A newly filed lawsuit claims the Beta Nu chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at the University of Houston subjected a student to extreme hazing that led to hospitalization, prompting the fraternity’s national organization to close the chapter.
The lawsuit, filed late on Nov. 20, claims the student, who had been accepted to UH as a transfer for the spring semester of 2026, was subjected to a physically and psychologically abusive pledge program during the fall 2025.
“At some point this has to stop. There’s gotta be someone or people in the frats that say, look, ‘That’s not part of what we’re about here’,” said attorney Ralph Manginello.
The lawsuit alleges pledges were required to carry a “pledge fanny pack” containing various items, and failure to comply was reportedly met with threats of punishment and expulsion. The fanny packs reportedly contained condoms, nicotine devices, a sex toy, and other “degrading or unnecessary items.”
The lawsuit further alleges that some hazing occurred off campus at a private residence on Culmore Drive or at a public park on Yellowstone Boulevard, where pledges were allegedly subjected to cold-weather exercises, vomiting-inducing rituals, and strenuous physical workouts including sprints, bear crawls, wheelbarrows, and “save-your-brother” drills.
Some members were allegedly performing exercises while being sprayed in the face with a water hose “in a manner amounting to waterboarding,” according to the lawsuit.
One pledge is said to have collapsed during a workout, with other pledges required to assist him, while another allegedly faced punishment for failing to complete 100 pushups.
The lawsuit claims the student who filed the lawsuit was singled out for punishment for missing a Halloween cleanup assignment. He allegedly performed hundreds of pushups, squats and wall-sits, while blindfolded, collapsed multiple times, and was forced to continue exercises despite visible exhaustion.
“It’s just really traumatizing for him,” Manginello said. “They decided to punish him way beyond what we could consider a normal punishment.”
His client reportedly experienced escalating pain and discolored urine in the following days, and was transported to a hospital on Nov. 6.
“The third day, he couldn’t move, and his mom rushed him to the hospital and he was admitted to the hospital for three days,” Manginello said. “His urine was brown.”
Medical tests showed critically elevated creatine kinase levels, consistent with rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure, according to the lawsuit, which adds that he required several days of inpatient care and continues to need medical and psychological support.
In September, members of a different fraternity at Texas A&M University had similar symptoms following similar strenuous activity, leading to a criminal investigation by the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office.
“Rhabdo is effectively a breakdown of skeletal muscle,” Houston Methodist’s Assistant Director of Emergency Department Dr. Neil Gandhi said. “Untreated cases can actually lead to permanent kidney injury and in rare cases even death.”
Thirteen defendants are named in the lawsuit, including the University of Houston, the Board of Regents of the UH System, the national organization and local chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, the local chapter’s housing corporation, as well as eight current or former fraternity members, including the chapter president, pledge master, sorority relations chair, and risk management officer.
“What happens is these, you know, frat guys that just go overboard and are just a little bit .. crazy in my opinion, ruin it for everybody. Hazing needs to stop. It’s about to be 2026,” Manginello said.
The University of Houston sent the following statement regarding the lawsuit on Friday morning:
“The University does not comment on pending litigation.”
When KPRC 2 News first learned about the hazing allegations earlier this week, the university sent the following statement:
The University of Houston confirmed that Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters closed the Beta Nu chapter after investigating alleged violations of the fraternity’s risk management policy and standards of conduct. The chapter members voted on Nov. 14, 2025, to surrender the charter to the national organization.
“The University of Houston has been informed by the national headquarters of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity that its UH chapter has been closed following an investigation of alleged violations of Pi Kappa Phi’s risk management policy and standards of conduct and findings of hazing. The chapter membership voted on November 14, 2025, to surrender the active chapter’s charter to the National organization.
The events investigated are deeply disturbing and represent a clear violation of our community standards. While only a small group of students are alleged to be involved, the University does not tolerate hazing in any form. We commend Pi Kappa Phi’s national headquarters for promptly investigating the allegations, placing the chapter on interim suspension, notifying the University and taking decisive action leading to closure of the chapter.
The University is conducting its own investigation in coordination with law enforcement and with the cooperation of the fraternity and its national leadership. Pending the outcome of these investigations, any individual found responsible for hazing will face disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion and potential criminal charges.
UH is committed to cultivating a campus culture based on respect, dignity and accountability. The University is actively connecting with students affected by these incidents to ensure they have access to support services, including counseling, academic assistance and housing resources."
The national organization of Pi Kappa Phi didn’t comment on the pending litigation as a matter of policy, but sent the following statement to KPRC 2 News:
“Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity has closed its Beta Nu Chapter at the University of Houston following violations of the Fraternity’s risk management policy and membership conduct standards. The decision was made after an internal investigation into reports of hazing and related misconduct. Pi Kappa Phi takes all allegations of hazing seriously. This action reflects our commitment to upholding the Fraternity’s values and expectations while prioritizing the well-being of our members.”
Friday afternoon, UH confirmed the criminal investigation is ongoing.