The 8-4 reprimand vote at a meeting in Orlando came in place of a motion to put FAMU President James Ammons on administrative leave until the criminal investigation into drum major Robert Champion's death is done. Detectives are probing the role of hazing in the Nov. 19 death.

When asked after the meeting if he thought he had "dodged a bullet," Ammons said, "I heard the bullet loudly and clearly."

Band director Julian White has been put on administrative leave pending the outcome of the death investigation, and board member Rufus Montgomery said Ammons should be treated in the same manner.

Montgomery also criticized the president for accreditation problems with some academic programs and for failing to keep the board informed.

"If the quarterback has thrown seven interceptions, you pull him from the game," Montgomery said at a board meeting in Orlando. "That is what we should do with Dr. Ammons."

Ammons became president of his Tallahasse-based alma mater in July 2007 and recently signed a new five-year contract. He talked to Champion's family the night of the death, suspended the Marching "100" band and fired White before he was forced to put him on temporary leave instead. Critics say Ammons should have been more aggressive in fighting hazing at the school.

Some board members expressed concern about creating a leadership vacuum by putting Ammons on leave at a time the school is facing unprecedented scrutiny over hazing. The Orange County Sheriff's Office is leading the criminal investigation into Champion's death but other probes have been started by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Board of Governors, the state's governing body for public higher education.

"I'm concerned about a knee-jerk reaction until we have the results of an investigation," board member Karl White said. "There has not been an opportunity to have a discussion of what would be put in place if we decided to put the president on administrative leave."

The board's student representative, Breyon Love, said most of the school's 13,000 students would be upset if Ammons was forced to take a leave.

"You will have a majority of those students very unhappy with the decision if this goes forward today," Love said.

Elizabeth Davenport, who heads the faculty union at FAMU, said she was happy board members were discussing Ammons' role in the crisis, regardless of how they voted. She said professors were upset that White, a tenured professor, had been removed. She told members that in her dealings with the administration she had encountered "a culture that accommodates indifference to complaints."

Seeming to anticipate the action against him, Ammons offered a defense of his tenure earlier in the meeting.

He said the university was cooperating with investigators and that changes will be made so that the board is notified of any future hazing allegations. He also said letters sent to his office warning of band hazing only reached him after Champion's death. The letters were notifications that band members had been suspended over hazing allegations.

"Despite the challenges we have, I think we have some things we can be proud of," Ammons said.

School officials said Wednesday that four students who were expelled for their role in Champion's death have returned to classes because the investigation is not finished. The status of White also changed. He had faced termination Dec. 22 but is now on administrative leave with pay. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement asked the university to stop any disciplinary action until a criminal investigation into Champion's death is done.

An attorney for that board informed trustees that Champion's family plans to sue over his death. They have requested the university's insurance information. -- (AP)

More than four months following the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion, the band's fate remains in limbo. And it's not clear when that will change as university officials struggle with the fallout from the tragedy.

University trustees heard a lengthy presentation on Wednesday about a more than $1 million deficit this year in the school's athletic program. It was during that discussion that FAMU officials acknowledged they are looking at offering other entertainment at football games in case the popular band remains on hiatus.

President James Ammons suspended the band after Champion died following what police said was hazing while the band was in Orlando.

No arrests have yet been made in connection with Champion's death although authorities turned over the results of their investigation last month to the state attorney's office.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement also has an ongoing investigation into how the band's finances were handled. An FDLE spokeswoman said earlier this week that investigation is still ongoing.

Champion's parents, Pam and Robert, said Wednesday that they are frustrated there have been no arrests yet, more than four months after their son's death.

"We've been very patient, and we just feel like, we, as a family, need some answers," Pam Champion said from Atlanta.

A spokesman for the State Attorney's Office in Orlando said her office only received the case from detectives last week. The next grand jury is meeting on April 25.

"Our attorney will need time to review their extensive investigation before a decision can be made," said spokeswoman Danielle Tavernier.

