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Former FAMU Band Member Pleads "No Contest" in Hazing Death

There is a major new development in the case of Robert Champion, the 26-year-old Florida A&M University drum major who died in November 2011 after a vicious hazing from fellow band members. Champion was gay.

Champion's former roommate Rikki Wills  has pleaded "no contest" on the eve of his trial, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Wills, 25, will be sentenced [on June 7]. But he will not face a jail sentence, said Assistant State Attorney Nicole Pegues.

Wills, who was set to stand trial Monday, accepted a plea offer from prosecutors who hope to use his testimony to build a stronger case against the 11 remaining defendants in the hazing scandal that led to the suspension of the iconic Florida A&M University band. [P]rosecutors dropped the manslaughter charge that Wills had faced. That charge carried a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Robert Champion died from blunt force trauma after the brutal hazing , which allegedly included being kicked, punched and hit with traffic cones. Fourteen former band members pleaded "not guilty"  last month to charges of manslaughter in connection with the case. Wills becomes the fourth to have pleaded no contest to felony hazing or manslaughter.

Florida A&M University is the state's only public, historically Black university. The Tallahassee-based university was founded in 1887 "and it is the largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment," according to its Wiki.

FAMU is well-known for its Marching "100" Band—which has a long history of violent hazing incidents. The Marching 100 has been suspended since Champion's death.  The university will make a decision late this month on reinstating the band, reports Tallahassee's WCTV.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 2012  that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Read more at  my article for Ebony: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell": Why Has Black Media Ignored the Sexuality of FAMU Hazing Victim Robert Champion?"

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UPDATE: First Trial in FAMU Hazing Death to Begin Next Week

There are several new developments in the case of Robert Champion, the 26-year-old Florida A&M University drum major who died in November 2011 after a vicious hazing from fellow band members. Champion was gay.

Champion's former roommate has rejected a plea deal and "is set to become the first ex-band member to go to trial in the case," reports the Orlando Sentinel. Jury selection for the trial of former FAMU drum major Rikki Wills is scheduled to begin May 13.

[Defense attorney] Bill Hancock, who did not reveal the state's offer, and assistant state attorney Nicole Pegues estimated the trial will take at least four days to present evidence, and both predicted that publicity over the tragedy might hamper efforts to seat a jury.

Fourteen ex-band members have been charged in Champion's death, including three who have pleaded no contest to felony hazing or manslaughter. At least one of those three, Caleb Jackson, is expected to testify at Wills' trial, Pegues said.

Champion died from blunt force trauma after the brutal hazing , which allegedly included being kicked, punched and hit with traffic cones. Fourteen former band members pleaded "not guilty"  last month to charges of manslaughter in connection with the case. Thirteen defendants were initially charged with felony hazing in May 2012. The defendants face a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Meanwhile: A new band director was hired for FAMU's world famous "Marching 100" band,. The band has a long history of violent hazing incidents. The Marching 100 has been suspended since Champion's death.  The university will make a decision by May on reinstating the band, reports Tallahassee's WCTV.

In other news: Champion's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against  FAMU, the bus company and an Orlando hotel, claiming they willingly allowed illegal hazing acts over many years. Last week, a judge rejected FAMU's argument that Champion "was a voluntary 'participant' in the illegal hazing that killed him." The lawsuit will continue.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 2012  that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Read more at  my article for Ebony: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell": Why Has Black Media Ignored the Sexuality of FAMU Hazing Victim Robert Champion?"

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Students, Parents Criticize FAMU's Anti-Hazing Regulations as Harsh

Florida A&M University has gone "overboard" in its attempt to prevent the death of another student and their strict new anti-hazing regulations are too harsh, according to some students and parents quoted by the Associated Press. The new regulations were enacted after 26-year-old FAMU drum major Robert Champion died in November 2011 after a savage hazing from fellow band members. Champion was gay.

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.... 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.

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. ... That led to the university decision to dismiss several students from school - some for periods up to five years.

A report said pledges were forced to do exercise squats and memorize information about sorority members during the gathering. 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."

The anti-hazing regulations are "too harsh" ... say the parents whose children are still alive.

Champion died from blunt force trauma after the brutal hazing , which allegedly included being kicked, punched and hit with traffic cones. More than a dozen former band members pleaded "not guilty"  earlier this month to charges of manslaughter in connection with the case.

Florida A&M University is the state's only public, historically black university. The Tallahassee-based university was founded in 1887 "and it is the largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment," according to its Wiki.

