Two students who allegedly led their Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers in a racist chant caught on video were expelled Tuesday from the University of Oklahoma, university President David Boren announced.
“I hope that students involved in this incident will learn from this experience and realize that it is wrong to use words to hurt, threaten, and exclude other people,” Boren said in a statement.
I have acted today to expel two students who were leaders in the singing of a racist chant. See press release – DBo pic.twitter.com/VypOiVqXi7
— David Boren (@President_Boren) March 10, 2015
A press release from the university did not identify the students who allegedly led the chant. In a letter obtained by local TV station KWTV, Boren told the students that they have until Friday to contact the school’s equal opportunity officer if they disagree with the expulsion.
Video that allegedly showed members of SAE’s OU chapter chanting the n-word and making a reference to lynching first surfaced Sunday night.
After the video went viral, SAE’s national headquarters closed down the chapter. Boren (pictured) announced that the university decided to sever ties with the fraternity and gave members of the organization until midnight Tuesday to vacate their frat house. The university president later said in a press conference that individual frat members could face discipline for violating their fellow students’ civil rights.
Read Boren’s full statement below:
“I have emphasized that there is zero tolerance for this kind of threatening racist behavior at the University of Oklahoma. I hope that the entire nation will join us in having zero tolerance of such racism when it raises its ugly head in other situations across our country. I am extremely proud of the reaction and response expressed by our entire university family — students, faculty, staff, and alumni about this incident. They are ‘Real Sooners’ who believe in mutual respect for all. I hope that students involved in this incident will learn from this experience an realize that it is wrong to use words to hurt, threaten, and exclude other people. We will continue our investigation of all the students engaged in the singing of this chant. Once their identities have been confirmed, they will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.”
This post has been updated.
Oh god, now two martyrs to the cause of freedom. /sarcasm
I wish they weren’t expelled, though I wouldn’t mind seeing them be shamed by their classmates.
ETA: Personally I’m glad they were expelled and know they would lose their jobs over the same. I just hate to see the narrative changed to these guys as victims B.S. and I fear that is how the story will change, not about the rather shocking racism exhibited.
I’m sure these two fine, upstanding, young crackers will be able to pick up their studies and, ahem, unsanctioned extracurriculars, at some other august academic facility. Bob Jones U or the like, I’m sure are hungry for minds like these…
Change it to a chant about burning Jews and see how you feel. Free speech is a right. Racist free speech at university isn’t.
A teachable moment for many, and not just those ‘involved in this incident’. One would hope.
Man oh man! I’d sure hate to be the parents of these twerps!
Imagine investing short of $100,000 in your kids education only to see it all be pissed away three months short of graduation simply for flying your true flag?SO! Parker is only a freshman! Good that this happened early in his college days…at least daddy didn’t lose four years worth of schooling. And I’m sure that the kid already had a job awaiting him.
And I’m sure that the kid already had a job awaiting him.
Pledge classes of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at OU have traditionally been loaded with legacy kids. Where will these poor entitled widdle boys go now?