Rod 2.0:Beta #gay #news #lgbt #gaynews

FAMU Amends Controversial Defense to Hazing Death Lawsuit

Blaming the victim much? Florida A&M University has amended their motion to dismiss a wrongful death suit by the family of Robert Champion, the openly gay drum major who died last November after a vicious hazing from fellow band members.  The university's attorneys have removed a controversial passage that suggests the deceased student was responsible for his own death, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

The paragraph in question states that Champion, as a 26-year-old band leader, should have refused to participate in the hazing and reported it to authorities. "Under these circumstances, Florida 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."

The amended motion, however, does not back off its original point that FAMU should not be held liable if Champion himself violated Florida law by participating in the hazing.

In an email to the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday night, Rick Mitchell of GrayRobinson, the university's lead trial counsel, said: "FAMU is not 'blaming' anyone for this tragic loss; rather, the University has asked the Court to decide the legal question of whether Florida's taxpayers can be held financially liable to Mr. Champion's Estate according to the facts of the case ...including him knowingly and voluntarily participating in felony hazing."

FAMU's initial filing created an avalanche of negative responses earlier this week. Champion's parents described the defense as a "slap in the face" and warned parents to "beware" of sending their children to Florida's only historically black public university., which has a long history of violent hazing incidents.

The university wants the lawsuit dismissed or action delayed until criminal charges against band members are resolved. Thirteen defendants were charged with felony hazing on May 2. Two defendants face midemeanor counts. The felony hazing charge carries a maximum penalty of almost six years.

Investigators have learned that more than 100 members of FAMU's famous marching band are NOT registered students. This includes at least three of the 11 band members charged in May  with felony hazing.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 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?"

You May Have Missed:
Why Has Black Media Ignored Sexuality of RChampion? [EBONY]
3 FAMU Band Members Charged in Death Are NOT Students
Band Members Describe Using a "Big Traffic Cone"
Final Felony Suspect Surrenders in Hazing Death
10 Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
8 Suspects Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
13 Face Criminal Charges in FAMU Hazing Death
Multiple Charges Expected in FAMU Hazing Death
Prosecutors Review Champion's FAMU Hazing Death
2 FAMU Music Professors Involved in Band Hazing
Still No Charges in Champion's Death
FAMU Student's Sexuality Lead to Hazing Death?
Police Arrest 3 FAMU Students After Brutal Hazing
Investigators Uncover Misconduct in Hazing Death
Lawsuit Reveals Details in FAMU Hazing Death

Florida A&M University President to Resign Immediately

It's about time. Florida A&M University trustees voted this morning that President James Ammons should step down immediately instead of waiting for his October resignation, reports The Orlando Sentinel and Tallahassee Democrat.

Ammons resigned last week amid widespread criticism and the growing scandal over the death of Robert Champion, the openly gay FAMU drum major who died last November after a vicious hazing from fellow band members.

The board [of trustees] waived the 90-day notice requirement in Ammons' contract, meaning his five-year term as president is effectively over. Trustees also agreed to pay the two bonuses in Ammons' contract for the past two years.

FAMU Provost Larry Robinson has been appointed interim president of the university. FAMU is Florida's only historically black public university.

Champion died during a band 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. Champion was reportedly vomiting before he was found unresponsive aboard the bus.

Thirteen defendants were charged with felony hazing on May 2. Two defendants face midemeanor counts. The felony hazing charge carries a maximum penalty of almost six years.

Investigators have learned that more than 100 members of FAMU's famous marching band are NOT registered students. This includes at least three of the 11 band members charged almost two weeks ago with felony hazing.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 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?"

You May Have Missed:
Why Has Black Media Ignored Sexuality of RChampion? [EBONY]
3 FAMU Band Members Charged in Death Are NOT Students
Band Members Describe Using a "Big Traffic Cone"
Final Felony Suspect Surrenders in Hazing Death
10 Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
8 Suspects Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
13 Face Criminal Charges in FAMU Hazing Death
Multiple Charges Expected in FAMU Hazing Death
Prosecutors Review Champion's FAMU Hazing Death
2 FAMU Music Professors Involved in Band Hazing
Still No Charges in Champion's Death
FAMU Student's Sexuality Lead to Hazing Death?
Police Arrest 3 FAMU Students After Brutal Hazing
Investigators Uncover Misconduct in Hazing Death
Lawsuit Reveals Details in FAMU Hazing Death

Trayvon Martin: Police Chief Fired, Zimmerman Phone Calls Revealed

There are several new developments in the wake of the shooting death of  the unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The Sanford, Florida police chief who was strongly criticized for his agency's initial investigation into the February slaying has been fired, reports MSNBC.

