University of Oklahoma Fraternity Closed After Racial Chant
Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity was kicked off campus at the University of Oklahoma Sunday night after a nine-second video surfaced on March 8.
The clip, which has now been widely reported and shared on YouTube, was first posted via Unheard, an African American activist group at UO devoted to fighting racism on campus.
According to the group’s co-director, Chelsea Davis, the anonymous video was accompanied with a message that read: “Let our community and our university know that this behavior is not tolerated, that it’s unacceptable and it’s extremely, extremely offensive.”
The brief clip showed white SAE members dressed in formal attire as they jubilantly clapped and pumped their fists in the air, while singing out an offensive epithet on a bus.
“There will never be a n—-r in SAE. You can hang them from a tree, but they’ll never sign with me,” they chanted.
By Sunday night, President of OU David Boren immediately severed all ties and affiliations with the fraternity, saying he was “sickened by the video” and “couldn’t sleep” after seeing it.
“To those who have misused their free speech in such a reprehensible way, I have a message for you. You are disgraceful,” Boren released in a statement. “You have violated all that we stand for. You should not have the privilege of calling yourselves ‘Sooners.’ Real Sooners are not racist. Real Sooners are not bigots. Real Sooners believe in equal opportunity. Real Sooners treat all people with respect. Real Sooners love each other and take care of each other like family members.”
All SAE residents have since been forced to remove their possessions and vacate the fraternity house.
See what SAE fraternity members were caught chanting in the video below:
#SigmaAlphaEpsilon members packing up and getting out of their house tonight #SAE #OU under #police protection @NEWS9 pic.twitter.com/2AuX0iHwbv
— Heather HOPE (@HeatherHopeTV) March 9, 2015
#BreakingNews “Tear It Down” spray painted just now on side #SigmaAlphaEpsilon house. #SAE #OU @NEWS9 @rustysurette pic.twitter.com/FooJrlqPq5
— Heather HOPE (@HeatherHopeTV) March 9, 2015
