By — Jasmine Wright Jasmine Wright Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/university-oklahoma-students-faculty-react-racist-frat-video-frat-closed Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter University of Oklahoma students and faculty react to racist frat video Nation Mar 9, 2015 7:01 PM EDT Students and faculty at the University of Oklahoma are outraged by a video that went viral on YouTube Sunday night that features members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chanting racial slurs. OU Students began protesting early Monday morning against the fraternity and were joined by both faculty and the football team, who skipped practice to attend. Also in attendance was school President David Boren, who declared that racism wouldn’t be tolerated on the OU campus. Boren later released a statement that the university administration has “severed ties” with the local chapter, banishing the frat and giving the members until midnight to leave campus. Updated statement attached. – DBo pic.twitter.com/xIvnd9otgu — David Boren (@President_Boren) March 9, 2015 Updated statement attached – DBo pic.twitter.com/xxfiJwCh0P — David Boren (@President_Boren) March 9, 2015 The video came to light after an African American activist group at OU, Unheard, posted the clip on social media sites, addressing it directly to President Boren. Students shared their outrage on Twitter: Post-Racial America Is A JOKE #NeverBeANiggerInSAE #SAEhatesme @OU_Unheard — Chelsea Lately (@Chelsea_Alyssa) March 8, 2015 Those boys are our future politicians, cops, entrepreneurs, business owners, etc…this is why we can't progress. #SAEhatesme — X (@XLNB) March 9, 2015 So embarrassed to be affiliated with @UofOklahoma today. This is a problem we all have to own up to and work to improve upon. Unacceptable. — Nick Howard (@nhoward723) March 9, 2015 Dozens of SAE shirts were just donated to goodwill today. Dozens more thrown away. #fratfail #SAEHatesMe #notonOUrcampus — Ashley Wiglesworth (@Ashwigles) March 9, 2015 #notonOUrcampus pic.twitter.com/ipMwJbvHKF — Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) March 9, 2015 The national SAE chapter has also renounced this local Oklahoma Chapter, closing the frat and suspending the members from the organization. After apologizing for the video, SAE reiterated that the incident did not reflect the views of its 15,000 members nationwide. Many have also praised President Boren for his swift, heartfelt response and handling of the situation, including White House press secretary Josh Earnest. Earlier today, at the White House briefing, Earnest called it “an appropriate step.” “But I certainly, on behalf of everybody here at the White House, we would certainly welcome the steps taken by the president of the university as well as the steps that were taken by the national organization to completely repudiate the comments that were included in that video.” President Boren said the next step is reviewing the actions the University can take, including expulsion of the individual members of the frat in particular those orchestrating the chant. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Jasmine Wright Jasmine Wright
Students and faculty at the University of Oklahoma are outraged by a video that went viral on YouTube Sunday night that features members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chanting racial slurs. OU Students began protesting early Monday morning against the fraternity and were joined by both faculty and the football team, who skipped practice to attend. Also in attendance was school President David Boren, who declared that racism wouldn’t be tolerated on the OU campus. Boren later released a statement that the university administration has “severed ties” with the local chapter, banishing the frat and giving the members until midnight to leave campus. Updated statement attached. – DBo pic.twitter.com/xIvnd9otgu — David Boren (@President_Boren) March 9, 2015 Updated statement attached – DBo pic.twitter.com/xxfiJwCh0P — David Boren (@President_Boren) March 9, 2015 The video came to light after an African American activist group at OU, Unheard, posted the clip on social media sites, addressing it directly to President Boren. Students shared their outrage on Twitter: Post-Racial America Is A JOKE #NeverBeANiggerInSAE #SAEhatesme @OU_Unheard — Chelsea Lately (@Chelsea_Alyssa) March 8, 2015 Those boys are our future politicians, cops, entrepreneurs, business owners, etc…this is why we can't progress. #SAEhatesme — X (@XLNB) March 9, 2015 So embarrassed to be affiliated with @UofOklahoma today. This is a problem we all have to own up to and work to improve upon. Unacceptable. — Nick Howard (@nhoward723) March 9, 2015 Dozens of SAE shirts were just donated to goodwill today. Dozens more thrown away. #fratfail #SAEHatesMe #notonOUrcampus — Ashley Wiglesworth (@Ashwigles) March 9, 2015 #notonOUrcampus pic.twitter.com/ipMwJbvHKF — Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) March 9, 2015 The national SAE chapter has also renounced this local Oklahoma Chapter, closing the frat and suspending the members from the organization. After apologizing for the video, SAE reiterated that the incident did not reflect the views of its 15,000 members nationwide. Many have also praised President Boren for his swift, heartfelt response and handling of the situation, including White House press secretary Josh Earnest. Earlier today, at the White House briefing, Earnest called it “an appropriate step.” “But I certainly, on behalf of everybody here at the White House, we would certainly welcome the steps taken by the president of the university as well as the steps that were taken by the national organization to completely repudiate the comments that were included in that video.” President Boren said the next step is reviewing the actions the University can take, including expulsion of the individual members of the frat in particular those orchestrating the chant. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now