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Atlanta couple among parents fighting to end college hazing practices

Pam and Robert Champion -- back row, second and third from the left, respectively -- are among the parents of hazing victims who sat with NBC News' Andrea Canning, in the foreground, for a recent interview. (HANDOUT PHOTO)
Pam and Robert Champion -- back row, second and third from the left, respectively -- are among the parents of hazing victims who sat with NBC News' Andrea Canning, in the foreground, for a recent interview. (HANDOUT PHOTO)
By Marlon A. Walker
June 1, 2018

A metro Atlanta couple whose son died from injuries suffered in a hazing ritual, will be featured Sunday on Dateline, the NBC News magazine show, with other parents fighting to end college hazing.

Robert and Pam Champion’s son, Robert, was found unresponsive on a bus parked outside of the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando on Nov. 19, 2011. A drum major in Florida A&M University’s famed Marching 100, the 26-year-old was pronounced dead at an Orlando-area hospital. Robert Champion graduated from DeKalb County’s Southwest DeKalb High School.

Fifteen FAMU students were charged in connection with Champion’s death. Many took plea deals.

The Champions will be among 16 parents included in the show, including parents of hazing victims from incidents at West Virginia University, Penn State and Texas Tech.

The show airs Sunday at 7 p.m.

About the Author

Marlon A. Walker is an education reporter covering DeKalb County.

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