Violent hazing: No longer just sports and frats
July 30, 2009 by Geneva ReidPosted in: Campus Safety, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Student Life
Think hazing is limited to college sports and fraternities? Guess again.
Marching band members have become part of a growing number of college students who’ve experienced hazing — and the courts now are handing out punishments to seven students from Southern University (SU) in Louisiana.
The background:
Late last fall, seven members of the SU Marching Band were arrested and charged with beating three fellow band members.
According to police reports, the victims were blindfolded, told to remove their shirts, splashed with water, hit with band members’ open hands — and then told to bend over at the waist while they were struck repeatedly with a large wooden board.
The incident was part of the younger students’ initiation into the French horn fraternity, Mellow Phi Fellow.
As a result of the beating, two of the victims were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries (they faced organ failure). They were eventually released. The third victim withdrew from the initiation after he was struck more than 50 times with the board.
The update:
Lagarian Bridgewater, one of the seven charged in the hazing, has entered a plea of no contest. The 22-year-old is expected to be put on probation when he’s sentenced on Sept. 22.
In the meantime, Bridgewater’s been given the go-ahead on fulfilling some of the conditions of his probation by:
- performing 100 hours of community service
- writing a 500-word essay on why hazing is dangerous, and
- writing a 500-word report about someone who died because of hazing.
The six other defendants also are expected to plead no contest, and it’s anticipated they’ll also be put on probation.
The National Study of Student Hazing found that 55% of college students who belong to clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing, according to its comprehensive 2008 report. (Click here to see the full report.)
In the case of Southern University, does the punishment fit the crime? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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Tags: hazing, Southern University
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July 29th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Does it surprise anyone that this disgusting event occurred in the violent, Red State Deep South? Seeing as you can likely buy a loaded handgun in a 7-11 in NRA-friendly Louisiana, thankfully, no guns were involved.
July 29th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
The punishment does NOT fit the crime. For very serious physical assault these students should do some prison time. Writing 500 word essays? This is what students are expected to do in freshman English. Give me a beeak! A flogging with a bullwhip would be appropriate.
July 29th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
I would have to agree with John. The punishment was inadequate for what transpired. Don’t know that I’d suggest flogging, but something a bit stronger than “community service”. Two individuals hospitalized with life-threatening injuries?! I would have hoped to have seen at least a brief amount of jail time.
July 29th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
That kind of hazing is a felony-level criminal activity – assault with intent to do great bodily harm. They could have killed those students. Where would those assailants be if the students did not recover from their injuries – at least serving sentences for murder 2. That’s a long way from community service and essays. And the students should be expelled from school. Does any college want this kind of a person as a student? I don’t think so.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Life treatening injuries should not be punished with community service, but prison time. Are there no codes for assault or battery in the Lousiana State Law? Also, a 22-year old should know better than this and should not get such a lenient treatment. A year in prison would be appropriate considering all the aggrevating factors in this case.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Writing 500 word essays and doing community service DOES NOT fit the crime that was committed. I agree with John. The students commtted a CRIME. They harmed other human beings INTENTIONALLY. They need to go to court and be tried like anyone else who would have done a smilar act.
Now, comes the hard part. What can I do to prevent this from happening again? It begins with me and how I treat others in my world. This article reinforces how valuable my fellow human beings are.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Nice use of clipart / stock photo. This guy would look really out of place in Southern’s marching band.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
These guys should get 60 days jail time and 1000 (one thousand) hours of community service, at minimum. I’m not sure about expulsion, but some sort of stringent academic probation in addition to the court-ordered criminal probation should certainly be put into force.