City Manager Norton Bonaparte Jr. dismissed Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee, effective immediately. ... Lee, 52, stepped aside temporarily March 22, saying he had become a distraction, and he has been on paid administrative leave since. The night before he relinquished his duties, the Sanford City Commission had voted 3-2 that it had "no confidence" in Lee. He tried to quit April 23, but the commission rejected his resignation.

National civil-rights leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and NAACP President Ben Jealous, also had demanded Lee's dismissal because his department did not arrest George Zimmerman for shooting Trayvon, an unarmed black 17-year-old, on Feb. 26. A special prosecutor later charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder. Zimmerman, who says he acted in self-defense, is in the Seminole County Jail awaiting trial.

A judge revoked Zimmerman's bond earlier this month for allegedly lying about his finances and concealing a second passport. Prosecutors have released the audio of a half-dozen phone calls between a locked-up George Zimmerman and his wife that prove this, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

The recordings show that from his jail cell, Zimmerman gave his wife step-by-step instructions on how to change a password and clear security questions so she could move money, gave her orders to withdraw specific amounts and directed her to pay the bills. Prosecutors allege the couple was moving money out of an Internet PayPal account that was awash with donations for Zimmerman.

The couple spoke in code, according to prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda. And neither Zimmerman or his wife ever refer to more than $100,000, talking instead about amounts generally totaling "10 dollars" and "20 dollars." Prosecutors say those were references to $10,000 and $20,000. Prosecutors allege the couple had access to at least $130,000 in mid-April, just before Zimmerman was freed from the Seminole County Jail on $150,000 bond.

Shellie Zimmerman has been charged with perjury.

Zimmerman acted as a self-appointed neighborhood watchman in the gated suburban community. Audio from 911 tapes reveal that police dispatchers warned Zimmerman not to follow Martin—who was walking from the store—or leave his vehicle. The Sanford Police Department has not explained why Zimmerman left his vehicle or how he and Martin came to be face to face.

The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation are considering charging George Zimmerman with violating the federal hate crime law. Zimmerman could face life in prison or the death penalty.

You May Have Missed:
Zimmerman Returned to Jail
FBI Considers Hate Crime Charge for Zimmerman
Gunshots, Crying Heard in Trayvon Martin 911 Tapes
Witnesses Heard Trayvon Martin Crying Before Gunshot
Fatal Shooting of Unarmed Black Florida Teen
UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Trayvon Investigation
POLICE VIDEO: No Blood or Visible Injuries on Zimmerman
"No Confidence" Vote in Police Chief, NYC March
Trayvon Martin Told Girlfriend He Was Being Followed
FBI and Justice Dept to Investigate Trayvon Martin Shooting

Zimmerman Returned to Jail

PHOTOS: Getty

George Zimmerman is behind bars in Florida after a judge revoked his bond for allegedly lying about his finances and concealing a second passport. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of  17-year-old Trayvon Martin  last February in suburban Orlando.

Zimmerman surrendered on Sunday and will remain in the Sanford jail until a judge decides whether he should be freed before trial, report the Orlando Sentinel. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara is "expected to submit a motion" for a bail hearing Monday.

Prosecutors told the judge that Zimmerman [and his wife] lied about the couple's finances under oath during Zimmerman's April 20 bail hearing. Zimmerman's wife knew about tens of thousands of dollars her husband had by then collected in donations through a website he created, prosecutors say, but didn't tell [Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester]. "Defendant has intentionally deceived the court with the assistance of his wife," prosecutors said in a motion to revoke Zimmerman's bond. The state relied on recorded jailhouse phone calls, in which they say Zimmerman and his wife discussed the funds "in code to hide what they were doing."

