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It’s the caught on camera moment that is raising questions about race and privilege and a college campus in the American South fraternity brothers seen on video engaging in a racist chant and tonight there are fast-moving developments to expulsion ‘z and possibly more on the way but there are
Also people coming to the defense of this embattled frat and ABC’s Ryan Owens is on campus the video is just 9 seconds long its consequences could last a lifetime tonight two frat brothers from Sigma Alpha Epsilon have been expelled from the University of Oklahoma after leading a chant that they’d rather black people
Be lynched than join their fraternity the video went viral Sunday night igniting a firestorm of outrage at OU u and far beyond the problem is nobody’s pointing out what’s going on today University of Oklahoma President David Boren sent this expulsion letter to two students involved in the video saying
They had created a hostile educational environment for others tonight one of the chant leaders is identified as Parker rice of Dallas Rice’s friends tell us he’s already home in Texas and will not be coming back to oh you I know Parker and I know he’s not a racist he’s really not he compromised
His morality for the liking of his friends in a statement Ray says that alcohol was a factor in his actions and that he is deeply sorry for what he did he mentions he was taught the offensive song but not by whom another student in the video identified by his parents as
Levi Pettit they right he made a horrible mistake we know his heart and he’s not a racist the two explosions are just the latest fallout from this video today moving trucks littering the front of the SAE fraternity house the university banning the group from campus and giving members
Until midnight to get out be embarrassed extremely can I say anything else this scandal began when someone anonymously texted the video to members of a black students group outraged they spread it across social media this is not anything that happened overnight this is something that’s been hers is something
That is well known everybody on that bus was singing this chant proudly and confidently social media lit up with post about the incident at one point the Twitter hashtag SAE hates me was trending nationwide how could this be my house William Bruce James and oh you
Alum and one of only two black members of this SAE chapter ever says the punishment fits the crime ironically he was once in charge of the fraternity songs never heard that song before the video I never heard anything like that song you said this hit you personally I think one reason is because
At least technically these were your brothers I don’t consider them my brothers I don’t think that they were ever deserving of the letters because those letters mean something still some on campus are jumping to si es defense including the fraternity chef who finds himself out of a job after 14 years
Another supporter the frats house mother who appeared on local news Monday night Bobby has you heard that song before never heard it never heard it I thought they made it up or something on the bus I never heard that so hours later this video emerged of her posted two years earlier
She’s repeatedly using the n-word while singing along to a rap song that used the same slur today she issued a statement saying she’s not a racist but completely understands how the video must appear in the context of the events SAE is one of the largest fraternities in the country with more than 200
Chapters they say they shut down their University of Oklahoma chapter within hours of learning about the offensive video even before the group was banned from campus our reaction was the same as the people across the country I mean this is unacceptable racist and very offensive and inappropriate footage and it is sad that
Anybody in Sigma Alpha Epsilon would have thought this is something that they should do or a way they should behave because that is not what this organization is about the scandal comes at a sensitive time for Greek life at American universities with sexual assault on campus in the national
Spotlight the new film the hunting ground actually mentions SAE by names a sexual assault expected when asked by Time magazine about the documentary SAE told them we believe anyone who commits sexual assault or other illegal acts should be held accountable and face punishment that is appropriate for those
Actions this is not the first time SAE has grappled with accusations of racism this Confederate flag got them in hot water at a Georgia University but SAE has plenty of company the University of Alabama was home to a major controversy in 2013 when several sororities came under fire for allegedly refusing to
Admit black women while we will not tell any group who they must pledge the University of Alabama will not tolerate discrimination of any kind what happened here is unfortunately endemic in Greek fraternity life in fraternities and sororities operate along principles of exclusivity they’re looking for kids they’re looking for other students
Usually who are like them and that exclusivity often expresses itself on racist terms and far as I’m concerned about me back residues still some are questioning if expelling the students might be a step too far while a private university can basically operate you know the way that
It wants to a public university is restricted by the First Amendment I think what happened to these kids expelling them is a very problematic thing you know the racism that they expressed was raw ugly as ugly as it gets but those factors don’t necessarily make it you know illegal I’m Ryan Owens
For Nightline in Norman Oklahoma so was expelling those frat brothers a fair punishment head to our Nightline Facebook page and tell us what you think
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