Leader in FAMU Hazing Incident Sentenced to 6 years in Prison

Some new movement in the Robert Champion case.

Dante Martin, a former Florida A&M University (FAMU) band member, was sentenced to 77 months (6 years) in prison for the hazing death of Robert Champion. Dante was lucky, because the prosecutors wanted nine years. In a quick recap, Robert was killed in a hazing incident at FAMU back in 2011. Some believed Robert received harsher hazing because he was gay.

Buzzfeed reports:

Prosecutors called Martin the ringleader of a brutal hazing ritual that led to 26-year-old Champion’s death on the bus of the famous Marching 100 band during halftime of a football game between FAMU and Bethune-Cookman University.

Martin faced up to 22 years in prison after he was convicted of manslaughter in October. He is the first of 15 former band members to receive jail time for the incident. Nine have been sentenced to combinations of community service and probation, the StarTribune reported.

Martin took the stand Friday, saying, “This is something I will live with for the rest of my life. Referring to the hazing ritual that killed Champion, he said, “Sometimes we just go with what is tradition. We don’t second guess it, we don’t doubt it.”

During the ritual, Champion was made to walk shirtless from the front of the bus to back while band members punched, kicked and beat him with objects including a drum mallet and a traffic cone. He died of soft tissue bleeding, the medical examiner ruled.

The incident triggered widespread outrage and the band was suspended for more than a year.

This has been a long haul, but it isn't over. More to come.

Historically Black College FAMU Adopts LGBT Protections

Very interesting. The first HBCU to do this I believe!

Here's the press release

The FAMU Board of Trustees today added sexual orientation and gender identity to the university’s non-discrimination policy. The move drew strong praise from Equality Florida as an important step toward creating a welcoming and inclusive campus.

“We salute the FAMU administration and the Board of Trustees for their commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for FAMU students, faculty, staff and visitors,” said Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida, who served on the committee that advocated the changes. “These protections send a clear message that the university is a place where all are welcome to learn and excel in a safe environment, without fear of discrimination. This policy of inclusion will also serve to enhance FAMU’s ability to attract the best and the brightest academic minds."

FAMU is the largest of the country’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs.

The measure passed unanimously, and the revised policy will now be posted for a 30-day review period before adoption. The push for the policy was driven by the LGBT Fact Finding Committee, comprised of students, faculty, staff and community leaders. The committee formed in February 2012 following the hazing death of Robert Champion, a gay student at FAMU.

In the wake of that tragic death, Equality Florida joined with the National Black Justice Coalition, students and community leaders to call upon the university to adopt a strong anti-discrimination, anti-bullying policy.

The committee will now focus on implementing "best practices.”

Now will the other HBCUs do the same?

Parents and Students think FAMU's Anti-Hazing rules are Too Harsh... Child Please

After the death of Robert Champion Jr. and complains of other hazing incidents, Florida A&M University created stricter rules and penalties to end hazing. Which is good, most universities do that in order to avoid lawsuits and prevent student deaths. However, some silly students and their parents think it's too harsh.

Really, they think it's too harsh.

A handful of students, as well as the father of a FAMU student, pleaded Thursday with the university board of trustees to help them.

"The efforts put forth to eradicate the culture of hazing has gone overboard," Inita Knox told trustees during a meeting held on FAMU's campus. 

A FAMU sorority was investigated for hazing this past February after someone posted a complaint on the university anti-hazing website. The Tallahassee Democrat reported late last month that the Leon County Sheriff's Office decided against pursuing criminal charges in the case. But a report said pledges were forced to do exercise squats and memorize information about sorority members during the gathering, which occurred from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. That led to the university decision to dismiss several students from school - some for periods up to five years. 

Interim President Larry Robinson, who would not discuss any individual students, said that university officials discovered that the hazing allegations had "some merit."Robinson said the university had an obligation to look into what happened even though no criminal charges were filed. While the university would not provide exact details, the school's new anti-hazing administrator said that 15 students have been dismissed this year so far over hazing allegations. 

Knox, a pledge of Delta Sigma Theta, passed out during the session and was eventually interviewed by police. She told trustees that she had a heart condition and that she had tried to hand over that information to university officials but that she and other pledges had been given the "runaround." Reggie Sylvain drove from Atlanta to also complain to trustees. He told them that his daughter had been dismissed from school even though she was scheduled to graduate in a few weeks. Sylvain refused to talk to reporters after he addressed the university board. Another student said the experience has been a nightmare"

Maybe I'm crazy to think it's a great idea for a university to have strict rules on hazing. I guess since I'm an administrator at USC, I totally get that. But what I don't get are these folks whining about the issue. People have died from hazing. Lost their lives for pledging in a fraternity or a sorority, and in some cases a marching band. It's ridiculous to stand there and try to debate this. Lives, the university's integrity and the image of these groups are at stake here. I don't get why they are whining about this?

Hazing is a foolish, archaic act. When lives are lost over it; stop it, eradicate it immediately  Why risk your life or any lives for 3 Greek letters? It's not worth it. And to the parents and students who are complaining, sit your silly asses down and think about someone else for a change. In fact, think about Robert Champion Jr's family and all the other families that lost their children over hazing.

