Robert Champion Jr.

COMMENTARY: Was Robert Champion Jr.'s death a hazing or a hate crime?

The Rev. Irene Monroe - SDGLN Contributor
January 27th, 2012

"Um, who cares? Unless his sexual orientation was the reason why he was beaten to death, then it’s quite irrelevant. We had previously heard about him being gay, but we declined on reporting about it because if the police were told this when they characterized his death a result of hazing and didn’t connect the two to say this was a hate crime, then why throw it out there?

ACTION ALERT: Sign petition calling for hate crime inquiry into FAMU hazing death

Sharon Lettman-Hicks - National Black Justice Coalition
January 11th, 2012

On Nov. 19, 2011, Florida A&M University student Robert Champion Jr. was found unresponsive aboard a band bus after the school's biggest game of the year. Police ruled the death a homicide from hazing; furthermore, the parents of Mr. Champion, a 26-year-old drum major in the university’s famed marching band, have recently revealed that Mr. Champion was gay.