Coroner: FAMU band member was beaten to death

Robert Champion beaten to death in hazing incident

The Florida medical examiner’s office has ruled that the death of a Florida A&M University drum major last month was a homicide, the AJC.com reports.

The coroner concluding that the student was severely beaten in a hazing incident which took place within an hour before he died. 26-year-old Robert Champion was found unresponsive on board a chartered bus parked outside an Orlando hotel after the school’s football team lost to rival Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 19.

Investigators believe Champion was punched and pummeled repeatedly on board the bus by other band members in a hazing incident gone horribly wrong.

Witnesses told emergency dispatchers that Champion vomited and struggled to breathe before he collapsed. Champion had bruises to his chest, arms, shoulder and back and internal bleeding that caused him to go into shock, which killed him.

Immediately after the hazing, Champion complained of thirst (due to loss of blood internally) and fatigue, then loss of vision and signs of shock, the report said.

Champion’s death is the latest in a history of injurious hazing incidents at the historically black college. In 2001, FAMU band member Marcus Parker suffered kidney damage after being beaten with a paddle “around 300 times,” the AJC reports.

And three weeks before Champion’s death on Nov. 19, a female band member’s thigh bone was broken when she was severely beaten. Three male band members were arrested in that incident.

FAMU’s longtime band director Julian White was terminated following Champion’s death, but he was later reinstated and placed on suspension with pay pending the results of local and federal investigations.

There are also growing calls for the removal of FAMU President James Ammons. The AJC reports that Gov. Rick Scott met privately with Ammons to discuss whether the university leader should step down.

“We all have the best interests of Florida A&M University at heart, we are going to do what’s best for university,” Ammons said.

A death caused by hazing is a third-degree felony in Florida. So far no charges have been filed.

Champion’s parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against FAMU’s board of directors, which the family says has covered up a “culture of hazing” at the school.

“We don’t want to stop the music, we want to stop the hazing,” the family said in a statement released Friday evening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFwik0Lon-g&ob=av2e FeFe

so sad…
lovezoe

Sad. So sad.
MrsMommy

For some reason black children have a lot of anger in them. Even black adults. I tend to stay away from these sorts of people. They grow up, but the anger never abates, as they bring issues that shouldn’t be in the work place or other venues with them.

They raise their children to be very angry people who seem to have issues with understanding the varying viewpoints, backgrounds, and cultures of other black people.

For some reason, being quick to anger, slandering people, and constantly looking for a quick thrill (although it may end in someone’s ruined reputation or death) seems to be the “black America” that they identify with most.
Posche

Hazing is more common than we think. Especially in the fraternity and sorority communities. Why beat someone just because he or she wants to be part of an organization..? It’s disgusting and feeble minded.
AndThenIHitMyDougie

To quote Vanessa Bell Calloway in “What’s Love Got to do With It?,”…….

“IT’S NOT OKAY TO LET SOME MUTHAFUKKA POUND ON YOU!!!!!”

It’s a damn shame when folks are willing to take physical, emotional or psychological injury just to “fit in” or be a part of the crowd. Folks do what you allow, and the minute you allow them to do some sh*t like that, you tell them you value their liking/wanting you more than your own self.

Send all these kids to college for book smarts and most of them leave with less common sense then when they got there. RIP to the young man, but come on!!! You already made the band when the damned director picked you…WTF you got to get your azz beat to prove something?

Does Florida have the death penalty? All those who participated in his hazing should be injected. Fukk em. They can haze plenty in hell next to Satan.
Daisy

I agree with Roland Martin the culture of hazing will NOT end until students make it STOP. As long as they have the mentality “if I went through it then so are you” nothing is going to stop sadly. People have been arrested/put in jail/thrown out of school/had their letters taken away/chapters kicked off the yard yet hazing still continues. The Delta’s at WSSU are OFF the yard for 10 yrs due to hazing smh.

Hazing starts and stops with the students. Even with all of this going on at FAMU students were on the news just last wk saying the hazing is still on going in the band.

This FAMU case is just so sad. I wish at 26 he would have spoken up for himself and refused to be hazed. God Bless his family
tnwill777

This is such a sad story. I dont know why these college folks will let someone beat up on them just to be part of some organization that they still pay hell of money to be in. I have a brother and sister in a sorority and fraternity and my sister has told me just a little about what goes on but didnt tell me much since she is really not supposed to talk about it. She told me her sorority had them eating cat food when she pledged, smh and she paid a member fee of I think $600. And to top that off I think they go through some type of hazing ritual as well. I personally think that some of these fraternities and sororities are legalized gangs and have the colors to go along with it. It’s always some ignorant ish in the news every time you turn around with black Fraternities and Sororities.

