Plan B Forum

Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon: University President Severs Ties With Frat, 'Couldn't Sleep' After Racist Video

The University of Oklahoma is immediately severing "all ties and affiliations" between the school and its local Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the university president said today, and is exploring the possibility of expulsions in the wake of a video that purportedly shows members of the chapter singing a racist chant.

The video, which surfaced over the weekend, was posted to Twitter by Unheard, which describes itself as "an alliance of black students organized for change within campus administration and atmosphere." The video shows young men on a bus chanting, "There will never be a n----r at SAE."



The tweet, directed at OU president David Boren, said, "Racism is alive at The University of Oklahoma."

Boren said at a news conference that he was "sickened by the video," and, "I couldn't sleep after that."

Boren said in an earlier written statement today that all ties and affiliations between the school and chapter are "hereby severed."

"To those who have misused their free speech in such a reprehensible way, I have a message for you. You are disgraceful," Boren's statement read. "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 of us will redouble our efforts to create the strongest sense of family and community," Boren added. "We vow that we will be an example to the entire country of how to deal with this issue. There must be zero tolerance for racism everywhere in our nation."

Boren said SAE residents would have to remove their possessions and vacate the house "by midnight tomorrow."

At today’s news conference, Boren added that he doesn't plan on helping the displaced residents find housing.

"That's not our responsibility," he said. "We don't provide student services to bigots."

In fact, he said he'd be happy if the "bus-load" of students involved left school, adding that the university's legal team is exploring possible further punishment up to and including expulsion.

"As they pack their bags, I hope they think long and hard about what they've done," Boren said.

Boren called the video "heartbreaking for every member of this community."

The national SAE organization said in its own statement that it closed the Oklahoma Kappa chapter at the University of Oklahoma and suspended all of the fraternity's members -- and the members involved with the incident could have their membership privileges revoked permanently.

"We apologize for the unacceptable and racist behavior of the individuals in the video, and we are disgusted that any member would act in such a way," the online statement read. "Furthermore, we are embarrassed by this video and offer our empathy not only to anyone outside the organization who is offended but also to our brothers who come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities."

Lord Jim wrote:Unfriggin' believable....

"... 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. ... "

A Oklahoma fraternity whose members were filmed chanting a racist song has received death threats, a lawyer said.

Stephen Jones did not detail the threats that the University of Oklahoma students had received, but said authorities had been alerted.

The local chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon hired Mr Jones to "protect the rights" of its members, he said.

Two students were expelled and the fraternity house was closed after the video was posted online.

The video showed two members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity leading racist chants that said a black person would never be allowed to join the fraternity.

"Unfortunately, there have been some incidents involving current members of SAE where death threats have been placed, where there had been physical assaults or altercations on the University of Oklahoma campus, and where some of the students who are members have frankly been afraid to go to class," Mr Jones told reporters on Friday.

Mr Jones said there was "no justification" for the slur-laden chants.

The high-profile lawyer did not lay out explicit demands but said that he had been hired to protect the "due process" rights for the local chapter's members