FAMU is well-known for its Marching "100" Band—which has a long history of violent hazing incidents. The Marching 100 has been suspended since Champion's death.  The university will make a decision by May on reinstating the band, reports Tallahassee's WCTV.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 2012  that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Read more at  my article for EBONY: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell": Why Has Black Media Ignored the Sexuality of FAMU Hazing Victim Robert Champion?"

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FAMU Hazing Death Defendants Plead "Not Guilty" to Manslaughter

There are new developments in the case of Robert Champion, the 26-year-old Florida A&M University drum major who died in November 2011 after a vicious hazing from fellow band members. Champion was gay.

More than a dozen former band members pleaded "not guilty" on Friday to charges of manslaughter in connection with the case, reports the AP and the Orlando Sentinel.

Circuit Judge Marc Lubet, who has presided over the cases against 14 former members of Florida A & M University's celebrated marching band ... set Aug. 2 as his deadline for defendants to accept the state's plea deals – or face a trial.

Most of the defendants had pleaded not guilty last year to felony hazing, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. But prosecutors added two defendants, Darryl Cearnel and Henry "Snacks" Nesbitt, and upgraded the potential risk to ex-band members last month adding a charge of manslaughter, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.

Two former band members have pleaded no-contest to third-degree felony hazing. A third is expected to plead guilty later this month and has agreed to "testify truthfully in the cases of his co-defendants." A fourth co-defendant has provided an eyewitness account of Champion's brutal death, which allegedly included being kicked, punched and hit with traffic cones.

Florida A&M University is the state's only public, historically black university. The Tallahassee-based university was founded in 1887 "and it is the largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment," according to its Wiki.

FAMU is well-known for its Marching "100" Band—which has a long history of violent hazing incidents. Investigators learned in May 2012 that more than 100 members of the marching band were NOT registered students. That included at least three of the 11 band members initially charged with felony hazing.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 2012  that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Read more at  my article for Ebony: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell": Why Has Black Media Ignored the Sexuality of FAMU Hazing Victim Robert Champion?"

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FAMU Postpones Search for New President After Hazing Charges

This may have flown under the radar. Florida A&M University "suspended its search for a new president [only] days before interviews were set to begin," the Orlando Sentinel reported on Friday.

The move comes after 12 former FAMU band members were charged with manslaughter in connection with the vicious hazing death of Robert Champion,  the 26-year-old Florida A&M University drum major who died in November 2011 after a vicious hazing from fellow band members. Champion was gay. As a result of the investigation, FAMU has been put on probation by an accrediting agency. 

Suspending the search has the effect of making Interim President Larry Robinson's term open-ended. [Solomon L. Badger III, chairman of the Florida A&M University board of trustees] said he acted so Robinson can concentrate on getting the college off probationary status.

FAMU was put on probation in December by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in the wake of the band hazing death of Marching 100 drum major Robert Champion in Orlando. The SACS report said that the college was failing to meet basic educational standards when it comes to finances, student safety, operational "integrity" and leadership.

Former FAMU president James Ammons was pushed out last July amid widespread criticism after Champion's death.

Florida A&M University is the state's only public, historically black university. The Tallahassee-based university was founded in 1887 "and it is the largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment," according to its Wiki.

FAMU is well-known for its Marching "100" Band—which has a long history of violent hazing incidents. Investigators learned in May 2012 that more than 100 members of the marching band were NOT registered students.

Last week, one of the co-defendants pled guilty to manslaughter and  agreed to "provide prosecutors with a detailed statement and testify truthfully in the cases of his 11 co-defendants." A second co-defendant has provided an eyewitness account of Champion's brutal death, which allegedly included being kicked, punched and hit with traffic cones.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 2012  that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Read more at  my article for Ebony: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell": Why Has Black Media Ignored the Sexuality of FAMU Hazing Victim Robert Champion?"

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FAMU Hazing Death Defendant Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter

There are new developments in the case of Robert Champion, the 26-year-old Florida A&M University drum major who died in November 2011 after a vicious hazing from fellow band members. Champion was gay. Twenty-four-year-old Caleb Jackson—one of the co-defendants charged with Champion's death—has plead guilty to manslaughter and will "provide prosecutors with a detailed statement and testify truthfully in the cases of his 11 co-defendants" reports the Orlando Sentinel.

