Former FAMU band member wins $1.8 million verdict in hazing suit

A former Florida A&M University marching band member who was badly beaten during a 2001 hazing incident won a $1.8 million verdict in a civil battery case. Marcus Parker, now 21, was beaten so badly with a paddling board during a Marching 100 initiation that one of his kidneys temporarily shut down. He has been through four surgeries, and will likely require a kidney transplant, said his lawyer David Frank.

After a two-day trial, jurors found five men liable for damages. An attorney will collect the award by garnishing the defendants’ wages and going after their assets, Frank said.

“I feel like justice was served, and I’m just glad it’s over,” Parker said.

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