚨 The Hazing Crisis in Worcester County: What Families Need to Know

Worcester County is home to some of Massachusetts’ most prestigious colleges and universities, including Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Assumption University, and Becker College. Greek life thrives at many of these institutions, with fraternities and sororities like Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike), Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, and others operating active chapters across the region.

But behind the Greek letters and campus traditions lies a dark reality: hazing is happening right here in Worcester County. And it’s not just “harmless pranks” or “initiation rituals.” It’s abuse. It’s torture. It’s life-threatening.

🔴 What Hazing Looks Like in Worcester County

Hazing in Worcester County fraternities and student organizations often includes:

✅ Forced alcohol consumption – Pledges are made to drink until they vomit, pass out, or suffer alcohol poisoning.
✅ Extreme physical punishment – Hundreds of pushups, squats, bear crawls, and other exercises until muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) or injury.
✅ Sleep deprivation – Pledges forced to stay up all night, then expected to function normally the next day.
✅ Psychological torture – Humiliation, verbal abuse, threats of expulsion, and social isolation.
✅ Simulated drowning (waterboarding) – A form of torture that has sent students to the hospital.
✅ Forced consumption of non-food items – Peppercorns, hot sauce, or other substances that cause vomiting or choking.
✅ Sexual humiliation – Being forced to carry sexual objects, strip naked, or endure degrading acts.
✅ Paddling and beatings – Physical assault with wooden paddles or other objects.
✅ Confinement – Locked in small spaces, basements, or closets for extended periods.

These aren’t isolated incidents. This is happening at Worcester County colleges and universities right now.

⚠️ The Medical Consequences of Hazing in Worcester County

Hazing doesn’t just leave emotional scars—it can cause permanent physical damage or even death. Some of the most common medical consequences include:

🩺 Rhabdomyolysis – Muscle breakdown from extreme exercise, leading to kidney failure (just like what happened to our client in Texas).
🩺 Acute alcohol poisoning – Can cause coma, brain damage, or death.
🩺 Traumatic brain injury – From falls, beatings, or lack of oxygen.
🩺 Hypothermia or heatstroke – From forced exposure to extreme temperatures.
🩺 Internal bleeding – From physical abuse or forced consumption.
🩺 PTSD, anxiety, and depression – Long-term psychological trauma from abuse.
🩺 Suicide – Victims of severe hazing are at high risk for self-harm.

If your child was hazed in Worcester County, they could be suffering from one or more of these conditions right now—and you may not even know it.

💔 Real Hazing Cases That Hit Close to Home in Massachusetts

1. Stone Foltz (Bowling Green State, 2021) – $10.1 Million Settlement

• What happened: A Pi Kappa Alpha pledge was forced to drink an entire bottle of alcohol at a “Big Brother” event.
• Result: He died from alcohol poisoning.
• Outcome: The university and fraternity paid $10.1 million in damages.

Why this matters for Worcester County:
Pi Kappa Alpha has active chapters at WPI and other Massachusetts schools. If they allowed this in Ohio, what’s stopping them from doing it here?

2. Maxwell Gruver (LSU, 2017) – $6.1 Million Jury Verdict

• What happened: A Phi Delta Theta pledge was forced to drink during a “Bible Study” hazing event.
• Result: His BAC reached 0.495 (6x the legal limit)—he died from alcohol poisoning.
• Outcome: The fraternity was hit with a $6.1 million jury verdict, and Louisiana passed the Max Gruver Act, making hazing a felony.

Why this matters for Worcester County:
Phi Delta Theta has chapters at UMass Amherst and other New England schools. If they did this in Louisiana, they could be doing it in Massachusetts too.

3. Timothy Piazza (Penn State, 2017) – $110+ Million Settlement

• What happened: A Beta Theta Pi pledge was forced to drink 18 alcoholic drinks in 82 minutes.
• Result: He fell down stairs multiple times, suffered a traumatic brain injury, and fraternity members waited 12 hours before calling 911.
• Outcome: The family received a confidential settlement estimated at over $110 million, and Pennsylvania passed the Timothy Piazza Antihazing Law.

