Robert Champion, the Florida A&M student whose hazing death unearthed the dangerous ritual taking place at schools around the nation, welcomed the violence—this according to student interviews released Wednesday (May 22). The aspiring drum captain has been painted by his family members as a vocal opponent of hazing, but according to students at FAMU, Champion was willing to do whatever it took to obtain a leadership position in the band.
“It’s a respect thing, you know,” said defendant Jonathan Boyce “Well, he was wanting to do it all … all season.”
Whether or not he welcomed the attack, Champion could not have predicted the severity of the situation. The 26-year-old stepped onto Bus C in Orlando last fall, where he was viciously beaten with drum sticks, sustaining injuries to the chest and arms, and throwing up before losing consciousness, and dying.
Champions parents are denying that he wanted to be hazed. “He was murdered on that bus, and no one signs up for that,” said his mother, Pat.
In wake of his death, 13 people have been charged for the crime, FAMU’s president has also suspended the drum team through next year.
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Photo: Diverse Education
