Florida A&M University has broken its silence in the latest fallout of FAMU band announcer Joe Bullard’s inappropriate remark heard ’round the world.
In an Oct. 1 letter, FAMU President Marva Johnson said Bullard will be placed on a paid one-game suspension for the Oct. 11 football game against North Carolina Central University – a punishment that contradicts a harsher Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) ruling made the same day and would allow Bullard to be the Marching 100 band’s announcer during the Oct. 18 homecoming game against Alcorn State.
FAMU intends to appeal that harsher penalty to bring Bullard back before homecoming.
But that’s not all: FAMU’s disciplinary action also prohibits Bullard from attending band practice until after the Oct. 11 home football game and requires him to attend mandatory “Respectful Workplace and Anti-Harassment Training through the Office of Compliance and Ethics,” according to Johnson’s letter, obtained Oct. 6 by the Tallahassee Democrat following a public records request.
The punishment came a few days after Bullard called the Alabama State Honey Beez – a well-known plus-sized dance team that performs with the Mighty Marching Hornets – “the new face of Ozempic” after their halftime football game performance at the Bragg Meorial Stadium Sept. 27.
“As our announcer and a public figure, your comments were insensitive and not in keeping with the respect, dignity and professionalism of the renowned Marching 100, Florida A&M University and our fans and supporters,” Johnson wrote in the letter to Bullard. “We are a community that uplifts all students, affirms body positivity and embraces beauty of all varieties. While I appreciate that you proactively issued a public apology to the Alabama State University Honey Beez and their fans, this incident is serious and warrants further action.”
“If this type of off-colored commentary happens again, it will lead to additional disciplinary action up to and including termination,” Johnson added.
Besides being FAMU’s band announcer, Bullard also serves as a part-time consultant in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, where he assists with student success initiatives and fundraising while also producing radio IDs on WANM-FM 90.5, FAMU’s radio station. His J-School position is not being impacted by the university’s disciplinary steps.
The FAMU decision comes after SWAC announced in a release − dated Oct. 1, similar to Johnson’s letter − that it has suspended Bullard for the next two upcoming football games instead of one, which includes the homecoming game. The conference also issued FAMU a public reprimand as well as a $10,000 fine for Bullard’s remark.
But FAMU’s next move is to appeal the SWAC’s ruling, according to a university spokesperson.
“The SWAC notice was issued before Florida A&M University’s response was due,” a university spokesperson said in an Oct. 2 email to the Tallahassee Democrat. “Now that we have provided our response, we will ask the conference to reconsider their position.”
Bullard’s Sept. 27 remark caught thousands of fans in FAMU’s stadium off-guard and ignited a firestorm of reactions from university stakeholders and others while also sparking international headlines.
While Bullard has been known to throw shade at opposing HBCU (historically Black college and university) bands, he apologized in a Sept. 29 letter shared with his Facebook friends for the inappropriate comment that he said was “meant as lighthearted banter” but realized “crossed the line.”
The university’s punishment also comes after Johnson’s declaration in a Sept. 28 public apology to ASU and its Honey Beez, where she wrote that FAMU would be “taking immediate steps to ensure accountability within our organization and to prevent incidents like this in the future.”
Since 1975, Bullard has been the voice FAMU’s “incomparable” Marching 100, and his role during the current football season marks his 50th anniversary as the band’s announcer. He was also a program director for “Tallahassee’s #1 Big Station 96.1 Jamz,” before unexpectedly leaving the station in May with no public explanation.
If SWAC denies FAMU’s appeal and refuses to reconsider its decision of suspending Bullard for two games, the suspension means that the longtime band announcer will not be carrying out his role during the well-anticipated homecoming game on his milestone anniversary.
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU to appeal SWAC’s two-game Joe Bullard suspension as it doles out its own discipline
Reporting by Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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