O'Mara acknowledged the problem his client faces in securing a new bond. "There is a credibility question that needs to be explained away," he said. O'Mara added that Zimmerman's "credibility has been tarnished, and he will have to rehabilitate it."

More on the second passport from Reuters:

When Zimmerman surrendered his passport at his April 20 bond hearing, he did so knowing that he had a second unexpired passport, the prosecution also alleged. In one recorded phone call from jail, the motion said Zimmerman told his wife he thought the passport was in a bag and she replied, "I have one for you in a safety deposit box." "OK, you hold onto that," Zimmerman allegedly told her.

The self-appointed neighborhood watchman has admitted to killing the unarmed Black teenager and claims it was self-defense. Zimmerman remained free and without charges for two months after the fatal shooting. That triggered a huge outcry across the nation and cyberspace.

Audio from 911 tapes reveal that police dispatchers warned Zimmerman not to follow the "suspicious" teen or leave his vehicle. The Sanford Police Department has not explained why Zimmerman left his vehicle or how he and Martin came to be face to face.

The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation are considering charging George Zimmerman with violating the federal hate crime law. Zimmerman could face life in prison or the death penalty.

You May Have Missed:
FBI Considers Hate Crime Charge for Zimmerman
Gunshots, Crying Heard in Trayvon Martin 911 Tapes
Witnesses Heard Trayvon Martin Crying Before Gunshot
Fatal Shooting of Unarmed Black Florida Teen
UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Trayvon Investigation
POLICE VIDEO: No Blood or Visible Injuries on Zimmerman
"No Confidence" Vote in Police Chief, NYC March
Trayvon Martin Told Girlfriend He Was Being Followed
FBI and Justice Dept to Investigate Trayvon Martin Shooting

FAMU Band Members Describe Using a "Big Traffic Cone" in Hazing Death

Band members at Florida A&M University are describing the brutal hazing ritual that lead to the death of Robert Champion last November. Champion, who was openly gay, was the last of three students to undergo the hazing on the band bus, one band member tells the AP.

In a law enforcement interview released Wednesday, Keon Hollis says that he was kicked, punched, hit with a large comb and struck with straps. The hazing happened last November on a bus parked in an Orlando hotel parking lot. He said there were at least 15 people on the bus and the goal was to get from the front to the back.

He said Robert Champion was the next person to be hazed that November night. He said Champion seemed fine immediately afterward, but said he was thirsty. Hollis said he gave Champion some water. Champion soon collapsed and later died.

The 26-year-old drum major suffered blunt trauma blows and died from shock caused by severe bleeding, according to the autopsy. Champion was reportedly vomiting before he was found unresponsive aboard the bus.

Thirteen defendants were charged with felony hazing on May 2. Two defendants face midemeanor counts. The felony hazing charge carries a maximum penalty of almost six years.

Champion was brutally kicked,  slammed with a "big orange traffic cone" and beaten with drum sticks, according to "hundreds of pages of evidence released today by prosecutors", reports the Orlando Sentinel.

According to the documents, Champion made it to the back of the bus, having completed the "crossing Bus C" hazing ritual before he fell unconscious. A witness told investigators that Champion and the two other students hazed with him were hit with "straps, hands, sticks and a big orange traffic cone."

[Band director Julian Whit] said Rikki Wills claimed he helped Champion make it through the ritual. "I'm Robert's roommate so I decided I was going to help him get through so I pushed him through…and when we got to the end, Robert said, 'Oh my God, uh, I'm having trouble breathing…." And then he passed out.

[Band members] said that Champion couldn't breathe. Champion was unresponsive, so the group called 911. [One band member] said he began doing mouth to mouth and chest compressions. Champion began vomiting while Cearnel was trying to revive him. Soon after an officer and an ambulance arrived.

Listen to one band member describe the vicious beating HERE.

Investigators have learned that more than 100 members of FAMU's famous marching band are NOT registered students. This includes at least three of the 11 band members charged almost three weeks ago with felony hazing. FAMU is Florida's only historically black public university.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 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?"

