FAMU Band Director Fired Over Hazing Death of a Student

November 25, 2011 By Staff 36 Comments

The president of Florida A&M University has moved to fire the long-time band director over the death of a student. The incident was allegedly connected to hazing.

“The reason for this intended employment action is based upon your alleged misconduct and/or incompetence involving confirmed reports and allegations of hazing with the Department of Music and the ‘Marching 100,’” President James H. Ammons said in a letter to Julian E. White.

White was dismissed effective December 22 and on administrative leave with pay effective immediately. White has been the head of the band since 1998.

Dr. Boyce Watkins recently spoke about the hazing incident, calling for an end to hazing as a part of campus culture.

“It seems that there are some students who spend more time being involved in silly stuff than they actually spend studying,” says Dr. Watkins, who wrote the book, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College.”

The controversy centers around the death of Robert Champion, a drum major with the school’s band. Speculation is that the student died in a hazing-related incident. After Champion appeared in the parking lot vomiting and unable to breath, he was taken to the hospital. That is where he was announced deceased.

Berlinda Johnson, whose 18-year old son i son the band, praised Dr. White for his move.

“Any time I alerted him to an issue, Dr. White was always responsive,” she told CNN.

“I reported maybe four to five incidents,” she said. “They need to interview each member of the band, no matter how long it takes. This is not a witch hunt, this is about getting things under control.”

Johnson says that her son’s freshman year was “not a fun year for him.” It appears that the Florida A&M band, like many other bands around the country, has overlooked a hazing process that may put student lives in jeopardy. Other parents and students have complained to school officials in the past, but their complaints were largely ignored.

It seems that it may take a series of lawsuits for the schools to finally pay attention.

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Filed Under: black children, black men, Black News, Featured, Lifestyle, Uncategorized Tagged With: florida a&m university, hazing, hbcus, Robert Champion

Onelovenation

It’s not just the school’s responsibility, but one again parents have hard-headed kids.

R.Northern, Jr., Ed.D.

Did the FAMU leadership fail to inform, council and make known how young adults are to conduct themselves when attending a school of higher learning? If a young adult chooses not to comply-say bye bye. The parents are not at fault here unless they chaperoned this bus of fools who killed Brother Champion. Know this, GOD knows all! An eighteen year old college student is legally responsible for her/his own actions. If the law says “no hazing” then each student should have a signed acknowledgment document on file in administration. Black on Black assaults leading to murder is never allowed. Pray and console Father Champion and his family. GOD, please help us to love one another to life! GODspeed!

MEACFAN

R.C. as a 26 year old man made a decision to participate in a ritual. This was not a case of subordinates being hazed by leaders. After all of the anti-hazing seminars he sat through, he still made the choice to follow through with this. It is tragic, but do not think for one minute Dr White turned a blind eye.

Taz

Exactly.

Inyanga

when you have a pattern of neglect to address hazing problems in the band by the school’s adminstrators…then the school is culpable and should be held accountable when there is a death involved.

Jdag606

There is more to this story than what is stated. Dr. Ammons used this unfortunate situation as a power move to force the resignation of a music institution~Dr. Julien White. This is obvious that there is a power struggle existed and my it can get real ugly. Dr. Ammons, may in the end be removed as Prez by this great FAMU Alumni. Love you_Dr. White! God Bless you, Dr. White it is obvios that this president wanted to relieve you anyway and used this situation as a catalyst for his persuit of greatness to his real boss.~ Instutitionalized Slavery and the master speaks voice or better yet Black on Black Crime. The Downsizing of greatness is at work here. We will get through this! This is NOT high school. ~♪ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♪ ~

RUSerious

are you serious…a young man in a band died and you’re upset that the director of that band was fired by the president although there is written documentation from parents about hazing problems within his band.

i could understand your venum for the president to be fired due to the death of the student and empathy for his mother..but your motive appear to be out of your love for the band director…again are you serious?

Gbr250

Does anyone really think that firing the band director will end all hazing? What happens when a new director is hired and the hazing continues? The Band students are adults and they know that FAMU has a zero hazing tolerance policy, they will be suspended and yet they continue. Realistically, can anyone control the behavior of 375 adults? I think Dr. White was fired prematurely because the investigation is incomplete. He has been band director for 13 years, but he has been at the university for a total of 38 years. What about the students who went against school policy and actually did the hazing? They should be accountable for their behavior and not Dr. White. Why doesn’t someone develop a plan to stop hazing on all university campuses?

Ruserious

who said firing the band director will end hazing…don’t try to change the focus?

let’s focus on the facts…a young man died while under his leadership…parents have been complaining to the administration for years…so stop with the excuses. he should be the first fired…period!

as director of the band, right or wrong…he is responsible and should be held accountable for what happens in the band. as parent sending me son to the school to play in the band, my trust is in the director to ensure the safety of all the kids.

and to all you sycophants for the band director/president saying there is nothing they can do to stop young people from hazing.

well the administration is doing something now due to the national attention..the only problem it took the death of a young man for the administration to send a serious message to the entire campus about hazing.

i assure you no hazing is happening on that campus now that the band director was fired and others will follow.

