Robert Champion

FAMU Band's Suspension Extends to Next Academic Year

The famed Florida A&M University's Marching 100 will remain on suspension for the entirety of the 2012-13 school year. The announcement comes just a week after longtime band director Dr. Julian White announced his retirement, and months after the hazing death of member Robert Champion. Eleven b ... More >>

13 Charged in FAMU Hazing Death of Robert Champion

Thirteen people will be charged in connection to the death of Florida A&M University band member Robert Champion. Eleven of the 13 suspects will be charged with felony hazing, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of six years behind bars. The other two will face misdemeanor hazing.

Four More FAMU Band Members Arrested for Hazing

Four more FAMU band members found themselves under arrest for taking part in hazing rituals. The arrests were not related to the November death of drum major Robert Champion, but instead for a separate incidents. 

Miami's best blogs: Honorable mention

Miami New Times Ranks Miami's Political Bloggers: Honorable Mentions

Miami New Times cover story is going to be a doozy as we dive into the lives of Miami's most hated bloggers -- by the local political establishment, that is. These digital gadflies are filling the civic investigative void created by the cuts at The Miami Herald and other local media outlets. You'll ... More >>

FAMU Hazing Homicide Victim Robert Champion Might Have Been Targeted Because He Was Gay

​Hazing in the Florida A&M University Marching Band appears to have run rampant for years, but why was the hazing doled out to drum major Robert Champion so severe that it killed him? An attorney for Champion's family now claims Champion might been targeted for harsher hazing in part because h ... More >>

In Wake of FAMU Tragedy, Frederica Wilson to Draft Federal Anti-Hazing Bill

​About a month after the hazing-linked death of FAMU band member Robert Champion, Miami-area U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson has announced plans to introduce a bill that would clamp down on hazing on a federal level.

FAMU Students Occupy Rick Scott's Mansion; Governor's Reply Is Kinda Racist

Thousands of Florida A&M students marched to the governor's mansion last night after Rick Scott demanded the school suspend its president over a band member's hazing death. Scott agreed to meet students out front and, oy, that might have been the wrong decision.The white guv bizarrely attempted ... More >>

FAMU Scandal: Robert Champion's Death Officially Ruled Homicide by Hazing

​The autopsy of deceased FAMU marching band drum major Robert Champion has been completed, and his death has officially been ruled a homicide. Medical examiners ruled Champion's death was "the result of hemorrhagic shock due to soft tissue hemorrhage, incurred by blunt force trauma sustained durin ... More >>

FAMU Band Probe Uncovers Fraud and Law Breaking

​As part of probe into the Florida A&M University marching band sparked by the hazing-linked death of member Robert Champion last month, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has announced they've uncovered possible fraud and misconduct at the school. Details on the allegations however ha ... More >>

Three FAMU Band Members Charged for Severely Beating Woman in Hazing Ritual

​The investigation into the hazing activities of the Florida A&M University marching band following the death of member Robert Champion has uncovered more alleged instances of hazing in the storied program. Three band members have now been arrested for beating a woman, Bria Shante Hunter, duri ... More >>

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

Alex Izaguirre​Luther Campbell, the man whose booty-shaking madness made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech, gets as nasty as he wants to be for Miami New Times. This week, Campbell comes to the defense of Florida's largest historically African-American university, which has been caug ... More >>

Four FAMU Students Dismissed After Drum Major Hazing Death

​Florida A&M University has announced they've dismissed four students in the wake of the death of marching band member Robert Champion. The news comes on the same day that the Associated Press obtained a call made to 911 shortly before Champion's death in which the caller says the band member ... More >>

FAMU Band Director Julius White Fired, Family Plans Lawsuit in Wake of Hazing Death

​Dr. Julian White, the longtime and highly decorated band director of the Florida A&M University Marching 100, has been effectively fired following the hazing-related death of 26-year-old drum major Robert Champion. Champion's family now also plans to file a lawsuit against the university.

FAMU Band Suspended After Drum Major Dies After Possible Hazing

​The Florida A&M University marching band has been put on suspension following the mysterious death of drum major Robert Champion over the weekend. Champion, 26, was found dead on the band's bus shortly after the band's performance this Saturday during the halftime show of the Florida Classic ... More >>