You May Have Missed:
Why Has Black Media Ignored Sexuality of RChampion?  [EBONY]
Final Felony Suspect Surrenders in Hazing Death
10 Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
8 Suspects Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
13 Face Criminal Charges in FAMU Hazing Death
Multiple Charges Expected in FAMU Hazing Death
Prosecutors Review Champion's FAMU Hazing Death
2 FAMU Music Professors Involved in Band Hazing
Still No Charges in Champion's Death
FAMU Student's Sexuality Lead to Hazing Death?
Police Arrest 3 FAMU Students After Brutal Hazing
Investigators Uncover Misconduct in Hazing Death
Lawsuit Reveals Details in FAMU Hazing Death

REPORT: FBI Considers Hate Crime Charge for Zimmerman

The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation are considering charging George Zimmerman with violating the federal hate crime law in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman has admitted to killing the unarmed Black teenager last February in suburban Orlando. The self-appointed neighborhood watchman could face life in prison or the death penalty, reports WFTV.

However, [Zimmerman] claims the shooting was in self-defense. He's facing a second-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. But if Zimmerman is charged and found guilty of a federal hate crime involving murder, he could face the death penalty. .... FBI investigators are actively questioning witnesses in the retreat at the Twin Lakes neighborhood, seeking evidence for a possible federal hate crime charge.

Meanwhile: On Monday, the special prosecutor filed a list of witnesses and evidence in connection with Trayvon Martin's shooting, reports the Sun-Sentinel. "It consists of dozens of CDs and "numerous" paper documents."

Most names were redacted from the witness and evidence document obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, but six civilian witnesses were named: Trayvon's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin; his brother, Jahvarius Fulton; and Zimmerman's neighbor Frank Taaffe, friend Joe Oliver and father, Robert Zimmerman.

The document listed 18 Sanford police officers as primary witnesses, including lead Investigator Chris Serino. Corey's office also turned over five reports prepared by him, as well as written reports prepared by four other Sanford officers. ... The list includes new video evidence from the night of the shooting — both from the 7-Eleven store where Trayvon reportedly purchased Skittles and Arizona iced tea and from a clubhouse in Retreat at Twin Lakes, the townhouse complex where the teen was killed.

Zimmerman remained free and without charges for two months after the fatal shooting. That triggered a huge outcry across the nation and cyberspace. Audio from 911 tapes reveal that police dispatchers warned Zimmerman not to follow the "suspicious" teen or leave his vehicle. The Sanford Police Department has not explained why Zimmerman left his vehicle or how he and Martin came to be face to face.

The Department of Justice and FBI announced in March that they were opening an investigation into the case. Federal investigators are also probing the local police response and the initial decision not to arrest Zimmerman.

You May Have Missed:
Gunshots, Crying Heard in Trayvon Martin 911 Tapes
Witnesses Heard Trayvon Martin Crying Before Gunshot
Fatal Shooting of Unarmed Black Florida Teen
UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Trayvon Investigation
POLICE VIDEO: No Blood or Visible Injuries on Zimmerman
"No Confidence" Vote in Police Chief, NYC March
Trayvon Martin Told Girlfriend He Was Being Followed
FBI and Justice Dept to Investigate Trayvon Martin Shooting

3 Band Members Charged in FAMU Hazing Death Are NOT Students

Stunning revelations: About 100 members of Florida A&M University's famous marching band are NOT registered students. This includes at least three of the 11 band members charged almost two weeks ago with felony hazing after the brutal November 2011 hazing death of openly gay drum major Robert Champion, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

FAMU trustees still do not know why percussionists Caleb Jackson and Brian Jones, both charged with felony hazing in Champion's death, would have been allowed to participate in the band and be on the parked charter bus where Champion was beaten after the Florida Classic. To join the band, a musician must be a FAMU student or attend either Tallahassee Community College or Florida State University, as well as be enrolled in a FAMU band course.

Jackson and Jones were not FAMU students at the time of the Classic, the university said. Jones, 23, was last enrolled at FAMU in the spring of 2011, according to FAMU. ...

Jackson, 23, and another student charged in Champion's death, Lasherry Codner, 20, were identified by FAMU as students of Tallahassee Community College. Codner, however, attended the community college only in the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010, a community-college spokeswoman told the Sentinel. Jackson attended the community college only in fall, 2008.

FAMU is Florida's only historically black public university.

