(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
None of these ass hats ever deserved to be known as a True Gentlemen of SAE. For our black members it took a lot of balls to go against the heat from their families to not join the multiculturals like the alphas or the omegas and join a social fraternity and this is what they have to deal with now. Phi never you racist cunts.
11 years ago at 11:10 amBrother zeros. All of them.
11 years ago at 11:37 amI can’t imagine how black SAE’s from other chapters are feeling right now.
11 years ago at 12:19 pmMy best friend and big brother is black, he is also our EDA and one of the greatest men I have ever met. I know he is disappointed to see members of an organization he holds so dear make such ignorant remarks. Brotherhood sees no color for us up here.
11 years ago at 12:31 pmOne of the reasons I picked my chapter over the others was because of how accepting and diverse they are.
11 years ago at 10:11 pmBuilding brotherhood breaks down the barriers society tries to put up; We come together to become something more than what we are already.
Some black kid’s parents won’t let them join non black fraternities. This instance certainly isn’t going to help. just sets everyone back.
11 years ago at 6:13 pmsame as the rest of us, pissed off at these ass clowns, wondering why they would dare call themselves sig alphs.
11 years ago at 10:06 pmShit like this wouldn’t happen if people remembered the number one rule. Chapter business is chapter business. Don’t post shit on social media, stop snapchatting everything to everyone. No matter what it is. This is piss poor risk management.
11 years ago at 11:26 amWhy are yall down voting me? Racism is terrible and has no place in society but most fraternities do some questionable shit. Whether it’s hazing or general debauchery. Most issues I’ve seen are because someone broke the rule. Like leaking emails or recording video.
11 years ago at 12:02 pmOr you could try not doing disgusting shit like this. That would probably be better.
11 years ago at 5:21 pmHappy Founder’s Day?
11 years ago at 11:27 am[…] Total Frat Move, […]
11 years ago at 11:28 amIf you can’t go Greek go Pike or TKE, but if you’re just a natural fuck up go SAE.
11 years ago at 11:28 amWhat do you expect from a chapter that throws people off of their balcony?
11 years ago at 11:31 amI in no way support the men in the video, but I don’t understand how someone can be offended by a word they use and call their friends. If you want the word to go away, everyone needs to stop using the word and its variations.
11 years ago at 11:39 amIf you haven’t accepted the fact that everyone can be racists except for whites then I don’t know what to tell you.
11 years ago at 11:46 amI meant how could they be offended when everyday I hear someone say “what’s up, nigga?” It’s the same word whether you try to make it show affection or not.
11 years ago at 11:51 amYeah I guess when people say the N word to describe a black person it’s just friendly and all in good fun, especially when they talk about not letting them into their fraternity and, y’know, fucking lynching them in the same sentence.
11 years ago at 6:28 pmWhenever a person comes to our chapter from another asking for a place to stay, we more than often give them a bed they can crash on for a few days. If I ever got stranded or needed help in a random state, I would expect that I would be able to contact a local chapter and they could help me out because that’s what our brotherhood should be about. It is sad to know that I wouldn’t be welcomed to certain chapters because of the color of my skin even though we should share the same ideals being from the same organization.
I’m glad they’re being made an example of. I hope we can all move past these “traditions” and be accepting of all of our brothers no matter where they are from or what they look like.
11 years ago at 11:39 amHere’s the thing people need to understand about opinions. They don’t change easily. This video, as awful as it is, did not make new people think fraternities are all racist. The people complaining about this the loudest, already thought that. People hold on to beliefs so strongly, that many of those same people, still refuse to acknowledge that the Rolling Stone story was bullshit. So we can go on about how these guys made us look bad etc, and they did. But the truth is, all the people blowing up internet comments sections about how horrible Greek life is, already thought that before this video. They didn’t need this evidence, they don’t need any evidence at all. They had one bad interaction with a fraternity or sorority, and that’s all they’d ever need. Videos like this merely give them an outlet to justifiably spew their hatred towards something they don’t understand.
11 years ago at 11:41 amI’m just going to sit this one out.
11 years ago at 12:01 pm