Fallout from FAMU: Ga. high schools suspends bands

[DAHILL]

Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

http://www.ajc.com/news/marching-bands-suspended-in-1260144.html?cxntlid=brkng_nws_bnr
The alleged hazing in Florida A&M University's band has led to the suspension of all marching band activities in DeKalb County high schools.



DeKalb suspends band activities
Fraud possible at FAMU

School system officials announced Wednesday afternoon that they are suspending all marching band activities pending an investigation of "possible inappropriate activities" among band members, alumni advisors, band directors and others.

System spokesman Walter Woods said officials started asking questions at Southwest DeKalb High School because of connections to alleged hazing incidents at FAMU. Robert Champion, the FAMU band member who died, and another member, Bria Shante Hunter, who was injured, graduated from Southwest DeKalb. Two of three FAMU band members charged with injuring Hunter also hailed from the high school.

The system investigation unearthed some troubling finds, Woods said. He was not willing to disclose their nature yet.

Marching band activities countywide, except in special cases such as an upcoming Martin Luther King Day parade performance, will be suspended.

"Our concern is that student safety needs to be assured," Woods said. "And we have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment or any other inappropriate behavior."

 

[DAHILL]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

How can one college band affect an entire County two states over????

 

[JR]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

How can one college band affect an entire County two states over????

Simple. If that school or county are student feeders for your program. Sounds like SW DeKalb is just that. Not shocking. FAMU has always had tons of ATL kids in their band. Sounds like these factions doing the hazing within FAMU band program might have gotten it's start back in Ga. and they are uncovering that as they investigate. I remember them saying the Feds were going to get involved along with the AG of Florida. Folks are spilling their guts now.

 

[EB]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

Think about these. DeKalb County has the third highest population in the state and the second or third largest school system in the state.

This is getting stranger by the day and week.

http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/countypopulationrank.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_school_districts_in_the_United_States_by_enrollment

www.all4ed.org/about_the_crisis/schools/state_and_local_info/Georgia/10_largest_districts

 

[ALREADY KNOWIN']

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

I remember them saying the Feds were going to get involved along with the AG of Florida. Folks are spilling their guts now.

lol@ folks are spilling their guts now. You know when the feds come to town people be quick to tell it. the investigation goes something like this:

agent: i'd like to ask you a few questions.

subject: Good! Because i've got a whole lot of sh!t that I want to tell you. For one, I never did like that dude. two, him and his brother.......

That FAMU stuff....man....it's gonna take them a while to recover from this.

 

[JR]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

lol@ folks are spilling their guts now. You know when the feds come to town people be quick to tell it. the investigation goes something like this:

agent: i'd like to ask you a few questions.

subject: Good! Because i've got a whole lot of sh!t that I want to tell you. For one, I never did like that dude. two, him and his brother.......



That FAMU stuff....man....it's gonna take them a while to recover from this.

You are right. It is going to take a long time to recover. Between the Penn State scandal, Syracuse scandal and the FAMU thing. The news folks are having a field day. SMH.

 

[HORNETSWARM]

http://home.knology.net/news/read.p...ass&action=1&lang=en&_LT=UNLC_NKNWU00L1_UNEWS

ATLANTA (AP) — The fallout from the death of a Florida A&M University drum major broadened Wednesday to nearly two dozen high schools in Georgia, where marching band activities were suspended over concerns of "inappropriate physical activity" between band mates.

A metro Atlanta school district began investigating after Robert Champion died Nov. 19. The Southwest DeKalb High graduate was found unresponsive on a bus parked in front of an Orlando hotel after a university football game, and authorities said his death involved hazing.

Another Florida A&M student, Bria Shante Hunter, who also attended Southwest DeKalb, told police she was severely beaten in a hazing ritual about three weeks before Champion's death.

Hunter, a freshman and clarinet player, said she was repeatedly hit in her legs by members of the "Red Dawg Order," a band club for Georgia natives. Authorities have said Champion was hazed, but have not described how.

