(Updated) OU’s SAE Shut Down, Members Removed, House Vandalized Following Release Of Racist Video
We reported yesterday that the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the University of Oklahoma would likely be facing some harsh repercussions following the release of a racist video recorded inside a chartered bus. The video shows members of the fraternity chanting “There will never be a n*gger SAE!” as well as a reference to hanging from a tree.
That video is below.
The national office of SAE has responded. The SAE chapter at OU has been closed, all members have been suspended, and those individuals involved in the incident have been removed permanently.
From SAE:
Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s national headquarters has closed its Oklahoma Kappa chapter at the University of Oklahoma following the discovery of an inappropriate video. In addition, all of the members have been suspended, and those members who are responsible for the incident may have their membership privileges revoked permanently.
The fallout doesn’t stop there. University PD preemptively went to the SAE house last night as a precaution. When the officer assigned to the house had to leave on another call, the house was vandalized. This is according to NBC News. “TEAR IT [DOWN]” in black spray paint now appears on the side of the house.
It looks like the SAE house has been vandalized. One side of the house reads something like "tear it down." @OUDaily pic.twitter.com/dZebbDQT2Y
— Dana Branham (@danabranham) March 9, 2015
The university is also investigating the situation, but meanwhile, SAE members were told to vacate the campus. University President David Boren also said the following in a statement:
“I have just been informed of the video, which purports to show students engaging in a racist chant. We are investigating to determine if the video involved OU students. If OU students are involved, this behavior will not be tolerated and will be addressed very quickly. This behavior is contrary to all of our values.”
Racism sucks. It’s a stain on Greek culture and a thorough house cleaning is well overdue. It’s great to see the SAE national office and the University of Oklahoma take the proper initial steps toward thwarting racism from their respective domains as much as possible.
UPDATE: Two students identified as playing leadership roles in the video have been expelled from OU.
From University of Oklahoma President David Boren:
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
Image via Twitter/ @mikebrowncover
Hey guys, we really appreciate you advancing the “All fraternity members are privileged, racist, white assholes.” Good work, dipshits.
11 years ago at 10:34 amas much as I hate to double dip, I know some fucktard is gonna say “well all of you say TNM” There’s a difference between joking about a stereotype and singing about lynching someone for being a different color
11 years ago at 10:42 amI’m not defending what they did in any way whatsoever, and I’ll probably get lapped to hell for this, but is there really that much of a difference?
11 years ago at 10:58 amYou double dipped the chip and you lost. From now on, when you take a chip – just take one dip and end it.
11 years ago at 10:59 amFuck laps and what not, point made.
11 years ago at 11:06 amSo how does it look then when an entire charter bus full of white, racist ass holes chant about not letting N***ers into their fraternity?
Advancing a stereotype is one thing, but what this chapter did is definitely unacceptable.
11 years ago at 11:12 amOU Sig Alphs had been on the ropes for a long time. Always getting in trouble and not giving a shit. The university had given them so many second chances over the years. Word was they sold the property to OU several years back just to avoid being kicked off campus. You reap what you sow…
11 years ago at 11:48 am^lol been on the ropes….
11 years ago at 2:26 pmTotally unbecoming of gentleman and scholars. Behind closed doors is one thing, but whoever allowed that to be posted on social media is a fucking idiot.
11 years ago at 10:53 pmIt’s not okay behind closed doors either… wtf
11 years ago at 12:30 amThere was at least one blackmale as far as I could tell.
11 years ago at 6:30 amhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmpDtoVbdho
11 years ago at 12:36 pm“Hell I ain’t gon lie, that motherfuckin song is catchy.” I like this guy.
11 years ago at 8:41 amThey deserve to be punished. That kind of behavior does nothing but make themselves, their fraternity, and all fraternity men look like shit. It’s not what we or our organizations are about. Fuck them.
11 years ago at 10:34 amQuit your rambling and shut up. Fuck them for saying a few racist words when they’re drunk at an event with their brothers? They should be expelled and have their lives ruined? You sir, are what we call a pussy. Go join exec board.
11 years ago at 12:42 amNo room for it in today’s world
11 years ago at 10:34 amBeing an SAE Nationals PR guy would not be at the top of list of things I want to be right now.
11 years ago at 10:35 amI’ve actually met the guy, he has nerves of steel after all the stupid shit that we’ve pulled in various places.
11 years ago at 11:20 amIt’s good that OU took a stand to this- unacceptable behavior for fraternity men whose example many follow. Quite a sad situation for the parties involved for a very poor lapse in judgement. Sad to see this on video in 2015.
This being said, I cannot stand by the graffiti of the house. Just because certain people bother you by their actions doesn’t mean you take matters into your own hands. Hopefully there is an investigation into that. – that kind of behavior should not stand as well.
11 years ago at 10:38 amThis is more than a “poor lapse in judgement.”
11 years ago at 5:17 pmHope nationally they can recover. Seems like nearly every time there’s a negative fraternity story it’s about SAE. Would hate to see my Dad’s fraternity go under
11 years ago at 10:39 amExcellent work and coverage of the issue. These ass holes deserve everything they get.