The news prompted a dramatic turn of events on Thursday. Seventy-one-year-old band director Julian White, who has directed the band for decades, unexpectedly announced that he was "retiring after fighting to keep his job for months."

Robert Champion was pummeled to death on the band bus during a trip to Orlando on 19 November 2011. This was after the Florida Classic football game at the Citrus Bowl. The 26-year-old drum major suffered blunt trauma blows and died from shock caused by severe bleeding, according to the autopsy. Champion was reportedly vomiting before he was found unresponsive aboard the bus.

Thirteen defendants were charged with felony hazing two weeks ago. Two defendants face midemeanor counts. The felony hazing charge carries a maximum penalty of almost six years. 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.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January 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?"

You May Have Missed:
Why Has Black Media Ignored Sexuality of RChampion?  [EBONY]
Final Felony Suspect Surrenders in Hazing Death
10 Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
8 Suspects Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
13 Face Criminal Charges in FAMU Hazing Death
Multiple Charges Expected in FAMU Hazing Death
Prosecutors Review Champion's FAMU Hazing Death
2 FAMU Music Professors Involved in Band Hazing
Still No Charges in Champion's Death
FAMU Student's Sexuality Lead to Hazing Death?
Police Arrest 3 FAMU Students After Brutal Hazing
Investigators Uncover Misconduct in Hazing Death
Lawsuit Reveals Details in FAMU Hazing Death

11th and Final Felony Suspect Surrenders in FAMU Hazing Death

The 11th and final felony defendant has surrendered to authorities in connection with the brutal November 2010 hazing death of openly gay Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion, reports the Orlando Sentinel. This was the only woman named among 13 defendants charged with felony hazing last week. Two defendants face midemeanor counts.

The last defendant turned herself in to Orange County law-enforcement officers [Sunday]. Lasherry Codner, 20, was the last of 11 defendants to be charged with felony hazing in the 2011 death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion.

On Friday, Ryan Dean, 21, a percussionist from Delaware, and Jonathan Boyce, 24, a drum major from Marietta, Ga., turned themselves into the Leon County Jail in Tallahassee, said a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Eight other felony suspects, including former FAMU drum majors Shawn Turner and Rikki Wills, were arrested or surrendered to authorities recently.

The felony hazing charge carries a maximum penalty of almost six years.

Robert Champion was pummeled to death during a hazing ritual on the band bus during a trip to Orlando on 19 November 2011. This was after the Florida Classic football game at the Citrus Bowl. The 26-year-old drum major suffered blunt trauma blows and died from shock caused by severe bleeding, according to the autopsy. Champion was reportedly vomiting before he was found unresponsive aboard the bus.

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.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality—and his being a candidate for chief drum major—could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney.

You May Have Missed:
10 Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
8 Suspects Arrested in FAMU Hazing Death
13 Face Criminal Charges in FAMU Hazing Death
Multiple Charges Expected in FAMU Hazing Death
Prosecutors Review Champion's FAMU Hazing Death
2 FAMU Music Professors Involved in Band Hazing
Still No Charges in Champion's Death
FAMU Student's Sexuality Lead to Hazing Death?
Police Arrest 3 FAMU Students After Brutal Hazing
Investigators Uncover Misconduct in Hazing Death
Lawsuit Reveals Details in FAMU Hazing Death

8 Suspects Arrested in Hazing Death of FAMU's Robert Champion

Eight suspects have been arrested or surrendered to authorities in connection with the brutal November 2010 hazing death of openly gay Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion, reports the Orlando Sentinel. This follows Wednesday's announcement that 13 defendants have been charged in connection with the hazing. Eleven face felony charges. The felony hazing count carries a maximum penalty of almost six years.

At least two have served as drum majors of FAMU's famed Marching 100. Among those who have surrendered to authorities were Jessie Baskin, 20; Aaron Golson, 20; Benjamin McNamee, 21; Brian Jones, 23; and Shawn Turner, 26. They were released on $15,000 bond each. Harold Finley, 20, turned himself into the Palm Beach County Jail but has not posted bond. All are charged with felony hazing resulting in death or serious bodily injury.

