Ohio State band director fired for creating culture of sexual harassment

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 24 (UPI) -- Ohio State University has fired the director of its famed marching band after a two-month investigation exposed rampant sexual harassment.

OSU President Michael V. Drake fired band director Jon Waters Thursday upon learning of forced over-consumption of alcohol and overtly sexual hazing rituals among the university's band members.

According to the 23-page report first obtained by the Columbus Dispatch, underclassmen had to undergo a ritual called "Rookie Midterms" that, among other humiliations, "required new Band members to either place a condom on a banana, place a banana in his or her mouth and place a condom on it, or place a banana between a graduate assistant's legs and place a condom on the banana."

Students were also given sexually-charged nicknames such as "Jewoobs," "Sugar Bush," and "Boob Job" in addition to more explicit nicknames.

The report states that some, less sexual, rituals occurred in front of Waters but he was aware and unsympathetic to the culture of harassment.

"Moving forward, we must abide by a zero tolerance policy at the University -- both with the Marching Band and the entire campus community -- for any behavior that creates a hostile culture at Ohio State," Ohio State President Michael Drake said in a statement.

"I view this as a new day and an opportunity for the Ohio State community to come together and embrace the values and behavior that have made this University great."

Waters had been head of the OSU marching band since 2012.