An Associated Press article that ran on May 1 reminded readers that: “in a January interview with The Associated Press, [Robert] Champion's parents dismissed the notion that his sexual orientation brought on the [Nov. 19] attack, which was, to their knowledge, the first time he'd ever been hazed.”
WAGA FOX 5 Atlanta decided to investigate further and reported that “several band members tell us Champion was a member of a group called Red Dawg Order.” The Red Dawg Order is a group of Marching 100 members from Georgia.
FAMU officials haven't given the Red Dawgs authorization to act as a campus organization. Many Red Dawgs have chosen to violate the university's rules by recruiting members from within the Marching 100 and hazing them.
The FOX 5 news story aired on Feb. 14 before the recent arrests in the Champion hazing case were made.