The Chronicle of Higher Education
November 5, 2004
A former member of Florida A&M University's marching band who was injured in a 2001 hazing incident won $1.8-million on Monday in a civil lawsuit against the five band members who he said were primarily responsible for his injuries.
Marcus Parker, a Florida A&M freshman in 2001, was beaten with a wooden paddle 30 to 80 times during an induction ritual for the Marching 100, which has been honored as one of the most prestigious marching bands in the country.
The beatings caused Mr. Parker's kidneys to shut down and required surgery, according to David M. Frank, Mr. Parker's lawyer. Mr. Frank added that Mr. Parker may eventually need a kidney transplant as a result of the incident.
A Florida court sentenced each of the attackers to one year of probation in a 2002 criminal case, but only one of the men went away with a conviction on his record. "It was just a slap on the hand," Mr. Frank said.
In a separate settlement last year, Mr. Parker received an undisclosed amount of money from the university, which runs the Marching 100 out of its music department.
While it is fairly common for fraternities and colleges to be held liable for hazing, it is comparatively rare for victims of hazing to go after their individual abusers in court, Mr. Frank said. He said he hoped that the verdict would set a precedent of personal accountability in campus hazing cases.
"I hope individuals who use a warped sense of tradition will finally wake up and realize this is bad," Mr. Frank said.
At least one official at Florida A&M agreed.
"I would just hope that the results of that [lawsuit] will let students know that hazing has very serious consequences," said William P. Foster, director of the Marching 100.
None of the five defendants in the case could be reached for comment on Thursday.