Two other suspects, Caleb Jackson, 23, and Rikki Wills, 24, were arrested Wednesday afternoon and booked into the Leon County Jail, charged with felony hazing resulting in death. Jackson, who was on probation for battery, was denied bond.

Turner and Wills were FAMU drum majors last fall. Jackson was a percussionist. McNamee, a baritone player, had previously been suspended from the marching band, university records show. He was suspended in May 2011 for conduct unbecoming of a band member following an incident last spring at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando.

Authorities have reportedly "been in contact with the families or attorneys" for the three other felony defendants who remain at large. Three of those defendants reside out of state.

Champion died during a band 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. Champion was reportedly vomiting before he was found unresponsive aboard the bus.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality—and his being a candidate for chief drum major—could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney.

You May Have Missed:
13 Face Criminal Charges in FAMU Hazing Death
Multiple Charges Expected in FAMU Hazing Death
Prosecutors Review Champion's FAMU Hazing Death
2 FAMU Music Professors Involved in Band Hazing
Still No Charges in Champion's Death
FAMU Student's Sexuality Lead to Hazing Death?
Police Arrest 3 FAMU Students After Brutal Hazing
Investigators Uncover Misconduct in Hazing Death
Lawsuit Reveals Details in FAMU Hazing Death

13 Face Criminal Charges in Hazing Death of FAMU's Robert Champion

Thirteen individuals face criminal charges in the brutal November 2010 hazing death of Robert Champion, the openly gay Florida A&M University drum major. Champion's parents are "disappointed" that manslaughter or murder counts were not filed, reports the Orlando Sentinel and AP.

Of the 13 defendants, prosecutors said, 11 face felony hazing charges. [Orange-Osceola State Attorney Lawson Lamar] said no names would be released until all are in custody [and] added that as many as 20 misdemeanor charges also are being filed that involve "different victims who were not seriously injured."

Christopher Chestnut, attorney Champion's family, said the Champions were disappointed because they had hoped for more serious charges. He said the family is devastated by news of the charges, which they learned about an hour before the announcement. "Their son is dead. He was beaten to death on a bus—that constitutes murder," Chestnut said.

Lamar said he pursued only hazing charges because they will be easier to prove. "His death does not link to one sole strike," Lamar said. "It's a very different burden of proof than we have in a homicide case. He said he will only have to prove two things—participation in hazing and that there was a death.

The felony hazing charge carries a maximum penalty of almost six years.

Champion died during a band 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. Champion was reportedly vomiting before he was found unresponsive aboard the bus.

Champion's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owner and driver of the charter bus where the hazing ritual took place. The lawsuit alleges that the bus company and its bus driver willingly participated in illegal hazing acts over many years. The lawsuit reveals graphic details of violence.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality—and his being a candidate for chief drum major—could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney.

Champion's mother said she was pleased that charges were filed but disappointed they weren't more severe. "I thought there would be more serious charges," Pam Champion told The Associated Press. "It should send a harsher message."

National Black Justice Coalition Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks expressed similar frustration. "There were thirty witnesses on that bus and it took six months to even tilt the scales of justice in Robert Champion Jr.’s favor," said the director of the nation’s leading Black LGBT civil rights organization. "The sad reality is that justice drags its feet when a Black life is at stake. There’s even less outcry when it is the life of someone Black and gay. That is why we must continue to advocate on behalf of Black LGBT people who are victims of violent crimes."

Hazing has long been a problem in marching bands at historically black colleges in the South, where spots are coveted and members are awarded as much status as athletes. FAMU has one of the most celebrated marching bands among HBCU. The school has been rocked by numerous violent hazing incidents. Seven members of the university's fabled Marching 100 band were recently arrested on hazing-related charges. Two faculty members were also implicated in hazing students. FAMU intends to fire both faculty members.

You May Have Missed:

Multiple Charges Expected in FAMU Hazing Death
Prosecutors Review Champion's FAMU Hazing Death
2 FAMU Music Professors Involved in Band Hazing
Still No Charges in Champion's Death
FAMU Student's Sexuality Lead to Hazing Death?
Police Arrest 3 FAMU Students After Brutal Hazing
Investigators Uncover Misconduct in Hazing Death
Lawsuit Reveals Details in FAMU Hazing Death