After three days of heavy media coverage regarding the UW Marching Band's alleged misconduct, university administration revealed specific, graphic details of the band's misbehavior Thursday.
Allegations include a female band member being told to suck on a sex toy in an apparent hazing incident, women forced to kiss each other in order to gain access to bus bathrooms and the practice of women swapping shirts with males headline the list.
Casey Nagy, executive assistant to Chancellor John Wiley, and UW Band Director Michael Leckrone held the media briefing Thursday to discuss recent issues and answer questions involving band conduct, which was first reported Tuesday in The Daily Cardinal.
Reports of highly sexualized banter, semi-nude, ""lewd"" dancing and complaints of discomfort by female members to use a bus lavatory during the band's road trip to Ann Arbor, Mich. the weekend of Sept. 23, along with reports of one member having his head shaved in a recent hazing incident prompted a private meeting between Wiley, Leckrone and the band itself on Oct. 5.
Misbehavior described in Thursday's release further raised eyebrows.
UW-Madison sophomore and band member Steve Acosta said many of the female band members he has talked to do not want to speak to the press. He also said he is confused about the chancellor's reasoning for reprimanding the band.
""Every upperclassman that I talk to said [the band's behavior] has been getting more tame as the years go on,"" Acosta said.
UW-Madison sophomore and band member Beth Brander declined to comment on the behavior, saying she did not feel comfortable discussing it.
Officials are also reviewing an instance of inappropriate conduct between a staff member and student on the Michigan trip.
At the press conference, Leckrone expressed his concern of a disconnect that might be growing between himself and Wiley.
""The big difference is that I know these kids pretty well. The chancellor doesn't know them,"" Leckrone said. ""All he can go by is what happened in the past. I think they want this to be right, they're taking it very seriously.""
Leckrone said he feels good about the band's performance and emphasizes that a change is going to come.
""If we can't change direction, I should not be the director. I am absolutely determined something is going to change, otherwise I have failed the university,"" he said.
