Florida A&M Professors

Florida A&M Professors, Two Florida A&M University music professors who allegedly were present during the hazing of band fraternity pledges have been forced out, their lawyer said Tuesday.

Both faculty members had been placed on paid administrative leave in late March after a Tallahassee Police Department report quoted witnesses as saying they were on hand when the hazing occurred at the home of one of the professors in early 2010.

The university has been the focus of intense scrutiny since the unrelated hazing death of FAMU drum major Robert Champion while the famed Marching 100 was in Orlando for a football game last November.

Diron Holloway, the band’s director of saxophones, and Anthony Simons, an assistant professor of music, resigned last week after receiving notices that they had 10 days to contest their impending dismissals, said attorney Mutaqee Akbar.

“They both decided to resign from the university and pursue other career opportunities,” Akbar said.

He said no one from the school discussed the allegations with them.

Both want to remain in education but plan no further action related to their employment at Florida A&M, Akbar said. He said very preliminary steps have been taken to explore whether they might have legal recourse to clear their names, such as a lawsuit alleging defamation of character.

The police report said pledges to the Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity were slapped on the neck and back and may have been paddled in early 2010. It listed both faculty members as suspects in the alleged hazing but said no charges were filed because a two-year statute of limitations had passed. (Palm Beach Post)