Three band members were arrested in Hunter's case and charged with hazing. Two were also charged with battery.

Meanwhile, Florida authorities looking into Champion's death opened a new investigation after they uncovered possible employee fraud and misconduct at the university, according to documents released Wednesday.

The separate investigation was triggered by information investigators discovered regarding the finances of the Marching 100, according to a person in Gov. Rick Scott's administration. He asked for anonymity because he was not publicly authorized to discuss the matter.

In Georgia, Walter Woods, spokesman for the DeKalb County school district, said they were investigating marching bands at the district's 21 high schools after two problems over the summer. He declined to say whether the incidences involved hazing and said the students involved were not injured.

"Our interest is in protecting students, the safety of the students," said Woods. "We have notified schools to be vigilant of our existing policy, which is zero tolerance for harassment of any kind."

Read rest of story

 

[HORNETSWARM]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

Wait til this schytt hits (60) Minutes, 20/20, Tavis Smiley's Symposiums, Movie deals etc. :shame:

 

[HORNETSWARM]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

How can one college band affect an entire County two states over????

I remember the saying "Man is so smart that he's destroying his-own-self." The FBI is going to help, aide and assist them in their very own demise. :shame:

 

[HORNETSWARM]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

Personally, I think S. Dekalb High and the other (20) area schools in that system have set up a "coup d' etat" at FAMU. The state looks good with its beautiful Palm trees, but with the head of a snake lurking in its mist. Dayum!

 

[FAM4lyfe]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

Yeah...alot of people had been connecting the dots with Georgia. Four of Five of the drum majors are from the Atlanta area...the girl who made the most recent allegations is from the Atlanta area...and the guys who got arrested are from the Atlanta area. Everything points directly at Georgia.

BTW, I am not saying that Georgia students are the problem...but it could just be a coincidence. The Florida high school band culture isn't that deep with most of the programs being stripped down from what they used to be...and Georgia is only one state away.

 

[HORNETSWARM]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

Since the FBI is involved and alleged fraud is included, don't be surprised if they peek a little farther and say OK! Let's check the dayum football records now. Be careful for what you wish for.

 

[FAM4lyfe]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

Since the FBI is involved and alleged fraud is included, don't be surprised if they peek a little farther and say OK! Let's check the dayum football records now. Be careful for what you wish for.

The fraud/misconduct actually involves the Marching 100...so that explains why the hazing investigation turned up that little bit of info...Tallahassee news outlets updated that yesterday afternoon

I don't know the entire story as everything isn't getting released...they were just so unclear with the way it was reported earlier, that it made it look like a problem that was elsewhere in the university...which would've just been a WTF moment for sure.

 

[jstate83]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

Since the FBI is involved and alleged fraud is included, don't be surprised if they peek a little farther and say OK! Let's check the dayum football records now. Be careful for what you wish for.

They have already uncovered another probe involving fraud from this probe of hazing. They turned that over to other investigators to be looked at seperately. I posted that article yesterday but I guess it got merged on one of the thread here or someone just deleted the entire thread because I can't find it on smalltalk or here. :tup:

 

[ALREADY KNOWIN']

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

You are right. It is going to take a long time to recover. Between the Penn State scandal, Syracuse scandal and the FAMU thing. The news folks are having a field day. SMH.

and don't forget about that AAU scandal that came to surface down in memphis. like the bible says, 'there's a season for everything." I guess tis be the season that the chickens are coming home to roost for the pedophiles.

 

[97JSULEGEND]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

and don't forget about that AAU scandal that came to surface down in memphis. like the bible says, 'there's a season for everything." I guess tis be the season that the chickens are coming home to roost for the pedophiles.

AAU has no backbround checks for coaches...Really who trust there kids to these folks...

 

[JROCK]

Re: Its official FAMU has the most powerful band program in the country

Dekalb County students and musicians are the salt of the earth. I demand anyone who has slandered them to take it back! :lol: :emlaugh: