Fineout article riddled with contradictions

A recent article by Associated Press reporter Gary Fineout claims: “Hundreds of pages of records show years of repeated warnings about brutal hazing passed without any serious response from [FAMU’s] leadership until last November's beating death of drum major Robert Champion.”

But later on in the article, Fineout admits that FAMU police investigations into alleged hazing incidents were “commonplace.”

“Police investigations into hazing were so commonplace that FAMU police even had a ‘band hazing questionnaire’ that it submitted to students,” Fineout writes.

Fineout does not explain how FAMU could conduct regular criminal investigations into reported hazing at the same time it was not dedicating “any serious response” to hazing.


The article also admits that FAMU “held mandatory sessions with students each fall, warning them that hazing is a felony in Florida and requiring students to sign a form acknowledging the consequences.”

If Fineout understands that it was FAMU’s standard practice was to investigate hazing complaints and make sure that students knew hazing is against the law, what is the basis for his allegation that FAMU hasn’t taken hazing seriously?

Fineout’s own information points to a culture of secrecy and conspiracy of silence among certain students as being the real source of the problem.

“Many police investigations into hazing went nowhere because students stonewalled and refused to cooperate,” Fineout writes.

Marching 100 member Keon Hollis, a drum major who went through the “Crossing Bus C” initiation on Nov. 19th, says he and Robert Champion voluntarily submitted themselves to the hazing ritual.

FAMU’s challenge is to change the student culture so students will stop volunteering to be hazed and immediately report any hazing incidents they witness.