Death, Hazing, and the Role of the University
By: Andrea 'Drea' Elzy
The Los Angeles Times recently ran a piece titled “Robert Champion was to blame for his own Hazing Death, FAMU says”- opening up additional discussion and controversy surrounding hazing and both the culpability students and universities in situations where students are caused bodily harm, and in extreme cases killed, due to hazing. The case in question involves a Florida A&M student Robert Champion, who was killed by fellow members of the marching band while aboard the Band’s bus (Muskal, 2012). Subsequently, both the family of Robert Champion, and The University of Florida A&M have been engrossed in a legal battle over assumed responsibility of the death of the student.
The university maintains that they
assume no responsibility and should not be held responsible for the actions of
a student who a) made the choice to participate in possible dangerous and life
threatening activities, and b) was off campus at the time of incident (Muskal,
2012). The family of Robert Champion, on the other hand, claims the University did not act in the safety or well being of the Student. The case is now being disputed in the court of law, and Florida A&M
University has asked that the case be thrown out. Currently, twelve of the 100
involved band members face felony charges, and the Director of the Marching
band as well as the University President have stepped down (Muskal , 2012).
Despite the legal standings on each
side- there is an increased awareness as to the role of the university where
student wellness is concerned. As we see
shifts in higher education toward increased parental involvement- and
university responsibility moving further and further away from the early stylings
of In loco parentis (Maclahlan, 2000), is there a marked different stance that
both students and parents have when it comes to the role of the university vis-à-vis
student wellness? An interesting question no doubt- and as these unfortunate
situations continue to present themselves throughout Higher Education, perhaps
the next discussion should be how do the expectations of the family
(student-parent) translate to the university setting and what is the role of
the university more specifically when we speak on issues related to Hazing,
Student Injury, Student Death, etc. USC has also undergone this scrutiny in
wake of the tragic shootings of two graduate students in April- different
circumstances, yet another example of the reality that a University cannot always
protect its students from injury or harm- a fact that parents and students,
alike, must grapple with. It will be interesting to see how this case unfolds
and how it will continue to shape this discussion in the future.
MacLachlan, Jenna (2000). Dangerous Traditions: Hazing Rituals on Campus and University Liability. Journal of College and University Law, Vol. 26, Pp. 511-548.
Muskal, Michael (2012) “Robert Champion was to blame for his
own Hazing Death, FAMU says.” The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-famu-hazing-robert-champion-20120911,0,564341.story
This case is a tragedy, only being made worse by the university and it's unwillingness to take culpability for their lack of oversight. This student joined a university sanctioned organization, and fell victim hazing. At minimum officials should work with the family as they grieve their sons death and compensate them adequately for their loss.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in knowing more about the hazing incident and what the univrsity does to prevent hazing. I am not sure if it is reasonable to say that the university is responsibile for the death of a student without knowing further details. At what point is the responsibility on the students who are responsible for the hazing? They are after all adults, and should be treated as such.
ReplyDeleteI think this blog entry poses interesting question regarding the role of the university in student wellness. I think it should be the universities responsibility to ensure that all students are safe. For example, USC has taken steps to ensure that students are safe off campus. However, the two student shootings still occurred in April. After this unfortunate event, USC has again taken steps to ensure student safety by increasing campus security off campus and widening the area that is patrolled. This is just one example of a university taking responsibility for their students, whether they are on or off campus.
ReplyDeleteAndrea,
ReplyDeleteYou raise up some interesting points about parent involvement in light of such unfortunate news. It is unfortunate that we have to encounter some of the harder aspects in college life including hazing and student deaths, but the point that you raise regarding the relationship between parents and the university is very important. This also relates to the the discussion we have been having in the Academic Advising class on emerging adulthood. How society may not require our students to grow up and be adults as early as they were required before. The hand-holding continues longer in some cases, and the extent in which it affects situations like hazing can get tricky.
I think you all bring up great points about hazing and it's related motivations and consequences. This incident was a tragedy for the family and the university. I did a little more research on the incident, and read many of the statements that FAMU has made in their defense. The court documents state that Champion may have witnessed other members go through the hazing incident before he did, and therefore he committed a crime by willingly participating and not doing anything to stop the hazing. However, in a situation where a student is trying to gain approval and acceptance to a group, it is difficult for them to step back and think as an individual. I think peer pressure must have played a large part in this, and he could not predict what happened to him. This incident should help student affairs professionals take a step back to reevaluate what we can do to prevent occurrences like this and better define who is responsible in these situations.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a fine line between university resposibility and individual responsibility. I definitely agree with the fact that the university has a responsibility to promote student health and wellness. However, institutions cannot be all-knowing or forsee future events. I am not convinced that anyone could have known that a hazing issue in one student group could get so out of hand and result in death. Unfortunately, it takes huge and horrible events to enact change sometimes. Placing blame is not effective, because I imagine that many players can take some blame for events like those at Florida A&M and at USC. Instead, it is about moving forward, using the horrible to make changes and ensure that similar things don't happen again. This is not to say that the victims' families should not have the right to be upset, compensated, and seek justice. It just means that institutions cannot change what happened or take full blame, but instead must use events like this to reevaluate policies, procedures, and campus safety.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that a university cannot protect all its students from every source of danger (such as the recent murdering of the two USC graduate students), but I think the Florida A&M case is slightly different. Seeing as this event happened off-campus, it still constitutes as a school-sponsored trip that was being overseen by a university staff member. As I consistently tell my student staff members, you are representing USC all the time (whether or not you are actually on campus). Considering this trip is a school-sponsored event, the administrator and the university have some sort of duty to protect its students; especially since the administrator can be considered as an agent of the institution. What's also disturbing was that the student death was due to the acts of other fellow Florida A&M students. One thing to research is whether or not students are considered agents of the institution.
