FAMU Is Not Penn State: Hazing Should Not Kill A Storied Program

This week, Campbell comes to the defense of Florida’s largest historically African-American university, which has been caught up in a deadly hazing scandal.

This past weekend, the St. Petersburg Times published a lengthy article in which experts suggested Florida A&M University shut down its storied Marching 100 band in the wake of the November 19 death of Robert Champion. The drum major allegedly died after receiving blows during a hazing ritual. The story quoted Walter Kimbrough, hazing expert and president of Philander Smith College in Arkansas, this way: “Your chances of having a marching band hazing incident are zero if you don’t have a functioning marching band.” That’s absolute BS.

This all is tragic, and law enforcement should investigate and criminally charge anyone involved in the young man’s death. But let’s be real here. Hazing goes on whenever you are part of a secret society or an organization. In fact, the drowning death of a University of Miami student involved in a fraternity hazing years ago is what prompted state legislators to make it a crime.