May he rest in peace
WalkingKontradiction

It’s not just a “Black” thing or a “Black sorority/fraternity” thing. You just don’t hear about all the hundreds of “other” students this happens to. When I was in undergrad a few students died from hazing and they weren’t black or in black organizations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IWtxLhniC4&sns=fb Jerrica

I heard they beat him because he dropped his stick while marching and they did it to teach him a lesson. I don’t know if that’s true or not but R.I.P. to the young man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo&feature=related cdamification

mrs. mommy.
tnwill777

Guess I should have added to my comment from earlier that yes, I am sure that it’s not only the black fraternities and sororities that participate in hazing but you know the biased media loves to report the negative blacks do before whites and no I am not trying to turn this into a race debate. Hazing needs to stop by all parties period, no matter the organization or race of participants.
Crickett

He walked down the bus aisle voluntarily for the beat down to get into an elite band group. Hazing is ridiculous, I got my hair pulled out by some of my sorors, earrings snatched out all to be a part of a gang of dumb broads. Make it a felony offense on both sides and hopefully this will scare the living daylights out of their murderous tactics.
stevetheque

People know what the deal is when they walk through the door!! If you are not built for it stay far away or go GRAD!!!! Did they take it too far–YES!!!!!!!!!!
aprilshelley

Champion is my Pastor’s cousin and it’s rumored that he dropped his baton on the field while performing…I, too attended an HBCU and hazing does exist…it has gotten way out of control. While I was on-line, I was instructed to do certain things as well…this was their way to “weed out the weak ones”…nevertheless, it’s a sad, sad situation and sometimes things get out of control. These individuals should step up and said that they were a part of the homicide!!
aprilshelley

#say
Doc Holiday

I was in this band from 2002-2004…
Doc Holiday

He was beat because he dropped his “mace” during that night performance….
Ms. Everything

Sometimes I read comments and think to myself “wow that is the dumbest ish I’ve ever read/heard” and I just know that nothing will ever top the sheer stupidity that just polluted my brain cellss… and then somebody will post something even dumber and all I can do is

That being said… Black children (and adults) have no more anger issues than any other race of people in this country and worldwide. And for anyone to make that assumption means that they are either extremely sheltered or so brainwashed by the anti black propaganda that the media has been carrying on for years that they can’t open their feeble mind to the fact that nowadays people in general have anger issues, largely due to a society that glorifies violence, supports bully like tactics and has degraded the concept of family across the board. Matter of fact, I know more angry “others” than I do blacks but whatever cause people like you only believe what you’re told without seeking out the facts for yourself. Hazing happens across college campuses everywhere, regardless of race, gender or organization. What was started as a way to weed out the weak from those who really wanted to join has become a way to beat the crap out of, humiliate and degrade people who feel they have to put up with it in order to belong. Not to mention that this has been going on forever but only draws headlines and criticism when someone is seriously injured, killed or someone does something so stupid that it simply can not be ignored. Change the culture of the organizations and the mindset of its members and you can stop hazing but until someone can figure out how to make that happen it will keep happening and will continue to be swept under the rug and ignored until something like this happens again.
TAM

RIP….Stories of hazing at my college was one of the main reasons I decided not to pledge.

@26 was he a grad student?
The Makeup Maven aka Cotton Candy

This situation is so sad. To be beaten to death…..SENSELESS!
I hope this young man RIP and that his family find some sort of peace!
pointhimout

paper or pledge? for those who have crossed the burning sands, do you respect one more than the other?
pearydee

I am a FAMU Alumni. My family lives in this town and my Grandfather acted as Executive Assistant to the President until he retired. This is not the first incident of hazing at FAMU, however, the media does not report how FSU has just as many complaints if not more. They are in the same town and only FAMU seems to be the one on the news. There have been several hazing related incidents in the past. Several years ago, several Kappas were on trial for Hazing. In this situation those boys were blindfolded and nobody knew who was the agressor, but a very close friend of mine had his life almost ruined and he was not even the person giving out the licks. I have had both white and black friends that have pledged and have gone through hazing. However this is a CHOICE you make. If you cannot take it dont sign up. It is not a secret what they do. I do think that if you sign up for this knowing there is a chance you can get your ass beat, I dont think people should be able to come back and sue the institution. Each person involved (including Champion) signed an anti-hazing pledge. This is mandatory at FAMU since the other incidents. So if you get your ass beat even though you decided to go against the pledge it is on you. I am not condoning hazing in any way, however, you choose to go through it. Like a previous poster said, you can go Grad chapter. I consdiered pledging AKA, however there were other issues with the hookers running the show that year and I will say things can go too far. But i made a choice that I refuse to let any heffa lay hands on me. I knew it would end bad and I went legacy on that ass anyways. Not everyone has that choice, however, I will say you dont have to bend over and take it if you dont want to.
TeriyakiTipp

He wasn;t beat because he dropped his mase! Some people are to much really. It’s an unfortunate accident that happened. Both parties are to blame because the both decided to participate. I was in this band from 99-03 and I can tell you that if you don’t get hazed unless you subject yourself to it.
stevetheque

@pointhimout—That’s question is too easy———-PLEDGE!!!!