ReplyDelete-Paul R.
I think you all bring up very interesting points and perspectives. I actually heard the student's parents and two of his friends interviewed on Katie (yes, Katie Couric fan!). One of the things that his friends said was that Champion voluntarily took the seat (literally) and knew he would be beaten. He did so because he wanted to gain respect and the role of a leader on the team. Now, of course that is from his friend and one who is on trial as baring responsibility for Champion's death. Yet regardless, it is indicative of students' perception that enduring hazing will help earn status and acceptance. Students must be educated on healthier ways to earn others respect and inclusiveness. Students must take responsibility for their own behavior and decisions. They also must be educated on the dangers of hazing, and truly understand the consequences of their actions -- as both the hazer and the recipient.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a tragic incident, however, I am not surprised. Hazing has become more prevalent on college campuses across the country. Like Amanda mentioned above, I also read the documents that stated that he was witness to many other members being hazed and did not speak up to any authority figure within the band or the university itself. I think, like many others have mentioned above, it is hard to imagine yourself as a student trying to gain acceptance by a group and feeling the pressure of your own morals and what you know to be right and wrong, and then actually stepping up and taking action. I think the university trying to wash its hands of any responsibility is absolutely unacceptable. Although we are passed the days of in loco parentis, I still think that a student’s safety is any university’s number one priority and responsibility on and within the community. The right response from the university would be to start implementing further policy on hazing and making students aware that they have a zero tolerance policy.
ReplyDeleteErica Wasserman
I think the key statement in this post is “ a University cannot always protect its students from injury or harm- a fact that parents and students, alike, must grapple with.” Similarly, parents can’t always protect their children. Therefore, it is important for college students to be held accountable for their actions. Of course universities must do everything they can to protect their students such as having campus security and sending out crime alerts. It is also important for universities to educate students on the dangers of drug and alcohol use. However, I don’t think the university can be held accountable when a student choses to engage in unsafe behavior. If a student has unprotected sex and contracts an STD, should the university be held responsible for this as well? It is simply impossible to monitor all student behavior. In addition, attempting to do so would be an infringement on their right to privacy and autonomy.
ReplyDeleteStudents must be taught (both by parents and educators) that there are consequences to their behavior and that they are the ones who are ultimately responsible for their actions. As much as we want to hand-hold and protect students, that is not the reality of life. When they step out into the “real-word” they will be accountable for their decisions. Unfortunately, there isn’t always going to be someone to protect them. This is something they need to realize early on.
I hope my words are not coming off too harsh. My heart goes out to this young man’s family, friends, and loved ones. This is a shocking tragedy that should remind us all of how precious and sacred life is.
I am really disturbed by this article. Though Champion chose to participate in the hazing ritual, I think the university uses ineffective language when addressing the situation. By stating that Champion was to blame for his own death, the university shifts blame from the institutional culture to one individual student. I think the University must absolutely take responsibility for ensuring safety among its students. Though hazing-related deaths cannot be eliminated, students can certainly be educated on responsible and healthy behaviors, and those that will not be tolerated under any circumstances (such as hazing). Champion is not the first and most likely not the last student to be hazed by his band members. As a result, the institution must educate its students on how to develop cohesion and leadership within a group without using dangerous behaviors. The university could utilize this tragic incident as an opportunity to teach its students on how to act as responsible, mature adults. Unfortunately, blaming Champion shifts the focus to an individual instead of putting a stop to the bigger at hand, hazing.
ReplyDeleteThe incidents mentioned prove that universities are simply not doing enough to oversee students' extracurricular activities both on and off campus. I agree with some of the perspectives that universities cannot be held completely responsible for the actions of its students, but higher education institutions do have an ethical obligation to ensure the safety of its students. Students will always have free will to make their own choices, but colleges must provide a safe, supportive environment for students to make those choices. Freedom without oversight can be a dangerous reality because students are left to their own devices to make ill-advised decisions that can put not only their own lives at risk, but also the lives of others.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of this tragedy. But I agree with many others that the responsibility of the university can only be taken so far, it can't prevent every incident. The individual college students, that are mostly always adults, should take responsibility for their own actions. I understand that peer-pressure plays a role, as does the fact that these students are still developing, but they are considered adults in all other aspects and their parents and the university should treat them as such.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do believe it is the responsibility of the university to take all measures of prevention it possibly can. This includes alcohol/ drug awareness and educating about hazing, etc. I don't know the details of this case, but the fact that the incident occurred during a school sanctioned event, and on a bus, leads me to believe the university didn't do its job of taking precautions. Where was the staff in charge? Who was supervising this trip? Did they not see or hear the incident occurring? I don't know these answers but they play an important role. If we have staff for students such as RAs, advisors, and the like, it is because students still need some supervision and guidance in the case they make poor choices. Unfortunately, through this tragedy the university must learn and make changes in policy to try and prevent other similar situations.
Great Blog! I think that the issue of hazing on college campuses is of great importance to discuss. Like many of you, I also agree that the university should do the best it can to prevent things like this happening on campus. What is the university doing in regards to educating the campus about hazing? Is it hosting workshops? Hazing awareness weeks? Campaigns? As student affairs professionals, what will we do to help spread awareness?
ReplyDelete-Rose R.