F A M U Marching 100 at the Center of Alledged Hazing Scandal: Cause of Death Could Take Months to Determine (998 hits)
2011-11-23 ORLANDO, Fla. — It could take up to three months to learn exactly what caused the death of a Florida A&M University band member who was suspected of being hazed, an official said Wednesday.
Robert Champion, 26, was found unresponsive on a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel on Saturday night after the school's football team lost to rival Bethune-Cookman. Investigators believe hazing occurred before 911 was called. Champion was vomiting and had complained he couldn't breathe before he collapsed.
Hazing cases in marching bands have cropped up over the years, particularly at historically Black colleges, where a spot in the marching band is coveted and the bands are revered almost as much as the sports teams for which they play. In 2008, two first-year French horn players in Southern University's marching band were beaten so they had to be hospitalized. A year later, 20 members of Jackson State University's band were suspended after being accused of hazing. One of the worst cases involved a former band member at Florida A&M University who suffered kidney damage because of a beating with a paddle.
In the current case, no charges have been filed, but any death involving hazing is a third-degree felony in Florida. The exact cause and manner of Champion's death are pending the autopsy results, said Sheri Blanton, a forensic coordinator for the medical examiner. There is no timetable for getting the results back, but most cases take 10 to 12 weeks, she said. FAMU officials acknowledged that 30 students have been kicked off the band this semester due to hazing incidents. There are currently three investigations.
On Tuesday, officials at the Tallahassee school suspended the famed Marching 100 band and any other ensemble that performs under the supervision of the FAMU music department. The move affects more than 400 students. The Marching 100 — whose rich history includes performing at several Super Bowls and representing the U.S. in Paris at the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution — was scheduled to perform at the fall commencement on Dec. 16.
