At the request of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), FAMU has halted all disciplinary penalties in connection to drum major Robert D. Champion’s death. The four band students that FAMU dismissed for actions related to the “Champion incident” remain enrolled and are on campus taking their final examinations. Former Director of Bands Julian White, whose termination was to go into effect on December 22, will remain on paid leave on an indefinite basis.
The FAMUan newspaper reported that it received official university documents confirming the identities of three of the four students. According to FAMUan staffers, the students are: “Head Drum Major Jonathan Boyce, a 24-year-old senior from Marietta, Ga., along with fellow drum majors Shawn Turner, 25 of Atlanta, and Rikki Willis, 23 of Miami.”
FAMU spokeswoman Sharon Saunders said that the university administration did not release the names and is legally prohibited from confirming or denying the student newspaper’s report.
During an appearance at today’s FAMU Board of Trustees meeting, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said that his deputies will likely wrap up their investigation in a few weeks.
"We have tried to interview the various witnesses and/or suspects in the case," Demings said. "Most of them, I would say, have made themselves available. There are a few who have not."
Demings added that the Orange County medical examiner could take about another month to determine Champion's cause of death. The sheriff said that "hazing was a part of a part of what occurred" on November 19 but declined to comment about what role, if any, hazing played in the death.