Suspension extended for Florida A&M's marching band

From Tallahassee.com: Florida A&M University President James Ammons says the school's Marching 100 band will remain suspended through 2012-13 in the wake of last year's hazing death of drum major Robert Champion. The band will be sidelined, and the university will put in place "best practices" designed to prevent hazing. Ammons says his goal is to create a safe environment and "to ensure that such safety carries through to all of our student organizations including the band."

EARLIER...From The Tampa Bay Times: Florida A&M University president James Ammons has disclosed that 101 members of the school's marching band were not enrolled last fall at the university but marched anyway. The band has been suspended since November, when a member died from injuries allegedly sustained in a hazing ritual. A few of those unregistered band members are among the 13 people arrested last week on hazing charges in connection with the death. After the latest revelations, longtime band director Julian White abruptly announced his retirement. From The Tampa Bay Times: Thirteen people have been charged with crimes in the hazing death of a Florida A&M University drum major who was severely beaten during a ritual. The charges come more than five months after 26-year-old Robert Champion died aboard a chartered bus parked outside an Orlando hotel following a performance against a rival school. Champion was severely beaten by band members in November. The names of those charged will not be released until they are all arrested. Authorities did not say whether all those charged were band members. APRIL 2012....From The Tampa Tribune: Still reeling from the hazing death of a drum major more than four months ago, Florida A&M University trustees have adopted a regulation requiring those attending, visiting or working at the school to tell police within 24 hours about any hazing incidents. Students and faculty or professors could both face sanctions under the new regulation, including the possibility in extreme cases of being expelled or fired.