Three Francis Marion University baseball players were recently charged with hazing, according to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
Jon Mitchell Carter, 21, of Hamer, S.C., David Tyler Mangum, 21, of Durham, N.C., and Noah Hunter Jones, 21, of Greenville N.C., are accused of participating “in activity wherein underclass members of the baseball team were struck for the purpose of initiation causing harm to the victims,” according to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
The hazing incident allegedly took place on Feb. 5 at an apartment off-campus on Patriot Lane. Alcohol was involved in the incident.
According to the incident report obtained by FITSNews, several athletes were punched in the face during the incident.
One of the victims broke his jaw in the incident, according to the incident report (below).
Francis Marion University asked the Florence County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the hazing allegations in February.
The Florence Morning News reported that all three players were suspended indefinitely from Francis Marion and kicked off the baseball team following the incident. Their names are no longer on the team’s roster.
On Saturday night, Francis Marion University baseball coach Art Inabinet celebrated his 700th career win.
Carter, Mangum, and Jones, were each released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond hours after they were arrested on March 4.
If convicted, they could each face up to 12 months in jail or a fine up to $500 for the misdemeanor charge of hazing.
Francis Marion University is a public college in Florence, South Carolina with around 4,000 students.
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