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Hazing News

One juror away from conviction were the other three FAMU Kappas

One juror hung the jury: This story tells it all.

Our opinion: Greeks must think long and hard about how the public at large views their memberships since pledgeship (even where banned) still equates with violent hazing.
The jury ruled that the former pledge Marcus Jones *had* been beaten with canes.
The defendants were not declared innocent. The jury did not find them “not guilty.” One juror thought the participation of the three in the beating was not clearly demonstrated by the prosecution.
The state of Florida may decide to try the FAMU Trio a third time. Stay tuned here for developments.

What is clear now is that “Old School” hazers have gotten a clear-eyed view of what can happen when you use your hands on a pledge.

The lesson is hardly for the Kappas alone. It is NOT a lesson for historically African American Greek groups alone. It applies, at least in Florida, to all fraternal organizations.

The lesson: If you can’t do the time, don’t haze…it’s a crime.

Thank you to the fraternity member at an historically African American international who wrote this (name deleted because he did not grant permission to use it) to the Blog. The rest is unedited by me):

“I received over 500 paddle hits on the buttocks during a six week pledge period of (name withheld) __ ___ ____ at (name withheld) University in 1977. I made it , but I still thought that was a bit excessive. Some of those licks were quite jarring. I admire you for what you are doing.”

And you, sir, are the kind of alum today’s pledges can look up to.

The bell has rung. Old School Is Out!

The father of Marcus Jones was right to pursue justice. This trial vindicated him as well as his son. And let’s not forget what happened in Texas.
Finally, this is the official Kappa Alpha Psi policy on hazing: Link

By Hank Nuwer

Journalist Hank Nuwer tracks hazing deaths in fraternities and schools. Nuwer is the Alaska author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives; Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. In April of 2024, the Alaska Press Club awarded him first place in the Best Columnist division and Best Humorist, second place.

He has written articles or columns on hazing for the Sunday Times of India, Toronto Globe & Mail, Harper's Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His current book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Warsaw, Poland and Fairbanks, Alaska. Nuwer is a former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird and former managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska.
Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his “After Darke” column in the Early Bird. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. “The move is a sort-of coming home for us,” said Nuwer. As a journalist, he’s written about the Alaskan Iditarod sled-dog race and other Alaska topics. Read his musings in his blog at Real Alaska Daily--http://realalaskadaily.com and in his weekly column "Far from Randolph" in the Winchester Star-Gazette of Randolph County, Indiana.

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