According to an 89-page investigative summary of Champion's death, Orange County sheriff's detectives spoke with several band members who said they saw [Jackson] pulling on Champion or jumping on the drum major. Because Jackson had a prior battery conviction, he faces "the specter of more prison time than anyone else" charged in the case, [his attorney Chuck Hobbs] said.... Hobbs said prosecutors made no promises on sentencing..

A dozen ex-band members, including Jackson, are charged with felony hazing and manslaughter in Champion's death. Prosecutors, without explanation, beefed up the charges [on March 4], notifying defense lawyers by email. The manslaughter charge carries a possible 15-year prison sentence.

Meanwhile: A second co-defendant has provided an eyewitness account of Champion's brutal death, according to another report in the Sentinel.

Ryan Dean, whop was given a probationary, community-service sentence for his role in Champion's death, provided the signed statement to Orange County prosecutors. In his statement, Dean identified defendant LaSherry Codner who, he says, punched Champion and held him back from reaching the rear of the bus as he absorbed kicks and punches from other band members. Dean also described defendant Benjamin McNamee holding onto the rails of the bus as he appeared to be kicking Champion after he had fallen into a seat. Dean named others as well.

Florida A&M University is the state's only public, historically black university. The Tallahassee-based university was founded in 1887 "and it is the largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment," according to its Wiki.

FAMU is well-known for its Marching "100" Band—which has a long history of violent hazing incidents. Investigators learned in May 2012 that more than 100 members of the marching band were NOT registered students. That included at least three of the 11 band members initially charged with felony hazing.

Champion's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, bus company and driver, claiming they encouraged or ignored illegal hazing acts over many years.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 2012  that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Read more at  my article for Ebony: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell": Why Has Black Media Ignored the Sexuality of FAMU Hazing Victim Robert Champion?"

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Robert Champion's Parents Want FAMU Band to Remain Suspended

There are new developments in the case of Robert Champion, the 26-year-old Florida A&M University drum major who died in November 2011 after a vicious hazing from fellow band members. Champion was gay. On Monday, prosecutors charged 12 former FAMU band members with manslaughter in connection with Champion's death.

Champion's parents said they "may ask Florida Gov. Rick Scott or the chancellor of the State University System to intervene" and ensure that FAMU's world-renown marching band remains suspended, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

The band has been suspended since shortly after Champion, a drum major, was beaten to death by fellow band members in Orlando in late 2011. While FAMU has not said when the band will return, there is speculation that since the university is seeking a new band director, the ensemble could be reinstated this year.

Pamela Champion said the band should be suspended for several years — as would be the case if a fraternity had been involved in a hazing death, she said.

The Champions and their attorney, Christopher Chestnut, said the band is not ready to perform because FAMU has not done enough to eradicate hazing. "If you have not cleaned up anything … then what good is bringing in a new band director going to do?," Pamela Champion said. "[It's] just taking a new band director and throwing him into dirty water."

FAMU is Florida's only public, historically black university. The Tallahassee-based university was founded in 1887 "and it is the largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment," according to its Wiki.

FAMU is well-known for its Marching "100" Band—which has a long history of violent hazing incidents. Investigators learned in May 2012 that more than 100 members of the marching band were NOT registered students. That included at least three of the 11 band members charged initially charged with felony hazing in May 2012. That felony hazing charge carried a maximum penalty of almost five years. The new manslaughter charges are punishable by up to 15 years in prison

Champion's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the bus company and driver, claiming they willingly participated in illegal hazing acts over many years. The university's attorneys created an uproar with their initial response to that lawsui last fall. The filing suggested the deceased student was responsible for his own death.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 2012  that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Read more at  my article for Ebony: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell": Why Has Black Media Ignored the Sexuality of FAMU Hazing Victim Robert Champion?"

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12 Charged with Manslaughter in FAMU Hazing Death

Prosecutors in Orlando are charging 12 former Florida A&M University band members with manslaughter in connection with the hazing death of a drum major Robert Champion, reports the Orlando Sentinel.The 26-year-old student, who was gay, died in November 2011 after a vicious hazing from fellow band members.

The Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office sent an e-mail to attorneys for the former band members on Monday afternoon notifying them that their clients will be charged with manslaughter in addition to the felony hazing charges for which they were arrested last spring. Most were charged last May in connection with Champion's beating Nov. 19, 2011, in Orlando.

