(TriceEdneyWire.com) - In court documents filed on Monday Sept. 10, Florida A&M University officials revealed their belief that the University is not responsible for the Novemeber 2011 hazing death of ”Marching 100″ drum major Robert Champion. The document was a response to a lawsuit filed by Robert Champion’s mother, Pam Champion, which claimed that FAMU was aware of the band’s hazing culture and could have stopped it.

The document filed by FAMU states as follows:

"Mr. Robert Champion, Jr. was a 26-year-old grown adult and stood among the FAMU band’s top leaders as one of its Drum Majors. Just a few months before his death, Mr. Champion acknowledged in writing that he fully understood the unlawfulness,Page 2 of 23 physical brutality and health dangers of participating in hazing, either as a hazer or a hazee. Nevertheless, over the course of several months Mr. Champion discussed and contemplated whether to participate in acts of hazing referred to as “crossing over” during the Fall 2011 Florida Classic weekend in Orlando, Florida.

"Ultimately, Mr. Champion decided that he was “sure he wanted to” engage in the hazing in order to garner the respect of some band mates. So after he was relieved of his responsibilities as a band member and had retired to his private hotel room, Mr. Champion changed clothes, left his room, traveled down to the hotel lobby, walked through the hotel lobby and out the door, walked across the hotel parking lot, and then boarded a charter bus to participate and engage in unlawful acts of physical hazing. There is no allegation or evidence that Mr. Champion reported this planned hazing event to law enforcement or university administrators."