July 29th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Colleges HAVE to take a tough stand on this behavior. ABSOLUTELY the offending students should be expelled from the college, ABSOLUTELY there should be criminal charges. It is time for this out of control behavior in colleges to be dealt with firmly and swiftly.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:16 am
You’re kidding! Writing an essay for intense physical torture. I am a university professor! This is exactly why this type of physical abuse continues — we simply slap their wrists and wish them well. Believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg – when college students get the upper hand over another person, the physical abuse excels. Organ failure! Why didn’t Southern University give them some type of reward … An essay, they will just cut and paste from the internet. What would have happened if anyone died? My hat off to the young student who was man enough to get out and walk away. Now that’s a hero. Don’t worry, you will keep reading about such torture many many times. No administration is brave enough to really punish felons like this.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:54 am
I agree with expulsion and serving some time. I also think that all medical costs should be split seven ways. If any part of the bill was covered by insurance, the insurance companies should be reimbursed. Neither the victims nor insurance company policy owners should bear the cost of this atrocious behaviour. Also, if the band members claim they were just doing what was done to them, the local prosecuter should consider charging the previous members.
July 30th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Blue State Lib’rul: The purpose of the comment area is to comment on the article, not to focus on the area of the country that it came from. Not to insult a large portion of the country with your grossly bias opinion of southern states.
These students should definitely face some sort of school punishment, and should not be allowed to participate in any school organizations and should certainly face school suspension, for a semester at the least. I agree with John Howard, at least 1000 hours of community service, along with a few years probation. If they did this to people off the street they would end up in jail for assault. These people are getting off pretty easy.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:06 am
This is outrageous behavior. And it is unbelievable that students are allowed to get away with it. You send someone to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and all you get is slap on the wrist. The perpetrators should be getting some serious jail time. I also think that expulsion is not too severe.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Blue State Lib-rul – These incidents are happening EVERYWHERE. Your political agenda has NOTHING to do with this story! Your obvious prejudiced opinion of the “Deep South” is completely uncalled for – especially from someone who claims to be ‘liberal’. As my grandmother always said: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Blue State Lib’rul your cultural bias stinks like a (stupid) Cambridge cop
July 30th, 2009 at 9:16 am
First, the hazers should have received jail time.
Second, Blue State Lib’rul, hazing isn’t a “violent Red State Deep South” problem; it happens all over the country, including in the liberal blue states. A quick check of literature on the subject will show horrific incidents in New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Michigan, Texas and Tennessee.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Where is the college policy on hazing and the responsibility laid directly on the perpetrators? Upon admission to the school, it should be made clear that freshman have a way of reporting hazing activities and that anyone taking part in inflicting pain and damage on another student is subject to expulsion from the college and criminal prosecution.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:51 am
We expel students for plagiarism. This, I would think, is more than a tad worse.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:40 am
My son is in high school and has been bullied both physically and verbally and the students responsible barely received a slap on the wrist. How does assault on the street equate to jail time and assault in an academic setting wind up being treated like it is no big deal. Community service for life-threatening injuries? What a travesty and miscarriage of justice. I guess the NRA response would be that if all those involved carried guns those students and my son could have protected themselves. I am not one to promote violence but no one should have to fear that sort of violence.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:19 am
As a college administrator and professor it is unbelievable that the gang of bullies didn’t receive jail time so that they can really experience what hazing is all about. It is terrible that anyone is subjected to this kind of treatment especially persons that just want to play music and be part of a band. I hope that the victims’ entire college experience hasn’t been ruined by these animals.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Gang activity on the college campus should carry the same (if not more) penalties as gang activitiy on the streets. As a college English instructor, I am appalled at a system that would react so nonchalantly to such an aggregious offense. I am sure this will encourage them to NEVER repeat these offenses! How stupid!!!!!
July 30th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I’ve recently been studying torture tactics used by slave holders prior to the civil war and–isn’t it interesting that paddling slaves with a similar type wooden board was among the most common punishments (and according to slave testimony, one of the most terrifying) doled out to slaves who threatened the “pack mentality.” At the time, of course, it was perfectly legal to torture slaves.
Then of course, under the Bush regime, our own government sanctioned torture of folks who received no legal council or trial–who in fact had not been proven to have committed any crime. Is it any wonder that students would co-opt government and army-sanctioned abuse strategies used–both past and present–to “encourage” folks to bend to the desire of their oppressors? This is symptomatic of where we are–a long way from caring about arts, culture, and education–embroiled in an American culture of ignorant violence that’s hell bent on not only condoning, but institutionalizing crimes against folks seriously engaged in any exercise of the soul or mind.