Taz

Ignorance is bliss. Every time Doc was presented with a hazig issue he immediately reported it to Dr. Ammons and other university officials. The UNIVERSITY did not take further action. Stop pointing the finger if you dont know all of your facts.
RUSerious

how do you explain this:

White has documents that he says he sent to university officials over the years regarding hazing. But Ammons said in his letter to the trustees that he did not receive two recent letters from White regarding hazing until after the university had already fired him.

apparently you don’t know all your facts….

http://www.facebook.com/bkshowers Bryan Showers

more often then not kids go to college and continue to wanna play just like they did before they left high school, failing to mature as needed. parents we gotta do better

http://twitter.com/Super_Advokate Warrior Lt.

Exactly!
You can tell which of the commenters here have no insight whatsoever on the reality of what’s going on with these types of organizations. Ammons and White know very well that White is nothing more than a fall guy. For many Black students, college is merely an extension of high school and it’s very obvious.

There is absolutely nothing any administrator can do about hazing within these organizations, except permanently ban them from campus. (A suspension will only move the hazing underground, in anticipation for a lift on the ban.)

Those who are naive and don’t get it are likely the same ones who think the schools can get rid of drinking and drugs on campus. You’re demonstrating the same nonsensical thinking of those kids involved in the hazing.

Lisa

there is absolutely nothing any administrator can do about hazing…really?

so i guess no one should be held accountable, do nothing for now and wait on the next student to die…because there is nothing we can do about it..

i wonder would you have the same sentiment and cavalier attitude if it was your son who died from something as asinine as hazing!

http://twitter.com/Super_Advokate Warrior Lt.

Find someone ignorant to express your sentiments with. I don’t deal with fallacies. Your false dilemma; ‘Administrators can’t do anything, so that means we do nothing and wait on the next student to die.’, is childish and not worth a serious reply. If that’s what you gathered from my remarks, you have no business replying to me.

Lisa

i did find someone ignornat…after reading your orginal post…it’s you!
MW

What he said might be somewhat useful to you as you mature. He is right in every way.
Lisa

he is right in every way…really? i refuse to engage in your stupidity…

I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.
http://twitter.com/Super_Advokate Warrior Lt.

Congratulations Lisa,

You’ve demonstrated how immature you are, while trying to insult others. We call that “epic failure”.
Lisa

you still here reacting to my comments…i would call this success…lol
http://twitter.com/Super_Advokate Warrior Lt.

Too much irony Lisa. Not to mention such a low measure of “success” you have.

Hint: I’m actually a published writer. You may find some of my writings published “here”. ~_^ Now, who might you be Lisa?
Lisa

writer for ybw…keep it a secret you narcissistic jerk…lol
http://twitter.com/Super_Advokate Warrior Lt.

that “lol” saysallweneedto hear

R.Northern, Jr., Ed.D.

Our children attend school to learn their chosen fields of study. These aspiring scholars learn character, rights and responsibility(s). The true lesson here is that hazing-a Black on Black~bullying tradition must be put down. A 2000/04 lawsuit that addressed this criminal act was settled out for $1.8 million dollars. Dr. Ammons and all of his chain of command are aware, thus complicitous and in violation of Florida’s Anti-Hazing law. Penn State, Syracuse and FAMU are examples of weak leadership practices that are condoned with inaction and were complicitous of the murder; by his own (hazers) of Mr. Robert D Champion. Ignorance is no defense of the law, especially when a child is abused, rediculed and murdered. As best you can, inform the kids about the law that is already on the books. My condolences to the Champion family and all abused and neglected children at the hands of inept and incompetent leaders at this prestigous school of our community. GODspeed!

Dr. Rooosevelt Northern, Jr., Ed.D.
CEO/founder
A V.E.T.S.C.A.R.E., Inc.
Dacheddar

President James H. Ammons said in a letter to Julian E. White.White
was dismissed effective December 22 and on administrative leave with
pay effective immediately. White has been the head of the band since
1998.

This hardly sounds like a punishment to me, Paid leave is what I called a vacation. I am looking for a job and won that pays you while you sit at home is just my kind of job…..I’m just saying……..

John

What are you talking about? He lost the job he had for 13 years. That’s what I call a punishment.

El

White had NO business whatsover allowing ANY hazing to persist in the band,so good riddance! I know a lot about this band and it defies belief that STUDENTS were in charge of their sections instead of the educators and administrators that are EMPLOYED to be in charge of the whole band! The band should have had NO activities in which real adult band officials were NOT a part and people should have been EXPELLED for any hazing of the sort that went on.Not suspended…..EXPELLED! Rumor has it Robert Champion was beaten in a gauntlet on that bus for punishment for an on field mistake….which sounds completely sick! But only fools would allow undergraduate students so much power and control over whole sections of a band…judgement is poor in many college students,that is well known! Whole band staff needs to be fired ASAP!

Dr. Ammons is not without blame either and should also be fired–there is ample evidence that parents and students spoke out many many times this year on this horrible situation to the administration. After 75 students(not the 30 yall heard about!) went home this year already for hazing,the band should have been shut down long before this young man’s death! Fraternities and Sororities have been shut down for 2 to 3 years for hazing until all offenders graduate to reset cultures like this,and it looks like the Marching 100 will have to be shut down for that long as well. This is unacceptable on every level!