Why this matters for Worcester County:
Beta Theta Pi has chapters at Boston University and other Massachusetts schools. If they let a student die in Pennsylvania, what’s stopping them from doing it here?

4. Andrew Coffey (Florida State, 2017) – Pi Kappa Phi Death

• What happened: A Pi Kappa Phi pledge was forced to drink an entire bottle of bourbon.
• Result: He died from alcohol poisoning.
• Outcome: The chapter was permanently closed, and multiple members were criminally charged.

Why this matters for Worcester County:
Pi Kappa Phi has two chapters in Massachusetts (WPI and another school). If they killed a student in Florida, they could be hazing students in Worcester County right now.

📜 Massachusetts Hazing Laws: What Worcester County Families Need to Know

Massachusetts has strict anti-hazing laws designed to protect students. If your child was hazed, they have strong legal rights.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 269, Section 17-19 – Anti-Hazing Law

Definition of Hazing:

“Any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person.”

This includes:

• Forced alcohol consumption
• Physical abuse (paddling, beatings, extreme exercise)
• Sleep deprivation
• Psychological torture
• Any activity that puts a student at risk of injury or death

Criminal Penalties for Hazing in Massachusetts

Important: Consent is NOT a defense. Even if your child “agreed” to participate, the law says they cannot legally consent to hazing.

Civil Liability: Who Can Be Sued in Worcester County?

If your child was hazed, multiple parties can be held legally and financially responsible, including:

✅ The local fraternity chapter – Directly organized and conducted the hazing.
✅ The national fraternity/sorority organization – Failed to supervise, enforce anti-hazing policies, or stop known abuses.
✅ The university/college – Owned or controlled the property where hazing occurred; failed to protect students.
✅ Individual fraternity/sorority members – Participated in, directed, or failed to stop the hazing.
✅ Chapter officers (President, Pledgemaster, etc.) – Leadership responsibility; could be held personally liable.
✅ Alumni who allowed hazing at their homes – Premises liability for hosting dangerous activities.
✅ Insurance companies – Many fraternities and universities have liability insurance that covers hazing claims.

💰 How Much Is a Worcester County Hazing Case Worth?

Hazing cases can result in multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts, especially when:

✔ The victim suffered serious injuries (hospitalization, surgery, permanent damage).
✔ The university or fraternity knew about prior hazing incidents but failed to act.
✔ The hazing involved extreme or violent conduct (waterboarding, beatings, forced alcohol).
✔ Multiple victims come forward (pattern evidence increases case value).

Recent Hazing Settlements & Verdicts (What Worcester County Families Can Expect)

Worcester County families: These same results are possible for your case. We are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit in Texas, and we will bring the same aggressive representation to Massachusetts.

🚨 What to Do If Your Child Was Hazed in Worcester County

If your child was hazed at a Worcester County college or university, time is critical. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and legal deadlines expire.

✅ Step 1: Get Medical Help Immediately

• If your child is injured, take them to the ER or urgent care immediately.
• Even if they seem “fine,” some injuries (like rhabdomyolysis) don’t show symptoms right away.
• Document everything—hospital records, doctor’s notes, and photos of injuries.

✅ Step 2: Preserve All Evidence

Hazing cases are won or lost based on evidence. You must preserve everything related to the incident:

📱 Text messages, GroupMe chats, Snapchats, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp messages – Screenshot and save everything.
📸 Photos and videos – Any images of hazing activities, injuries, or locations.
📝 Documents – Pledge manuals, schedules, rules, or any written materials given to your child.
📞 Witness information – Names and contact info of other pledges, friends, or bystanders.
📅 Social media posts – Any posts about the hazing (even if deleted, we can subpoena records).
🏥 Medical records – Hospital bills, doctor’s notes, therapy records.

⚠️ WARNING: Do NOT delete anything. Even if you think it’s embarrassing or incriminating, it could be critical evidence in your case.

✅ Step 3: Do NOT Talk to the Fraternity, University, or Their Lawyers

• The fraternity, university, and their insurance companies will try to contact you.
• They will try to get you to say things that hurt your case.
• They will offer lowball settlements to make the problem go away.
• Do NOT sign anything without talking to a lawyer first.