On Monday, the Champion family applauded [State Attorney Jeff] Ashton's "courage in amending theses charges to be more [commensurate] with the heinous crime committed," said the family's attorney, Christopher Chestnut. Champion's parents had been disappointed and upset last May when the State Attorney's Office, previously under State Attorney Lawson Lamar, decided only to charge those involved with Champion's death with felony hazing.

Robert Champion was pummeled to death on the FAMU band bus during a trip to Orlando on 19 November 2011. The 26-year-old drum major suffered blunt trauma blows and died from shock caused by severe bleeding, according to the autopsy. FAMU is Florida's only historically black public university.

Thirteen defendants were initially charged with felony hazing in May 2012. Two defendants face misdemeanor counts. The felony hazing charge carries a maximum penalty of almost five years. "Manslaughter, a second-degree felony in Florida, is punishable by up to 15 years in prison," adds the Sentinel.

Champion's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the bus company and driver, claiming they willingly participated in illegal hazing acts over many years. The university's attorneys created an uproar with their initial response to that lawsui last fall. The filing suggested the deceased student was responsible for his own death.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 2012  that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Read more at  my article for Ebony.com: "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell": Why Has Black Media Ignored the Sexuality of FAMU Hazing Victim Robert Champion?"

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Final Felony Suspect Surrenders in Hazing Death
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ATLANTA: Police Arrest Suspect in Shooting at Morehouse College

SCREENCAP: CBS ATLANTA

Atlanta detectives have arrested one suspect and are looking for a second in connection with the shooting of a Morehouse College student over the weekend. The Friday shooting apparently began as "a fight over a pickup basketball game" at Morehouse's Samuel Archer Hall, reports WSB and CBS Atlanta.

Twenty-two-year-old Clark Atlanta University student Amir Obafemi was arrested Saturday. Obafemi has been charged with felony aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon.

[Morehouse Police Chief Vernon Worthy]said the shooting stemmed from an argument outside after a pick-up basketball game at the gym. He said the shooter brandished a weapon, and the victim made it just inside the building before he was shot in the forearm. The victim, later identified as Cornileus Savage, was taken to Grady Hospital, and is conscious and alert, according to Atlanta police.

There was another violent crime on the Morehouse campus over the weekend, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Around 130pm Saturday, the Atlanta Police Department said a Morehouse student’s iPhone was snatched from his hand and when he chased the robber several of the suspect’s “associates” attacked the student. "They roughed him up and then fled the scene," APD spokesman Gregory Lyon said. He said the student suffered cuts and bruises and was transported to the hospital.

The Morehouse shooting was the second high-profile shooting in Atlanta last week. "A 14-year-old was wounded on Thursday in a shooting outside a middle school and police said another student was arrested," reports Reuters.

The 143-year-old all-male Morehouse College is one of the nation's most prestigious historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). The college boasts famous alumni and "Morehouse men" such as civil rights icons Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Julian Bond, filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Samuel L. Jackson.

Dr. John Silvanus Wilson is the new president of Morehouse. In January he spoke to National Public Radio about the challenges facing the historic college. Listen HERE.

VIDEO: Morehouse to Screen Black Gay Docudrama "Friend of Essex"

Last month R20 reported the all-male Morehouse College will soon offer its first Black LGBT-themed course. This is a major development because only a handful of historically black colleges offer LGBT-themed courses and/or recognize LGBT student groups.

Morehouse College and its gay/straight alliance SafeSpace will screen the new documentary drama Friend of Essex. The screening is on January 31 at the Bank of America Auditorium. RSVP here.

Watch the trailer to the new film AFTER THE JUMP ...

The film was written and directed by 23-year-old Amir Dixon, a friend of R20 and the creator of the web-based talk series BrotherHood TV. The documentary is described as "a mix of one-on-one interviews, group interviews, narrative pieces and poetry" inspired by Essex Hemphill’s writing and the 1989 film Tongues Untied by Marlon Riggs. Dixon says his film was necessary because Black gay men "need to know and share our history."

"I looked back on my childhood and realized my parents could teach me about being a Black Man in America, but could not teach me about being a Black Gay Man and all it came with. When I got my heart broken, when I dealt with homophobia, when I struggled with the intersections of my identity they didn’t know where to begin. So I turned to my elders, my ancestors and called on them through their work and their words. Essex Hemphill’s work laid the foundation for my film. His work around race, religion, activism and community was where I started. I wanted to capture the stories of other young black gay men and get their thoughts and stories on camera."

Watch the trailer to the new film AFTER THE JUMP ...