Band director Roy King has been placed on administrative leave, according to his attorney Jill Craft who described the move as “an absolute travesty.”
King has worked with the marching band for 18 years, taking the director position five years ago.
Like athletes, Tigerband members, including Golden Girls and the color guard, receive stipends for the time they spend representing the University. Craft said she believes this action has been taken because King refused to let “certain folks with the LSU School of Music” access Tigerband money.
“Those kids have a huge routine. There is a lot of expertise involved in terms of following SEC games, SEC regulations as to when they can they play. [There are] NCAA regulations,” Craft said. “This is not some sort of show up and play an instrument and/or put on a show. It’s very difficult, and this scenario is frankly ridiculous.”
LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard confirmed King was on administrative leave.
“This is not as a result of any alleged dispute between Tiger Band and the School of Music,” Ballard said. “As of this time, this matter is ongoing and the University plans to not comment further.”
Craft said the stipends have been given to band members for decades, and in her opinion, “rightfully so.”
“Right now I am just trying to represent him to make sure he does not get unjustly railroaded into some terrible scenario,” Craft said. “They certainly don’t need to leave this man twisting in the wind, which they essentially have been doing by conducting these witch hunt things which have yielded nothing.”