John

I agree that the band director should be fired. Maybe the president should be fired for hiring the band director and letting him haze the kids.
Gbr250

Your comment means nothing without a solution to the hazing. Do you actually think that Dr. White sat and watched the hazing? Obviously it was not done in his presence or the assistants. The state needs to give the university more money to hire more assistants to supervise the 375 member band. Have you considered that Gov. Scott may have given Dr. Ammons orders to fire Dr. White? The investigation is not complete. So you want to shut the band down… but have you considered that a large percentage of band students have band scholarships that assist them financially to attend FAMU? You need to suggest how to stop hazing because I want it to stop too. But it continues decade after decade and I don’t believe that firing the band director and the university president will make it all end.

El

There IS a solution to the hazing and I mentioned it in my post!

Shut down the Band for three years,like the Frats and the Sororities do when this kind of thing happens—that stops the hazing culture right there,cause the fools who haze graduate,and it RESETS the culture! This is what many a Black Greek organization has been through,the socalled Death Penalty,and when the group is reinstated,those crazy traditions are NOT resumed. You CAN change cultures of these groups!

Also, automatic explusion or semester suspension for Hazing is needed. That DOES deter some people! I work at a HBCU,and fighting went down terrifically when the Administration at the school had a mandatory explusion policy for fighting …dropped the number of fights 200%!

Hazing at our school also has a minimum semester suspension with it….that means if you offend in the first semester of this year,you may not return until first semester of NEXT year. And our school does expel anyone who harms another student and sends the investigation right to the police,and any organization with confirmed hazing to the point of injury is rolled immediately,right off campus! Automatic!! I definitely know that for sure— some Frat members paddled two pledges into the hospital 2 years ago and whole chapter got a semester long suspension,the Frat is no longer able to be on campus and the actual culprits in the beating got expelled and sent to the police and they are in prison now. Many of those suspended Frat members have not even come back to the school as students,so YES,that hazing culture is extinct. Rigorous enforcement DOES work…! And the fate of that Frat scared the rest of the groups on campus,best believe! Showed that the Administration meant business!

So,YES, Dr. Ammons and the Band director do need to be fired,cause no way would that happen on many a campus,and not the HBCU I work for….that is a Hell NO that the officials at our school would let any of that go on! Ridiculous…students in charge of the band sections? NEVER!

And about the scholarships…..so what? If they cared about their scholarships,they should not have been hazing to begin with! Let them lose the scholarships, it will show others not to be damn fools messing with some band hazing when EDUCATION is what they are supposed to be in school for! Simple as that…it is what it is…..let them lose those scholarships,they need to learn NOW that fun and games and hazing nonsense is NOT important, EDUCATION and aspirations ARE!
NoLeadership

you’re wrong, no different than penn st. everyone involved should be fired and students should be expelled and prosecuted by the law…period.

when it comes to hazing, leadership starts at the top..the president sets the tone and vision for the campus. if hazing is a low priority, then administrators and students will mirrow the attitude of the leader.

i assure you the next president and band director will make hazing a high priority after seeing adminstrators lose hundred thousand salaries and law suits in the millions due to a death caused by hazing.

students do what we allow them to do.  in addition, they mirrow the attitudes of the administrators and the upper classmen.  the standard being set now by the president after the death of the student should have been set years ago by firing and dismissing students involved in hazing.  someone should not have to die before leadership is shown in the area of hazing.

if the senior leadership make hazing a top priority with serious penalties for those who violate the rule…then and only then will you see a change in the culture of hazing.

RuSerious

if they schools are serious about hazing…they would expell students–not suspend if they want students to take it serious.

the problem…the schools are more concerned about dollars from tuition…therefore they don’t want to risk expelling students for hazing in fear of those students not returning and losing tuition dollars for budget to meet yearly operational expenses.

Anonymous

It was only a matter of time before a student lost his life – it should never have come to this. Many, MANY complaints have been raised for years. Think of the suffering these kids have gone through. Ammons must go.
Thoughiwalkthroughthevalley

If you haven’t studied leadership then you might sound immature defending Dr. White. In a situation like this he would surely be the first to be fired. He is the leader of the band and gets paid a great deal of money to be ultimately responsible. Now he may have a leg to stand upon depending on how well he documented his anti-hazing stance. For instance, if the school administration worked against him. Nonetheless, he is supposed to get fired. Then on appeal he may make a case. For those of you who felt as though the firing was wrong, it just makes you look like you have no leadership training.

Kim

are former band members who participated in hazing!!!

MW

The death of young Mr. Champion is so sad. Yes, the appropriate action was taken by the administration in this case. Administrative leave with pay until the investigation has been completed is in order. (That is how professionals are treated. Don’t hate the game!) There may be some jail time for a number of people and big money paid out by FAMU for this fiasco. I suggest that they all try to find good lawyers. If they have no money, then, you can bet their lawyers won’t have the experience or long pockets to give up their paycheck to represent them. “Hello jail time!”