From Joe Sutton, CNN March 5, 2013 -- Updated 0321 GMT (1121 HKT) NEW: Champion's parents say the manslaughter charge is appropriate (CNN) -- Twelve former students now face manslaughter charges in the November 2011 hazing death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion Jr., attorneys familiar with the case said Monday. State Attorney Jeff Ashton "thought the proper charges in the case would be manslaughter and hazing with death," explained Assistant State Attorney Nicole Pegues in an e-mail sent to the defendants' attorneys. The defendants face a maximum of 15 years in prison with the charge, if convicted, Brown said. The initiation requires pledges to run down the center of the bus while being punched, kicked and assaulted by senior members, band members have said. A medical examiner ruled Champion's death a homicide and said he died within an hour of being beaten. Champion suffered multiple blunt trauma blows, the medical examiner said. The lawyer for Champion's parents said Monday they feel the manslaughter charge is appropriate. "Robert Champion wasn't injured by hazing, he was killed by hazing," attorney Christopher Chestnut told CNN. The family is encouraged by ... that (and feels) this is the right message and hopes that this is the right message regarding hazing. One student who was involved in Champion's death was convicted in October of felony hazing resulting in death. Bryan Jones pleaded no contest and was sentenced to six months of community control, two years of supervised probation and 200 hours of community service. Florida A&M was put on a one-year probation in December for its handling of the incident, and the famed band was suspended for the 2012-13 school year. The school has said it is making reforms to address the problem of hazing both on and off campus, including requiring students to sign an anti-hazing pledge. The school's band, known as the Marching 100, is one of the top university marching bands in the United States, famed for its elaborate dance formations and innovative style incorporating popular music. CNN's Chandler Friedman contributed to this report.