The Marching 100 band has been one of the main attractions for years at FAMU Rattlers football games.

But Champion's death drew attention to the persistence of hazing inside the Marching 100. Since December seven band members have been arrested in connection to hazing incidents unrelated to Champion's death. Just last week Ammons placed two music professors on paid administrative leave following allegations they were present while band fraternity pledges were hazed.

Band director Julian White was initially fired by FAMU, but then the university placed him on administrative leave at the urging of law-enforcement authorities investigating Champion's death.

Ammons said Wednesday that until the investigations are complete he cannot say when the band will return.

"I think that information will be critical to us as we make a decision about how we go forward," Ammons said.

The culture of hazing in the band needs to be eliminated before the suspension is lifted, Pam Champion said.

"You have to address the root cause of the hazing. You have to clean that band up," she said. "We're not about ending the music but we're definitely about ending the hazing."

Ammons, however, did say that the university was continuing to offer music scholarships to students who were members of the Marching 100.

Breyon Love, the student body president at FAMU, said the band is a "big part of the university and the history" of the historic black college. But he said university officials also need to start discussing about the potential fate of the band because it can impact student recruitment, football game revenue and the performance opportunities available for music students.

But Marjorie Turnbull, a FAMU trustee and former state lawmaker, said she was uncomfortable with setting any timelines on when the university may bring back the band.

"If we move too rapidly and there is another instance, God forbid," Turnbull said.

Derek Horne, the FAMU athletic director, did not say specifically what type of entertainment the university would provide if the band does not return. But he said it would have to be attractive to both students and FAMU alumni.

Horne was questioned about the band because of a recurring deficit in the school's athletic program that now totals nearly $6 million. FAMU is playing Oklahoma in football this fall to generate money for the school. Ammons told trustees that FAMU may schedule additional games against other traditional college football powers in the next two years to eradicate the deficit.

Trustees are meeting for two days where they are also expected to adopt a new rule that requires all students and faculty to report allegations of hazing to police within 24 hours. They spent considerable time on Wednesday discussing the proposed rule, including how it will be enforced and how it would be applied to past incidents.

The board also discussed an ongoing review of student organizations and a push by professors to ask students to do research related to hazing. Student clubs were halted from recruiting new members this spring. -- (AP)

FAMU President James Ammons said the Marching 100 should stay off the field at least until a new band director is hired and new rules for the band have been adopted.

Eleven FAMU band members face felony charges in the November hazing death of Robert Champion, while two others face misdemeanor counts. The band has been banned from performing since soon after he died, and the band director Julian White recently retired after it was revealed that at least 100 band members were not students when Champion died.

"I think there is a period we should take that these measures are in place and we have addressed all the institutional issues," Ammons said.

Top state officials including Gov. Rick Scott and the university system chancellor say the Marching 100 should remain sidelined until other ongoing investigations into the band are completed.

The Marching 100 has had a rich history, performing at Super Bowls and in inauguration parades. The band has been one of the main draws during FAMU football games, and some board members on Monday wanted to know if the decision to keep the band off the field until 2013 would impact ticket sales.

Ammons tried to fire White last November. But White's dismissal was placed on hold while the criminal investigation unfolded. He insisted that he did nothing wrong and fought for months to get reinstated.

That changed last week after Ammons told trustees that three of those charged in Champion's death weren't FAMU students at the time.

Meanwhile, state authorities continue to investigate the band's finances.

Frank Brogan, the chancellor of the State University System of Florida, wrote a blunt letter last week urging Ammons to keep the band suspended while the investigations continue. The state university system has its own probe into whether FAMU officials ignored past warnings about hazing.

Brogan told Ammons that "reinstating the band prior to these efforts being resolved would side-step efforts under way, which could impact the band's long-term survival."

He added that both he and the state panel that oversees the overall university system were worried that "concerns continue to mount regarding the ever-increasing body of issues that harm the institution, its students, and therefore our state university system as a whole."