Just think about that.

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FAMU Band Members pleading Not Guilty to the Manslaughter Charges in Robert Champion Jr.'s Death

The former FAMU band members are pleading not guilty to the manslaughter charges in the death of gay student Robert Champion Jr. They sent in written pleas against the charges that were increased from a third degree felonies to manslaughter. This has a long process since November 2011.

In a quick recap, Robert was killed during a hazing incident in a FAMU band bus in Orlando. Several students claim that Robert received the worst of the hazing due to his sexuality.

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Twelve Charged with Manslaughter for Robert Champion Jr.'s Death

Finally, some movement in the Robert Champion Jr. case. 12 FAMU band members were charged with manslaughter for Robert's death.

Here's more:

Twelve former band members originally faced felony charges in the brutal hazing case, but two of the defendants settled their cases by pleading no contest last year.

All of the remaining defendants, who still face felony hazing charges, will now be hit additionally with the more serious charge of manslaughter, said lawyer Craig Wellington.

"We were certainly not expecting that firework," Wellington said of the decision, adding that defense lawyers were alerted via email to the manslaughter charges minutes before stepping into an Orlando courtroom for the start of a status hearing in the case.

Quick recap: Robert died in a hazing ritual from his band members. Witness and students said that Robert received the worst of the hazing due to him being gay.

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FAMU wants to dismiss Robert Champion's Hazing Death Case

Shame on you, FAMU!

Their attorneys are trying to get the Robert Champion's civil lawsuit dismissed from court. Robert was the gay FAMU student/drum major who was killed in a hazing incident from his fellow band mates.

FAMU's attorneys claim that Robert knew what he was getting into and was a willing participant. So, I guess he knew he was going to die? Please, this is a terrible reason to dismiss the case.

Here's some more info:

University attorney Richard Mitchell said Champion wasn’t forced to board a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel where the hazing took place, and he had risen through the ranks of the famed Marching 100 band without taking part in hazing until that fateful night in November 2011. 

Champion’s willingness to take part in the hazing ritual gives the university immunity from the wrongful death lawsuit, Mitchell said. 

“Robert Champion knew exactly what he was doing,” he said.

I can't believe they are sticking with this statement. It's like they're saying he knew he was going to die, so it's okay. And knowing that Robert was given additional hazing because he was gay really disturbs me. I guess he knew that too, attorneys.

Being gay and in the marching band, clearly set Robert up for an early death.

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FAMU blames Robert Champion Jr. for his Hazing Death

In a ridiculous effort to drop the wrongful lawsuit against them, FAMU legal team claims that Robert knew what he was doing and basically it's his fault for his own death.

Here's more:

FAMU's legal team contends that the school should not be blamed when the young man died doing something he knew was against state law and university policy. The university's attorneys cited Hollis' sworn statement, released last week, that explained the reasons why he and Champion agreed to be hazed after the Florida Classic football game in Orlando on Nov. 19.

"In the final analysis, neither Mr. Champion, Mr. Hollis, hotel security, nor law enforcement experts — with all their specialized crime prediction and prevention training and resources — were able to predict or prevent this shocking and depraved hazing incident, and therefore, it would be unfair and illogical to hold FAMU to a different and higher level of omnipotence," according to the document, authored by attorney Rick Mitchell of GrayRobinson of Orlando.

"Respectfully, as a 26 year old adult and leader in FAMU's band, Mr. Champion should have refused to participate in the planned hazing event and reported it to law enforcement or University administrators. Under these circumstances, Florida's taxpayers should not be held financially liable to Mr Champion's Estate for the ultimate result of his own imprudent, avoidable and tragic decision and death."

Really? The Champion family attorney was stunned at this motion, and I am too. To say it's the student's fault almost protects the hazing culture.

How can they blame Robert for this terrible incident? Are they aware of the message they are sending to the public? Their response is weak and unacceptable.

FAMU needs to be held accountable for this bullsh*t.

13 People Charged for the Death of Robert Champion

Finally, some real movement in the Robert Champion/FAMU case. 13 people were charged for his death in the band bus.

The Grio reports

State Attorney Lawson Lamar said 11 of the 13 people will face a hazing resulting death charge, a third-degree felony. If convicted, they could face up to nearly six years in prison. The other two people will face a misdemeanor charges.

The names of those charged will not be released until they are all arrested, Lamar said. It was also not immediately clear whether they were all band members.

Legal experts had predicted prosecutors may file more serious charges like manslaughter and second-degree murder. The Champion family attorney, Christopher Chestnut, said they were disappointed.

"They had hoped for more serious charges. They were hoping for a stronger message. He was beaten to death," he said.

Prosecutors, however, didn't think they had enough evidence.

"The testimony obtained to date does not support a charge of murder, in that it does not contain the elements of murder," Lamar said. "We can prove participation in hazing and a death. We do not have a blow or a shot or a knife thrust that killed Mr. Champion. It is an aggregation of things which exactly fit the Florida statute as written by the Legislature."

I wished for more serious charges, but this is a start.