Update: Last year’s hazers have cleaned up their act after very public band assistant’s resignation: Wisconsin band hazing update

Link to current story and slideshow

Excerpt: MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Marching Band has been staying in line — both literally and figuratively — since it was threatened by officials for rowdy behavior and hazing last year.

SLIDESHOW: Badgers Season Opener Images (same page as link)

Listen to an audio show on NPR discussing the Wisconsin band incident. 

News about the band has been positive since a series of embarrassing incidents came out about lewd behavior by the group led to Chancellor John Wiley’s decree to shape up.

Casey Nagy, an assistant to Wiley, said administrators have been “very pleased with their response” after band members were strongly warned about losing performance and travel privileges.

Last October, Wiley sent a letter to band director Mike Leckrone that called the behavior “boorish to patently dangerous and unlawful.”

Leckrone said the band is moving forward since last year’s problems.

Prior story Link : Excerpt

The assistant director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison band has resigned after being criticized for inappropriate behavior during a rowdy band trip to Michigan last September.

A report released late on Tuesday said that Michael Lorenz engaged in “unwelcome, intimidating, and frightening” behavior after he entered the hotel room of a university employee during the early-morning hours.

The band was in Ann Arbor to play during Wisconsin’s game against the University of Michigan the following day.

The report said that Lorenz went to the woman’s room uninvited after a night of drinking, sat on her bed, took off his shirt, and eventually used her hot tub without permission.

In a resignation letter, Lorenz said that the situation was the result of a misunderstanding. His resignation is effective May 27.