Pam Champion, the mother of Robert Champion, has said that the band should be disbanded so the university can "clean house." She and the family's attorney contend there is a vast effort among students and others to cover up who is responsible for her son's death.

The Champion family has already told FAMU it plans to sue the university. FAMU set up a task force to look at hazing, although the panel has not met since a flare-up over whether it should follow the state's open meetings laws. Several members have since resigned. -- (AP)

James Ammons announced the resignation, which takes effect Oct. 11, in a letter to the chairman of the university's governing board. He said his decision came after "considerable thought, introspection and coversations with my family."

School trustees questioned Ammons' leadership in several areas, including what some saw as his lax attitude toward hazing and management of the band prior to Robert Champion's death in November.

The school's trustees gave Ammons a vote of no-confidence in June. Ammons said he would stay on the job and that same week, recommended stringent new eligibility requirements for membership in The Marching 100 band, which has played at Super Bowls and inauguration ceremonies.

Champion died in November after being beaten by fellow band members during a hazing ritual aboard a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel following a football game against the school's archrival.

Eleven FAMU band members face felony hazing charges, while two others face misdemeanor counts for alleged roles in the hazing. They have pleaded not guilty. Their trial is scheduled to begin the same month as Ammons' resignation, in October.

Champion's death put a spotlight on hazing at the school and led to the suspension of the band until at least next year.

The lawsuit brought by Champion's parents claims Florida A&M University officials did not take action to stop hazing even though a school dean proposed suspending the band because of hazing concerns three days before their son died. School officials also allowed nonstudents to play in the band, fell short in enforcing anti-hazing policies and did not keep a close eye on band members to prevent hazing, the lawsuit said.

School officials "failed to properly supervise, train, discipline and control the FAMU Band," the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit seeks damages greater than $15,000, but does not give a specific amount.

Champion's parents, Robert and Pamela, have already sued the bus company, claiming the driver stood guard outside while the hazing took place. The company said the driver was helping band members with their equipment.

Florida A&M University trustees were added as defendants to the lawsuit, which was to be refiled later Wednesday. Under state law, Champions parents had to wait six months before they could include the university in the lawsuit since it's a state entity. -- (AP)

The decision comes three days after the state medical examiner ruled that 26-year-old Robert Champion's Nov. 19 death was a homicide. Officials say he was beaten so severely that he bled internally and went into shock. He died within an hour.

"We will stand firm against outside influence, no matter how well intended," Solomon Badger, the FAMU board chairman, said during a board meeting that was held by conference call.

Scott said he would abide by the board's decision.

Ammons and other university leaders have been criticized for not doing enough to stop a culture of hazing within the university's famed "Marching 100" band. Band director Julian White has been placed on temporary leave and the board had already publicly reprimanded Ammons.

Students had largely stood by both leaders. Students protested outside the governor's mansion on Thursday to show support for Ammons, and the president of the national alumni association at a news conference Sunday contested Scott's involvement and recommend Ammons not be suspended.

Badger said that the board should keep Ammons status unchanged until an investigation with all the "official facts" was concluded. None of the FAMU board members disagreed with Badger.

"I think we all have the number one priority of keeping the university strong as we move through this challenging time," said Kelvin Lawson, a board member from Jacksonville.

The only action related to the investigations that the board took was to agree to meet weekly for the next day 60 days while the investigations continue. There was scant discussion of the homicide ruling or the opening of a new criminal investigation into the finances of the Marching 100.

Scott said in a statement issued before the meeting that he was not singling out FAMU and called on all universities in the state to examine their hazing and harassment policies. He said he was offering his opinion and counsel regarding Ammons and would abide by the board's decision.

"I merely suggested it would be wise for Dr. Ammons to step aside until these investigations are completed," Scott said. "It is up to the FAMU Board of Trustees and Dr. Ammons to determine how to proceed. I have not and will not try to influence their decision."

Champion died after falling unconscious on a bus outside an Orlando hotel after the school's football team lost to rival Bethune-Cookman. Witnesses told emergency dispatchers that he had been vomiting.

