Two Florida A&M faculty members were involved in a spring 2010 hazing ritual involving the Kappa Kappa Psi fraternity.
Anthony Simons and Diron Holloway, both professors in the FAMU music department, “actively participated” in hazing rituals that occurred off campus, according to a March 20 report from the Tallahassee Police Department.
An unnamed student reported the information to faculty member Longineu Parsons the week after the death of drum major Robert Champion.
The student reported to investigators that the event took place at Holloway’s residence. Fourteen individuals, who were pledging the fraternity, were subject to “prepping,” a hazing action where pledges are slapped on the back with two hands, and paddled.
The student said he observed Holloway participating in both events, actually “prepping” and paddling pledges.
The anonymous student did not wish to press charges at the time of the report.
Holloway, when questioned by investigators, said that he had hosted a party at his house, although he was unsure of when, and pledges were forced to line-up and “recite information.”
He said that he instructed individuals involved, “Don’t hit nobody in the face and don’t paddle.” Holloway denied taking part in the physical abuse of pledges at first, but later said to investigators, he was “aggressive in a manner of learning information” and “it’s possible to say that I did do something under the circumstances of all of them coming in at once, maybe I did do something.”
However, he claimed he was not involved in paddling.
Randall Reid, Jamaal Nichols, Jamon Green, Henry Nesbitt and Zachary Walker were present during the incident and were subpoenaed for questioning by TPD.
Nichols told investigators that Simons and Holloway were present at the time of the incident.
The State Attorney’s Office will not be pressing charges in the case “due to the delay in reporting.” The case is considered a misdemeanor for hazing, which has a statute of limitations of two years.
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Update 10:09 p.m. March 28, 2012
Diron Holloway and Anthony Simons, Florida A&M faculty, have been put on administrative leave following the investigation into their connection with a 2010 hazing incident.
A notice sent to faculty members said the suspensions followed “allegations of misconduct and/or incompetence involving reports and allegations of hazing within the department of music and the Marching 100.”
The incident, according to a release from the FAMU Office of Public Information Office, will undergo administrative and legal review.
University President James H. Ammons said pending the reviews, “the university will take appropriate action against faculty members or students, up to and including dismissals.”
The case was investigated as a misdemeanor hazing; the statute of limitations of two years to file criminal charges has passed.