Dr. Julian White’s fate as the Florida A&M University band director has not been sealed, as his termination status has been changed to administrative leave with pay.
White was originally supposed to be terminated on December 22 but the decision to fire White was changed, as said by FAMU attorny David Self.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has recently stated that the university cannot use disciplinary action on any person- student, faculty, or otherwise- until the investigation into the death of Robert Champion has been completed.
White’s attorney was quoted as saying that the decision was “a step in the right direction.” White has been vocal in his criticism of the university’s handling of hazing incidents since his tenure as band director, stating that FAMU did not take the allegations seriously enough to consider punishing the band members involved. He has also stated that he was unjustly removed from his position and has petitioned for his job back.
The death of Robert Champion has cast a dark cloud on the university, and while White’s career is in purgatory, university president James Ammons seat is getting hotter. The Board of Trustees for the university has not exactly given their full support behind Ammons, but Ammons says he is not thinking about his future with the university, but the student body and the image of Florida A&M University.
“The university is much bigger than James Ammons,” he said. “I’m not focusing on whether I have the support of the board. My focus right now is on this family who has lost a son and on this university, and how we’re going to move forward and repair the image of the university.”