✅ Step 4: Contact a Hazing Lawyer Immediately

• Massachusetts has a 3-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims.
• The sooner you act, the stronger your case will be.
• We offer FREE, confidential consultations—no obligation, no upfront cost.

📞 Call Attorney 911 Now: 1-888-ATTY-911

Email: ralph@atty911.com
Available 24/7 for Worcester County hazing emergencies

🏆 Why Worcester County Families Choose Attorney 911

We are not just any law firm. We are hazing litigation specialists with:

✅ 25+ years of courtroom experience – We’ve taken on universities, fraternities, and insurance companies—and won.
✅ Former insurance defense attorneys – We know how they think, how they fight, and how to beat them.
✅ Federal court admission – We can pursue Worcester County cases in federal court if needed.
✅ Dual-state bar licenses (Texas & New York) – We can take on national fraternities headquartered anywhere in the U.S.
✅ Bilingual staff (Spanish & English) – We serve Worcester County’s diverse student population.
✅ Nationwide hazing expertise – We are currently litigating a $10 million hazing lawsuit in Texas and have handled cases involving Pi Kappa Phi, Kappa Sigma, and other fraternities.
✅ Proven results – Multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts for victims of institutional negligence.
✅ We come to Worcester County – We will travel to you for depositions, meetings, and trials.

💬 What Our Clients Say About Us

“Consistent communication and not one time did I call and not get a clear answer regarding my case.” – Dame Haskett
“They fought with the other party insurance and got me more of the settlement that I was expecting.” – Vivian Ruiz
“One company said they would not accept my case. Then I got a call from Manginello and they said that they would take it. And in the next few months, I got a call to pick up this handsome check.” – Donald Wilcox
“If you’re ever in a car accident, I highly recommend you give them a call 10/10. The staff provides great customer service and show they are a firm that cares about their clients!” – Devin Hebert

📍 We Serve All of Worcester County, Massachusetts

We represent hazing victims from all Worcester County colleges and universities, including:

🎓 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
🎓 Clark University
🎓 College of the Holy Cross
🎓 Assumption University
🎓 Becker College
🎓 Fitchburg State University
🎓 Mount Wachusett Community College
🎓 Quinsigamond Community College
🎓 And other schools across Worcester County

No matter where the hazing happened in Worcester County, we can help.

🚫 Warning to Worcester County Fraternities: We Are Coming for You

To the fraternities operating in Worcester County—Pi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, Phi Delta Theta, and others—we have a message:

We are watching. We know your chapters. We know your national organizations. We know your insurance policies. And if you haze students in Worcester County, we will sue you for everything you’ve got.

Pi Kappa Phi: You already have two serious hazing incidents (Andrew Coffey’s death in 2017 and our client’s hospitalization in 2025). How many more before you change?

Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): You paid $10.1 million after Stone Foltz died. Your Worcester County chapters are next.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): You’ve been hit with multiple lawsuits across the country. We know what you’re doing in Massachusetts.

Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, Phi Delta Theta, and others: You think you can hide behind “tradition.” You can’t. The law is clear: hazing is illegal, and we will hold you accountable.

Universities in Worcester County: You own the fraternity houses. You collect the rent. You have the power to stop this. If you don’t, you will pay.

🎯 The Message to Worcester County Parents: Your Child Deserves Justice

If your child was hazed at a Worcester County college or university, you are not powerless.

• They did not “consent” to being tortured. Massachusetts law says consent is not a defense.
• The university failed to protect them. If the school knew or should have known about hazing, they are legally responsible.
• The fraternity’s insurance will pay. National fraternities have millions in liability coverage.
• You can hold them accountable. Multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts are possible.

We are Attorney 911. We are Ralph Manginello and Lupe Pena. And we are here to fight for Worcester County families.

📞 Call Now for a Free, Confidential Consultation: 1-888-ATTY-911

Email: ralph@atty911.com
Available 24/7 for Worcester County hazing emergencies

We work on contingency—you pay nothing unless we win.

Worcester County families: Enough is enough. Let’s end hazing together.