No. The punishment does not fit the crime. But it is a hell of a lot more than Bush and his cronies got for their crimes.
July 30th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Jane – Are you trying to say this came about as the result of the “Bush regime” and their use of waterboarding? Hazing has been going on for decades! And people have been dying for decades due to hazing.
Why don’t people of ALL parties leave their political agendas out of this?! The topic here is a crime which took place and the lack of punishment against the criminals. PLEASE, can we stick to the topic?
July 30th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I have already given my opinion on what should happen to these criminals – see 8:24am. Now I must sadly report another crime – Janice Filer, who claims to be a college English instructor, cannot spell egregious.
July 30th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I would like to point out that the sentence was doled out by a judge – an elected official. The article does not say the University sentenced the felons. The suspects were arrested and the courts handed out punishments. No I don’t think the punishment fits the crime. Bodily injury assault in CO carries with it a sentence of 2-6 years in a state Prison. Maybe this is more of a problem with the court system in the country than anything else. Plea bargains are supposed to reduce the load on the courts and prisons. Not let people get away with a crime. Community service for Assault? – not in my neighborhood. As an instructor, at a community college, I have students expelled for nothing more than academic dishonesty.
July 30th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I agree that political bias should not be part of this discussion.
I agree that the punishment did not fit the crime.
I do think the problem is deeper than persons dishing out torture and not having to face any serious consequences. What caused the students to voluntarily submit to such punishment and humiliation? What was their reason to flagrantly throw away any concept of respect for themselves? It seems to relate to gang behavior where one is not accepted in unless some crime is perpetrated.
This is a much deeper societal illness. Revision of consequences is only part of the issue.
As well as immediate restitution for medical costs, what about as these young students age and those damaged, weakened organs cease to function prematurely. Should restitution include continuing medical insurance?
July 30th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Mel–Yes–I am saying that there is a strong tie between the political and private life–and that the US stance on torture is the most contemporary (you’ll not that I also related a 19th century example of condoned torture) example of the “trickle down” effect that this sort of National statement makes on how we expect our young citizens to relate with the world around them. Interestingly–I did not mention a Republican/Democrat divide on the issue (most Republicans I know did not condone the Bush stance on torture–which, btw, went far beyond “waterboarding”).
I’m sorry if talk of politics offends–but all acts are political and all point to political issues–a nation (I am part of that nation, too) that tolerates and promotes unjust brutality can hardly be smugly surprised that its citizens practice the same on a smaller scale.
July 30th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Jane – Thanks for your insight – you make an excellent defense of your earlier statement and I have to agree with you. Politically, I have no connection to either of the two main political parties and vote for the person and what they stand for. It seems some of the remarks by each party towards the other have gotten worse in the past few years – along with the tolerance by the court system against ‘thugs’ who nearly kill a couple guys and receive no jail time! I hope the university, in this case, will take action against these criminals.
John – it’s good to know at least a few colleges won’t tolerate the bad behavior of some students. Keep up the good work!
July 30th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Have we all failed so miserably to understand and accept others for who they are. This childish nonsense about liberal vs. conservative, North vs South is childish and down right ignorant. Back to the point, what these students did is criminal and should be handles as physical assault with criminal convictions. A 500 word essay is tantamount to saying “Now you are a bad little boy/girl. Shame, shame.” These types of action should warrant expolsion from school and a record retained in their school files. I suspect that the police are hesitant to take actions as these students volunteered to be beaten and could have walked out at any time. I also suspect that the student would not file a complaint. School administration needs to step up and close franternities, soroties and clubs that participate in abusive activities even when students fall prey to peer pressures.
July 31st, 2009 at 8:38 am
I doubt that the students actually volunteered to be beaten. I suspect they were told it was an initiation ceremony, not a planned beating. What actually happened to them probably bears little resemblence to what they were expecting. As for the criminals who carried out this horrible activity, let’s started by putting their French horns “where the sun don’t shine”.