The medical examiner's office in Orlando found that Champion had bruises to his chest, arms, shoulder and back and internal bleeding. No charges have been filed.

Champion's death exposed years of hazing that has plagued the band and left several students injured. In 1998, Ivery Luckey, a clarinet player from Ocala, Fla., was hospitalized with kidney damage after being paddled as part of an initiation to become a member of a group known as "The Clones." Three years later, band member Marcus Parker was also hospitalized with kidney damage after being paddled.

Ammons, a FAMU alumni, became president in 2007 at a time when the university was under considerable distress. There had been four presidents within the previous six years and an audit in 2007 uncovered 35 findings, including $4.5 million in unaccounted sports tickets and lost equipment. The university was placed under probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Under Ammons' leadership, the university's accreditation was restored and its finances improved. An audit done two years later found the university still needed to do a better job at paying bills on time and keeping a closer eye on employee use of state-owned cell phones, but those problems paled in comparison to the previous report.

But hazing continued to be a problem. White has provided letters of suspension issued to dozens of band members for hazing, including many of which Ammons was reportedly provided a copy.

Less than two weeks before Champion's death, band member Bria Hunter was hospitalized with a broken leg and blood clots in what authorities say was another act of hazing. Three band members have been charged in the beating.

And two days before Champion died, White sent a letter to alumni, urging them not to "return and perpetuate the myth of various sectional names."

But FAMU alumni have insisted that the problem of hazing is widespread across the country and that too much attention is being focused on their university.

"Name another university president that suspended a president for hazing," said Tommy Mitchell, president of the FAMU National Alumni Association. Mitchell also went so far as to question "why is that this hazing has gotten so much attention?"

Ammons suspended the band after Champion's death, dismissed White and expelled four students in connection with the hazing. White was later placed on temporary leave and the students were allowed to attend class after state authorities urged the university not to take disciplinary action before the investigation was complete.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges has warned Scott's push to suspend Ammons could affect the school's accreditation because of "undue influence" on the board from outside. -- (AP)

Frank Brogan, the chancellor of Florida's state university system, wrote a blunt letter to FAMU President James Ammons urging him to keep the band suspended. Ammons was expected to discuss the band at a special meeting of the university board of trustees on Monday.

Former state Sen. Al Lawson, a FAMU alumnus from Tallahassee, said he believed Ammons was leaning toward keeping the band suspended.

"There is a considerable amount of pressure being placed on the university and the trustees about the band being able to perform in the fall," Lawson said. "But I think in the light of everything, though the university is going to have to go in a new direction."

Lawson said long-time director Julian White's decision to retire instead of fighting to win his job back gives the university a chance to recruit new leadership for the band.

Eleven FAMU band members face felony hazing charges stemming from Robert Champion's death in November. Two others face misdemeanor counts. Ammons suspended the band soon after Champion's death and tried to fire White. White's dismissal was placed on hold while the criminal investigation unfolded, but he insisted that he did nothing wrong and fought for months to get reinstated.

Champion died aboard a bus outside an Orlando hotel following a FAMU football game. His death revealed a culture of hazing within the band.

But according to information the university turned over to its board this week, three of those charged with Champion's death weren't FAMU students at the time.

Ammons also sent a two-page letter to trustees explaining that at the start of the fall 2011 semester there were 457 people on the band roster, but it turns out that 101 of them were not students at FAMU.

A total of 52 people — including 51 band members and one cheerleader — had been previously enrolled at the school but were not enrolled at the time of Champion's death.

Another 49 were listed as students at nearby Tallahassee Community College or Florida State University but they were not enrolled in a FAMU band class, nor did the university know for sure if they were enrolled at the other schools.

White's attorney contended that only those who presented band officials with a class schedule at the start of the fall semester were given a Marching 100 uniform. Chuck Hobbs, however, said it was not up to the Department of Music to verify the enrollment.

In his May 8 letter to trustees, Ammons explained that he is having the university "internal crisis management team" speak to faculty, students, as well as boosters and alumni about what conditions should be met before the Marching 100 can return.

