ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Florida A&M University has reached a settlement with the family of a drum major who died after being hazed by fellow band members.
A university spokesman says the $1.1 million settlement of the negligence lawsuit by Robert Champion's family was reached Friday.
FAMU spokeswoman Lisa Brock says the settlement terms include both monetary and nonmonetary terms.
Champion - of Decatur, Georgia - died after band members pummeled him with fists and mallets aboard a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel in November 2011. The hazing ritual, known as "Crossing Bus C," was carried out after FAMU band members had performed at an annual football game with a rival.
Champion's family says the university should have taken stronger measures to crack down on hazing by band members.
Robert Champion's parents, Pam and Robert Champion Sr., issued a statement saying:
When our son Robert was killed in 2011, we vowed that we would do everything in our power to make sure that this didn't happen to another family. As a result, we made it our life's mission to travel the country and educate as many young people as possible through the Robert D. Champion Drum Major for Change Foundation.
Hazing is not a disease, it can be eradicated and we will not stop until it has been eliminated from all walks of life. Today's settlement is bittersweet, but it will enable us to focus squarely on our mission of educating young people, schools, band directors and athletic teams about the dangers of hazing.
We will always honor the memory of our son, Robert. We called Robert 'the example,' and the positive change that will come as a result of his death will ensure that he did not die in vain.