July 31st, 2009 at 12:54 pm
My apologies for the misspelling of the word “egregious.” Like I tell my students, always check your spelling. Even in e-mails, I should lead by example. Thanks for pointing that out!!
August 1st, 2009 at 3:34 am
I share the outrage expressed by others. In Transactional Analysis terms this discussion might be labeled “Ain’t it Awful.” Going beyond discussion, it would be gratifying if each responder here wrote to the President of Southern University and to the judge who handed down these ludicrous “punishments” expressing their views. I hope that SU suffers a sharp decline in enrollments in response to their handling of these crimes.
August 4th, 2009 at 10:55 am
This is harldy unique to “red” states.
Read the article on University of Wisconsin incident at http://www.news.wisc.edu/15716
Those “blue” state liberals have the same or greater problems.
August 4th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Southern University is a Historically Black University. I really don’t think there are any “redneck NRA members” there. So I really think the blue state – red state issues about firearms is moot.
Having been through a number of hazing rituals. What tends to happen is the hazing becomes out of hand due to a sort of revenge motivation on the part of those doing the hazing. I got mine now you are gonna get yours and I am really gonna show you how it’s done is the attitude.
The worst part of all this is these activities are common knowledge to upperclassmen and faculty. The other criminal act here is the inaction of those responsible for the organization to deal with this behavior. Their turning a “blind eye” to it makes the culpable as well. Where are the firings and prosecutions of those folks?
August 5th, 2009 at 11:46 am
The hazing resulted in a essays, community service and probation? WRONG. The LA court overlooked Aggravated Second Degree Battery. A FELONY that can result in a $10,000 fine, imprisonment up to 15 years or both. I smell good old boys hard at work.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
The punishment is absurdly light. At the minimum each defendant should receive 2 years of jail time, permanent expulsion from the university, and a requirement to pay restitution (say $500,000) to each victim. Further, the fraternity should be permanently disbanded and any assets should be confiscated and sold to pay damages to the victims. Also, university administrators at the highest level should be fired for (1) sanctioning the hazing (and they did) and (2) agreeing to such an elementary school punishment. Hazing will not end until the administrations who implicitly sanction it are removed.
February 4th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
[...] 2. Violent hazing: No longer just sports and frats [...]
February 5th, 2010 at 10:55 am
Can anyone say EXPULSION anymore?
February 5th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
I read the comments with interest, but was a little stunned at the way fingers are being pointed at the legal system, administrators and others, but not internally. If you do not believe you should be examining your own systems and beliefs, just consider the “Rites of Passage” you had to pass to be a professor. Those standards may seem acceptable, but out of those grow heinous activity such as what was done to these individuals. Any sort of classism and power structure is going to elicit some sort of hazing.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
We know from the article that the students were from SU in Louisiana, we do not know whether or not those students are originally from Louisiana or some other state.
It is frightening that a person could be okay with hurting another person, especially to the point of organ damage. What troubles me is the fact that the courts let them off so lightly. Man’s inhumanity to man has been witnessed many times in countries that have practiced genocide. One would have hoped that we would have learned a lesson from those horrible events.
This time the punishment is community service, and an essay and report. I’m concerned that next time it won’t even be that much.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Collegeisgrand, are you joking?
I am a university professor, and the “rite of passage” I went through was intended to qualify me for my job; I might even say that it succeeded. It was not easy, but surely education, research, teaching, interviewing etc does not constitute abuse or torture. Qualifying for a job is not torture. Identifying qualified individuals as candidates for a job is not “classism.”
Give me a break.
March 16th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
The punishment absolutely does not fit the crime for hazing. The severe injuries suffered by the victims deserve much more than a mere slap on the wrist. These students should be punished for the brutal criminals that they are. These abusers will never learn a lesson if they get off so easy. The justice system is evermore run by a bunch of milktoast wimps! School administrators need a wake up call as well. Kick the criminals out of the university and send them to jail where they belong. I pray that the people they hurt will fully recover and not be scarred for life from the ordeal they endured. When is society going to wake up?