Hank Nuwer, Author; Hazing Deaths Database

Link to story

Caleb Jackson, 26, was sentenced to four years in prison: He could have received 15 years.

excerpt

Judge Marc Lubet said that he chose not to give Jackson a more lengthy prison term because he said evidence showed that Champion was a willing participant in the incident.

Champion’s parents, Robert Sr. and Pam Champion, both testified Friday and expressed disappointment with the outcome of the prosecutions over the past four years, which they said didn’t collectively send a clear message to end hazing.

“Yes, Mr. Jackson, you killed my son,” she said looking at Jackson. “You will never get out from under the fact that you killed my son.”

Fifteen former band members were charged in Champion’s death. Purported ringleader Dante Martin was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison in January. Jessie Baskin served just shy of a year in county jail after entering a no-contest plea to manslaughter. Most of the others were sentenced to community service and probation.

Jackson’s sentencing now ends all prosecution in the case.

Champion collapsed and died in November 2011 after being pummeled by other members of FAMU’s famed Marching 100 band with fists and instruments during a brutal ritual known as “crossing Bus C” while aboard a parked bus after a football game.

Here is the latest from Texas: 

Excerpt from the Tech Toreador:

David Greis, the colony development coordinator for Beta, said he will be in Lubbock the remainder of the school year to help the chapter recolonize.

“We are trying to find the guys to build up the Beta chapter,” Greis said. “And to really be a positive in the guys’ lives and hopefully add a lot of value to the Greek system here as well.”

The fraternity looks for gentlemen, scholars and leaders, Greis said.

Beta plans to be involved in brotherhood events, social events, philanthropy events and mixers with sororities, he said, as well as have members focus on grades.

“We want Beta to really compliment the college experience,” Greis said, “but we don’t want it to be the entire college experience. Grades are a priority.”

All classifications are welcome, he said, and finding the right type of members is going to help bring a positive image back to the fraternity.

It is going to be important for the chapter to recruit members with the same values as the fraternity, he said.

“We want guys who maybe didn’t find their fit in the fraternities they looked at,” Greis said, “and maybe want to build this positive experience.”

Beta will have a zero tolerance policy for hazing, Greis said.

Here is the list of chapters that have been told to stop rush activities: Alpha Epsilon Pi; Alpha Tau Omega; Chi Psi; Delta Kappa Epsilon; Kappa Alpha Order; Lambda Chi Alpha; Phi Gamma Delta; Phi Kappa Sigma; Phi Sigma Kappa; Sigma Alpha Epsilon; Sigma Chi; Tau Kappa Epsilon and Theta Chi.

Here is the link to the Orlando Sentinel story.

Excerpt:

A UCF fraternity pledge said he was forced to do exercises while his brothers pulled out a blindfold for him, screamed at him and threw a ball at him, according to an investigative report released by the university.

Sigma Chi, a fraternity at the University of Central Florida since 1974 and has 51 active members, is now under investigation.

Police in Gwinnett County decide not to prosecute Parkview High baseball players.  The incident happened out of state.  Here is the excerpt from WSBTV:

“He just said, ‘We’re not going to prosecute,’” attorney Kurt Hilbert, who represents one of the freshman players, told Channel 2’s Aaron Diamant. “What was going through my mind was, ‘I don’t understand.’ It’s the duty of the police to serve and protect. Clearly, my client is not being protected.”

Hilbert’s 14-year-old client and two other incoming freshmen say they were victims of inappropriate sexual contact by upperclassmen in a North Charleston hotel during a June tournament.

….So far, Hilbert’s client is the only one of the alleged victims to push for criminal charges. But despite the teen’s statement to North Charleston police about his ordeal, police decided not to move forward.

“The detective said that at most this would be assault and battery in the third degree, and therefore, it was such a low level crime that they were not willing to extradite and prosecute,” Hilbert said. “He didn’t give a reason. He just simply said we’re not going to drag a 15-year-old kid across state lines to prosecute for this type of a low level crime.”