Marching bands are best known for their unity, vibrant performances, and their spirited attitudes. In fact, they’re often pillars of their communities and schools. So, it may surprise you to know that marching bands are NOT as clean cut as they may appear… even JMU’s own, The Marching Royal Dukes.
I have been in the band atmosphere for nearly a decade, exposing me to some really nasty secrets that these marching band programs don’t want you to find out about. One of the most notable being a sexual harassment case against The Ohio State Marching Band in 2014. The complaint details endless sexually charged hazing rituals that members and staff of the OSU marching band took part in. Some of these traditions are as follows: harmful & sexual nicknames given to new members (e.g., Jewoobs & Ballsacagawea), forcing new members to strip down to their underwear and march onto the football field in an event called “Midnight Ramp”, and even instances in which new members are asked to portray themselves performing sexual acts onto others. One instance from the investigation report that stuck out to me was when a girl had to sit on her OWN brother’s lap and pretend to have an orgasm. These are just a few traditions among a very long list.
This kind of behavior is happening in your own backyard. In 2012, the Marching Royal Dukes were involved in a similar situation. Upon their return from two high school exhibitions, 12 Marching Royal Dukes engaged in solo sexual acts done in turn on the back of a charter bus. Multiple students on the bus witnessed the acts, though they have never been outwardly specified. The next day, students reported what had happened to the Band Director, Scott Rikkers, and he promptly removed 6 of the 12 students from the program, failing them in the course. The other 6 students received grade reductions and were suspended from performing and coming to rehearsals.
University marching bands aren’t the only ones facing sexual harassment cases either. Just last year, The Cadets filed for bankruptcy amidst a sexual assault lawsuit. For those who aren’t familiar, The Cadets were competitors in Drum Corps International (DCI), which is an international marching band organization that hosts competitions throughout the Summer every year. Anyone ages 14-21 can audition for and march with a Drum Corps. This means minors as young as 14 YEARS OLD can spend an entire Summer bunking and traveling with adults as old as 21.
Sex culture in DCI is so normalized, that it has come up in casual conversation with former DCI members. They’ve shared stories with me about the sexual acts that occur specifically on charter buses to and from competition. One girl I spoke to was 16 at the time she marched DCI and casually mentioned witnessing oral sex on a bus, claiming it was “just how it is.” Another individual I spoke to claimed he had received oral sex on one of these buses at just 16 years old because it was “what people did.”
Sexual harassment is so disgustingly embedded into marching band culture and no one seems to be talking about it. We spend so much time focusing on Greek Life that we have completely neglected some of the biggest organizations on every college campus. In my time as a marcher, I have watched as countless sexual harassment cases get swept under the rug to “maintain the peace and integrity of the band”. It’s far past time that we address the sexual culture that has plagued our marching band programs.
It’s time to break the silence.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 