Attorney Christopher Chestnut fell flat when he tried to smear the work that Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings and his deputies did to investigate the hazing death of FAMU drum major Robert Champion, Jr.
Chestnut’s clients, Champion’s mother and father, are now directing a round of venting against Sylvester Young. FAMU just selected Young to rebuild the university band that has been on suspension since Champion died.
According to the Orlando Sentinel: “In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Robert and Pamela Champion also questioned why Florida A&M University hired a new band director who acknowledged he was hazed while he was a FAMU student.”
“I just don’t feel like anything has changed,” she told the newspaper. “We’re looking out for the safety of students.”
FOX 5 in Atlanta aired a video in which Champion’s mother added more negative comments.
Click Link To View Video: :http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/22309680/champion-family-famu-band-shouldnt-march-next-year
“I don’t know Mr. Young at all,” she said. “But my thought is the culture of that band and the hazing and the things that have been going on for years that has been just let go…He too admit that he was a product of being hazed at FAMU, as well.”
Young admitted that back when he was a member of the Marching 100, upperclassmen bullied him out of a hotel room during an out-of-town game in Miami and told him to take off a pair of red socks he had worn.
The Champions are grasping at straws. They haven’t been able to find any record of Young being soft on hazing in any of the three collegiate bands he’s led during his career. That is because Young was a tough disciplinarian and kept students safe while directing the bands at Lincoln University, Hampton University, and Ohio University.
So the only criticism they can bring up against Young is that he was a victim of hazing. The fact that Young was a hazing victim doesn’t make him unfit to direct a band. That’s like saying a person is unfit to become a police officer simply because he or she was previously a victim of burglary.
Young should follow Demings’ lead by refusing to let the very personal attacks from the Champion family discourage him. Even though Chestnut said Demings’ investigation “was botched from Day 1,” Orange County voters reelected the incumbent sheriff to another four year term.
Demings’ investigation concluded that Champion “willingly participated” in the illegal hazing ritual that left him dead. He continues to stand by those investigation results despite the fact that Champion’s parents still refuse to believe that their son asked to be hazed.
If Young simply does his new job with the type of class and skill that Demings has displayed while performing his public duty, then the Champion family’s PR campaign against him will also go nowhere.
Replies
First of all , my heart goes out to the Champion family for the lost of their son..But, I'm almost 100% sure that almost everyone that is a member of this site has experienced some form of hazing,be it physical or mental..But,the bottom line is that even as a "crab" you have to have limitations on the things that you allow to happen to yourself..The report said that Robert Champion participated in the hazing ritual "willingly," that means he had a choice..It is a shame that he died as a result of a hazing ritual,but he made a decision to participate,and that turned out to be the wrong decision..I marched in the Jukebox(90-93),and we went thru some ill shit,but I swore to myself that I wouldn't let anyone do anything to me that I thought would endanger my life..And I meant that..Did I get hazed?..HELL YEAH!!! But,I knew that I wasn't going to let anyone "straight-up f--k over me," or we were going to fight..My years in the Jukebox were some of the most memorable of my life, and I wouldn't change a damn thing..The Champion family should back off of Dr.Young and let the 100 continue their progress towards the repair of their band program..If they are so concerned about the students,then let those students continue their dream of marching in the 100,and persuing their education at FAMU.. R.I.P.Robert Champion.
Wouldn't it be some shit if someone could prove that Robert Champion hazed people while he was a SWD, or Kentucky State, or even at FAMU. He was in KKPsi also, did he haze anybody in that org? These are fair questions, and I know his parents don't want to accept the fact that their son willfully took part in a hazing ritual. And if he would have survived, no doubt he would have hazed someone himself.
You guys are tripping. These people lost their son to hazing at FAMU for whatever reason. None of you knows what that feels like and what they been through spiritually, mentally, and physically. Neither do I. But it seems to me that they have made their mind up that they don't want this to ever happen again to anybody.
Unfortunately for the Champions, FAMU and the Marching 100 is a big brand to take on without some outside help and influence. It's a shame they are in this media war seemingly by themselves.
I wish them strength and perseverance and a swift and fair justice.
Well, some of us DO know how it feels to lose a child, sibling, parent, etc,.and a year
I've said this a YEAR ago....seems to me like they are ANGRY and a little BITTER.
When you start lashing out at people that you dont even know, and who have NOTHING to do with the death of your son, then it definitely seems to be an ANGER issue. Although, I would be MORE than upset if my son died at the hands of someone else (whether voluntary or involuntary), so I understand. BUT, now, a year and a half later, it just seems so obvious that they are hurt and ANGRY. AGAIN, im not saying they dont have a right to be
I dont know how they can POSSIBLY get over this, if they consistantly put themselves in matters that they have to consistanly RELIVE the hurt and pain of their son's death.
Underage Thinker said:
Sylvester Young is obviously an honest man. He's put everything on the table so what is the family searching for?
These tragedies always play out the same way. And they always try that emotional line about "you don't know how we feel" as if no one has had a tragedy in their family. But I'm glad the boo-hoos are out of the way because I said this would happen the same night of the incident. The Champion family are in attack mode to get more money because they haven't gotten enough. The family initially went after the State (FAMU), hotel and bus company in an effort to get a payday. That was unsuccessful so they then went after each individual involved. The individuals were rightfully charged,convicted or lost their position. But none of those individuals had money and the State basically said take the $300k and move on - something tells me the family accepted that money and it's now gone. And the insurance companies for the hotel and bus companies didn't even want to hear it.
One of the following two things happen each time something like this happens...
(1) The same reaction when a drunk driver causes a death. The culprit has been charged and convicted, but that's never enough if the culprit has no money to pay the family. The family turns their attention to the public and now make everyone, who had absolutely nothing to do with the death, lives miserable. They force legislatures to pass ridiculous laws, all in the name of their loss.
(2) Whenever a death is caused by a person with money, the family takes the money and says nothing. They don't join groups or protest at their local Capitol to change laws. Nor do they want anymore media attention after their "undisclosed settlement."
The people involved have been terminated, charged and have had their lives rightfully ruined. It's time for FAMU to move on and get their school back together.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/des_plaines/chi-ma...
This lady is commited to ending hazing and bullying. That's a big task to tussle with, but it's her choice to do so. And I commend her for doing as much as she has for hazing and bullying awareness. Physical abuse as a means of controlling someone is a primative and barbaric way of reasoning.
And besides, you hear reports everyday of continued hazing tragedies throughout our communities and college campuses. This needs to stop. What better time than now?
Im just sayn... -__-
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/FAMU-Sorority-on-Inactive-Status-...
http://dailycaller.com/2013/04/24/two-students-drown-in-hazing-inci...
http://www.thefamuanonline.com/news/famu-faculty-involved-in-kappa-...
http://blackamericaweb.com/46822/texas-southern-university-band-sus...
Chris said:
I agree, it is time for FAMU to move forward. This means not backward or stagnant. Other then the attempts to hire a new director to bring back the band, Im not sure I can say FAMU is in a forward direction.
I commend her for that, and I do agree that this is the perfect platform to do it.
BUT, the MOOD that I am getting from their actions is that they are out for VENGANCE...and there's nothing humbing about that.
I agree with Underage Thinker...they are hurt and they are lashing out. We have ALL done that MULTIPLE times in our lives, so we all should understand it. BUT, doesn't make it right. And the fact that they are so PUBLIC makes it even worse that they are doing sooo much
Underage Thinker said:
It's funny how we let emotions control us when we should be controlling our emotions.