Pam Champion, the mother of Robert Champion, has said that the band should be disbanded so the university can "clean house." She and the family's attorney contend there is a vast effort among students and others to cover up who is responsible for her son's death.

An attorney for Champion's parents said White's resignation was a step in the right direction.

"The university has to be very deliberate and committed to eradicate the culture of hazing and it's going to be a long process," Chestnut said. "But it's a great first step."

While arrests have been made in the Champion case there is still an ongoing criminal investigation into the finances of the band, as well as a probe by the state university system into whether top officials at the university ignored past warnings about hazing.

Brogan told Ammons that "reinstating the band prior to these efforts being resolved would side-step efforts under way, which could impact the band's long-term survival."

He added that both he and the state panel that oversees the overall university system were worried that "concerns continue to mount regarding the ever-increasing body of issues that harm the institution, its students, and therefore our state university system as a whole."

The Champion family has already told FAMU it plans to sue the university. FAMU itself set up a task force to look at hazing, although the panel has not met since a flare-up over whether it should follow the state's open meetings laws. Several members have since resigned. -- (AP)

Last week, James Ammons had submitted a letter stating his resignation would not take effect until Oct. 11. However, he waived a provision allowing him to give 90 days notice to the FAMU board in exchange for getting paid bonuses.

Ammons will be paid more than $98,000 in performance bonuses from his last two years in office — and will still earn his full presidential salary of more than $341,000 over the next year while he remains on sabbatical. Ammons plans eventually to return to FAMU as a member of the faculty.

The school's governing board — which held an emergency conference call to discuss Ammons' resignation — voted in favor of the deal with Ammons and voted to name current FAMU Provost Larry Robinson as interim president.

Robinson had previously served in the administration of President Barack Obama as assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He also briefly served as the top official in charge of FAMU back in 2007 before Ammons was appointed president.

FAMU's board spent more than an hour discussing whether to make Robinson interim president so quickly. Questions remain about whether other candidates should be considered — and whether an interim president is eligible to apply for the permanent job of president.

But both the student body president and head of FAMU's faculty senate pressed to appoint Robinson immediately in order to bring stability to a campus that has been reeling since the November death of Robert Champion.

"I know how jittery the university community is at this time," Narayan Persaud, a FAMU professor, told other board members.

Still, in order to reach consensus, trustees agreed to take a more formal vote when they meet again in August. The choice of interim president will also have to be approved by the Florida Board of Governors, the panel that oversees the entire state university system.

Ammons had vowed a month ago to remain at his job, despite a no-confidence vote from trustees in June.

During Monday's conference call, Ammons agreed to step down immediately but did not comment further about his decision.

Ammons was first brought on five years ago to help stabilize the school's financial troubles and threats to its accreditation.

But Champion's death put a spotlight on the hazing culture at the university, specifically within the famed Marching 100 band. Trustees have complained about a lack of oversight of the band as well as lax management on other issues at the university.

Eleven FAMU band members face felony hazing charges, while two others face misdemeanor counts for alleged roles in Champion's hazing. They have pleaded not guilty. Meanwhile, Champion's family has sued the university.

The band has already been suspended until 2013. And there are still two investigations under way, including a probe by the Florida Board of Governors into whether university officials ignored past warnings about hazing prior to Champion's death.

Other problems have come out in the past year. A top auditor resigned after it was discovered false audit summaries had been distributed. It was revealed that more than 100 members of the Marching 100 weren't students. And there is an ongoing state criminal investigation into band finances.

Additionally, the athletic department has a multi-million dollar deficit, and it appears that enrollment will drop this fall.

Ammons had already launched initiatives to battle hazing, including strict new requirements for membership in the Marching 100.

It could take as long as a year to find a new president, but FAMU board members said Robinson will need to help deal with the damage now.

"I just believe there is some major cleaning up that needs to be done in the interim," said Torey Alston, a FAMU board member. -- (AP)