11 years ago at 10:39 amI’m not saying they were right for chanting that, but what happened to due process?
11 years ago at 10:40 amThis isn’t a legal system or a court of law. SAE Nationals governs their fraternity and they shut it down. I don’t see how people don’t understand or can’t comprehend this.
11 years ago at 10:43 amNo, I understand it is nationals, but it just seems like a knee-jerk reaction to ban all members of the chapter and immediately kicking them off without a thorough investigation (hell, it hasn’t even been a full day yet has it?)
11 years ago at 10:48 amI agree it is really fast, but 1. the video shows there doesn’t need to be an investigation, that’s some deathblow evidence, and 2. SAE had to get ahead of this real fast before the media jumps on Greek life even more than they already do. This semi-cuts off the problem at this garbage chapter. Good move by them.
11 years ago at 10:52 amYou are definitely right about the second point and I do agree they need to maintain face by doing it, but if it was a minority chanting or if it was on, say a sorority formal bus, then the chapter as a whole is being punished (some might say rightly so since they didn’t speak up against it). I’m from the South and it seems like a lot of fraternities around here probably do have a handful of people who probably would chant something similar and thereby get the whole chapter in trouble. I don’t know, it just seems that whenever race or rape is involved the whole is considered guilty from the start without really looking into the situation. Obviously there is evidence in this case, but when it comes to these sorts of issues the best thing to do is to take a step back and look at it without emotion (recent events throughout the country, both in and out of the Greek system, show that people do the opposite)
11 years ago at 11:10 amHave you seen the video? there’s your evidence. And we already had to drop pledging before our insurance dropped us. Between the insurance that would go up again and the National pr do you think the council had a choice?
11 years ago at 11:15 amDue process went out the window when there was video evidence
11 years ago at 10:46 amThey’d have to be taken to court or arrested for due process to apply. Private organizations have the freedom to ban whoever they want from being members
11 years ago at 10:52 amAgain I have to raise the free speech concern. Time and time again scotus has upheld that even the most reprehensible speech must be protected under the first amendment because of how sacrosanct it is. If westboro baptist church can get off of multimillion dollar damages from protesting soldier funerals in order to protect free speech shouldn’t a bunch of 18-22 year olds have the same consideration when all they did was say n*gger?
11 years ago at 10:40 amYeah, but we aren’t talking about multimillion dollar damages here. We’re talking about if they should be allowed to be a fraternity after this. And the answer is no. No one is saying they can’t say what they want. We’re just saying if you want to be a racist piece of shit and brag about it, you don’t get to call yourself Greek.
11 years ago at 10:42 amI’m more concerned with the fact it seems some people are intent on having them expelled. Yea take their house but to expel them is overkill
11 years ago at 11:38 amThe First Amendment protects you from the law. These guys didn’t break the law, thus are not in trouble with the law.
11 years ago at 10:45 amIt bothers me that so many people still don’t fully understand how the first amendment works
11 years ago at 11:00 amSnyder v Phelps had nothing to do with the law, it was a civil suit. The court ruled that the first amendment protects people from torts of emotional distress even if the speech is outrageous.
What is the revocation of their charter if not a tort? What is their song if not outrages speech? Would this even be an issue if people were not emotionally distressed by this?
11 years ago at 11:41 amRevocation of the charter is an example of freedom of association. SAE has every right to disown them. However, Oklahoma, being a public university may not punish them. Nor may some OK student who saw the video, and was offended, sue them.
11 years ago at 11:44 amThe revocation of their charter is most certainly not a tort. A tort would be someone suing them as a result of the emotional distress caused by this video.
11 years ago at 11:48 amTechnically a Tort can be an legal action resulting in harm or loss. Revocation of an official document recognizing an institution can be seen as a legal act and obviously there is loss there
11 years ago at 11:54 amOne main thing you are missing: universities do not have to follow the laws that you are speaking of. They are exempt from a ton of laws, for better or worse.
11 years ago at 12:35 pmActually no, public universities are barred from punishing speech. Every time a public school has instituted a speech code and it’s been challenged, it has been struck down.
11 years ago at 12:45 pmAgree with you as far as SAE disowning them is concerned. But, as it is a public university, if Oklahoma takes punitive action, then it does become a First Amendment issue. Clearly these idiots did not mean for this to in any way constitute a direct threat, or fighting words.
11 years ago at 11:42 amNo it doesn’t. It protects people from undue punishment from the state for speaking, writing, assembling, or the other symbolic forms of speech that the courts have ruled on, like flag burning.
11 years ago at 4:37 pmThe 1st amendment protects you from any punishment or recourse because of what you say FROM THE GOVERMENT. SAE nationals and OU are private organizations, they can take whatever action they want
11 years ago at 10:48 amOU is a public school dipshit.
11 years ago at 11:12 amThat doesn’t actually matter. Government funded and government run are totally different. All private and public schools are subsidized by the government.
11 years ago at 12:36 pmAny school receiving federal funding cannot violate First Amendment rights.
11 years ago at 4:40 pmYou’re a special kind of stupid aren’t you son
11 years ago at 3:12 pmFuck them, phi never. Thats not what we’re about.
11 years ago at 10:56 am