Alleged FAMU Delta pledges deny being hazed, investigation ends without charges

The Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) detectives who investigated an alleged hazing incident involving FAMU’s Delta Sigma Theta chapter ran into the same problem that keeps on repeating itself over and over again. All of the alleged hazing victims who spoke to the deputies said that no one hazed them. LCSO has now closed the case with no charges filed.

FAMU has still executed non-criminal disciplinary action against an undisclosed number of members of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta by suspending them from school.

Back in February, FAMU placed the Delta chapter on inactive status after receiving a report about an alleged, off-campus hazing incident within the group. The accusations were submitted through FAMU’s anti-hazing website.

The university assisted LCSO with a criminal investigation into the matter. According to WCTV-6, the LCSO incident report "says 21-year-old Inita Knox lost consciousness during an orientation meeting on February 5th…But, according to the report, Knox told investigators she faints sometimes for no reason because of her heart murmur and denied she was hazed."

LCSO detectives interviewed 22 individuals in connection with the case. Every student denied that any hazing took place.

This is how most criminal investigations into alleged hazing incidents at FAMU end. FAMU’s work to try and help the Tallahassee Police Department bring criminal charges against alleged hazers in the Torque dance group and the Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity also went nowhere because none of the students interrogated by detectives provided any information that was sufficient to secure arrest warrants.

Last year, the Orange County Sheriff's Office concluded that FAMU drum major Robert Champion "willingly participated" in the illegal hazing ritual that left him dead on Nov. 19, 2011.