Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication is in hot water after a member of the band filed a libel lawsuit against the student run newspaper the Famuan . The school’s dean has suspended the paper until the end of January.
Marching 100 Drum major Keon Hollis is suing FAMU after a December 2011 article in its student newspaper named him as having been involved in the hazing death of fellow drum major Robert Champion. The university is also weathering criticism stemming from the more than twenty students who fell behind grade-point requirements for participation in the paper. But, Journalism School Dean Ann Kimbrough said that happens at all universities.
“In fact, I know it for a fact at Florida State University we have similar issues where each semester student’s GPAs dip. Some of them are up, we want them to go up, but some go down. And yet they’re still serving, maybe in a leadership position,” Kimbrough said.
Kimbrough says she’ll continue to review student’s records and during the hiatus, will ensure the student staff receives more training. Keon Hollis is also suing Cox Media Group who owns WFTV in Georgia for using the same false information.