Dive Brief:
- Ohio State University fired marching band director Jon Waters for failing to address a culture that encouraged objectionable traditions, alcohol abuse, and sexual harassment.
- The university issued a 92-page report detailing the results of an investigation thatt began in May, prompted by a complaint from a band member's parent.
- Among the accusations against Waters: He was present during a “Midnight Ramp” march into the football stadium in which band members wore only underwear, and he was on a bus with the band during a September 2013 incident that had students hanging from a luggage rack and posing "in a sexual position."
Dive Insight:
The band has grown to national prominence over the years, being referred to as "The Best Damn Band in the Land" and appearing in iPad commercials. Waters is being blamed for failing to put an end to the traditions, some of which likely go back decades, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Waters became a member of the band in 1995 and has been director since 2012. The investigation was conducted by the Ohio State’s Office of University Compliance and Integrity, which oversees Title IX compliance and was created in 2011 after the scandal that led to the resignation of football coach Jim Tressel.