University of Oklahoma fraternity closed over racist video

[umbertino]

Sigma Alpha Epsilon says it is disgusted by footage featuring members of its Kappa chapter at the university participating in racist chant

 

 

Staff and agencies

 

Monday 9 March 2015 09.40 GMT

 

 

 

 

A university branch of one of the largest fraternities in the United States has been closed and its members suspended after a video of members appearing to participate in a racist chant was posted online.

 

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) said on Sunday that an investigation into footage apparently featuring students from the University of Oklahoma (OU) chanting about lynching and using racist epithets against black people had left it embarrassed and disgusted.

 

“We apologise for the unacceptable and racist behaviour of the individuals in the video, and we are disgusted that any member would act in such a way,” the SAE leadership said in a statement.

 

“We have more than 15,000 collegiate members across the nation, and this incident should not reflect on other brothers because this type of hateful action is not what Sigma Alpha Epsilon stands for,” it added.

 

The 10-second video was first posted online on Sunday by a black student group, Unheard, at OU, and first reported by the Oklahoma Daily, a student newspaper. It showed people on a bus chanting in unison and using offensive language in reference to African-Americans, vowing to never admit any into the fraternity. The chant also made light of lynchings.

 

 

“This video contains language that is offensive, disrespectful, and unacceptable,” Unheard said in a statement posted with the video. “Even after 50 years after the events that occurred in Selma, Alabama, we still have a reason to march. We as a people have indeed come a long way, but yet still have so far to go.”

 

Unheard, which describes itself as an alliance of black students from OU focusing on the lack of representation and support on campus, said it would hold a demonstration on campus on Monday morning.

 

The SAE leadership determined that members of its Kappa chapter at the University of Oklahoma were involved.

 

“I was not only shocked and disappointed but disgusted by the outright display of racism displayed in the video,” Brad Cohen, the fraternity’s national president, said in the statement, noting that “SAE is a diverse organisation, and we have zero tolerance for racism”.

 

On Twitter, Cohen added that the students involved in the video would be “dealt with”.

 

The national leadership said it hoped to be able to re-establish the Oklahoma Kappa chapter “at some point in the future”.

 

In an emailed statement to the New York Times, OU president David Boren said the administration was also investigating the video. “If OU students are involved, this behaviour will not be tolerated and will be addressed very quickly,” said Boren. “This behaviour is reprehensible and contrary to all of our values.”

 

 

The University of Oklahoma clock tower. Photograph: Alamy

 

 

 

Warning: this video contains graphic language

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/mar/09/university-oklahoma-fraternity-sigma-alpha-epsilon-closed-racist-video

[Shabibilicious]

I give the kid who filmed the video a lot of credit..........Everybody on that bus will certainly know who was sitting where.  Kid's got guts.  

 

GO RV, then BV

[dog53]

Yep Like the kids chanting "Kill white cops"

stupid is as stupid does .

Like John Wayne always said

Life is hard 

But it`s a lot harder when your stupid .