Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity closes OU chapter after racist video appears online

[VMA131Marine]

Source: Tulsa World

The Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity has closed its chapter at the University of Oklahoma, just hours after a video appeared online Sunday night showing reported members of the organization chanting racial slurs.
“SAE is a diverse organization, and we have zero tolerance for racism or any bad behavior," Brad Cohen, the fraternity’s national president, said in a news release. "When we learned about this incident, I called an immediate board meeting, and we determined with no mental reservation whatsoever that this chapter needed to be closed immediately."
According to the release, all of the Oklahoma Kappa chapter's members have been suspended, and those members found to be responsible for the incident may have their membership privileges revoked permanently.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/university-of-oklahoma-investigating-video-appearing-to-show-fraternity-members/article_bbcc16b2-fe0e-5bee-b6b1-fdc093c7b4c5.html

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Once again a university fraternity distinguishes itself through the ignorance, stupidity, and, in this case, racist sentiments of its members. Words fail me! At least it appears that the national organization has done the right thing by immediately shutting down the fraternity.

Updated to link to the original source story

[SoapBox]

1. Maybe Senator Snowball will go to bat for them....

Since everything he does is just wrong.

Even when I was in a house in the early 1970's the SAEs at our school were animal-meatheads.

[cui bono]

2. Maybe he'll invite President Obama to stand on the floor of congress with him

to prove there is no racism.

[C Moon]

3. "may have their membership privileges revoked permanently"

In other words: as soon as the news dies down, all will be forgiven.

[delete_bush]

4. You don't know that.

Regardless, to their credit they acted quickly and responsibly.

[C Moon]

6. Of course I don't know that, but the wording is suspicious.

Why not just remove them completely?
It's not something that should be tolerated at all.

[Lucky Luciano]

9. Not all were guilty (I hope!) - permanent suspension should be for

...those responsible for the video.

[Orsino]

16. Identifying and booting those responsible for the incident...

...could be a reasonable excuse for reactivation. Does the organization want to continue to exist--enough that they'll give up names? If this is what's going on, it sound okay.

[vlyons]

5. instead of being so cynical, hy not commend the nat'l board

They immediately did the right thing by refusing to tolerate such hateful and ignorant behavior. You want to end racism, let the people, who stand up for decent and respectful behavior, know that it is appreciated. I sent them a thank-you message.

[Adrahil]

8. I'm not a huge fan of the Greek system...

But I agree. The national board did the exact right thing. Good on 'em.

[OldRedneck]

7. Oklahoma, the home of:

-- Senator Snowball
-- The legislature tried to ban AP History for not teaching "American exceptionalism"
-- The legislature banned "sharia law"

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. During my college days ...

I always felt kind of sad for the rare African-American that joined "white" fraternities, as this kind of conduct happened on a regular basis. How could anyone choose to associate with folks that clearly disregarded/mocked your humanity/presence?

[geek tragedy]

11. Gee, what a surprise to see this happening in Oklahoma of all places nt

[progressoid]

12. I know it's anecdotal but,

the SAEs at my college were dicks.

[Sunlei]

13. to close the frats chapter is not enough, kick the singers out of the University.

[FSogol]

14. ...said Brad, the fraternity's national President. LOL, you can't make stuff like that up.

On a more serious note, you always hear about fraternities closing chapters yet the number of frats never seem to diminish. Are new ones popping up or do they quietly reopen when the attention over their screw-ups die down?

[Nye Bevan]

15. Good. A swift and appropriate response (nt)

[erronis]

26. But can't these poor boys be defended using the "Affluence" apriori?

Many of these creeps look like they came from "nice white families" - probably with a few more disposable oil millions than most. Most of them probably haven't had a good opportunity to learn some real facts of life.

Most 17-20 yo don't really get it. They think they know it but they don't. Their poor little mush brains are still finding the way.

This is a great chance for them to learn what it means to be treated worse than dirt. Their names should be on a wall of shame along with thousands of others. There should be an easy way for potential employers (other than their Daddy's friends) to look up these perps. They should spend a while making true atonement - working the jobs that they think the lower classes should do.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. Links to the student newspaper, The Oklahoma Daily

OU's Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity under investigation after video of racist chant leaks online

Live: Students demonstrate on the North Oval following racist Sigma Alpha Epsilon incident

[Liberal_in_LA]

23. anyone see the second video? is frat guy trying to stop tha chant or the filming?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

25. Do you have a link? ETA: Never mind; I found it.

Last edited Tue Mar 10, 2015, 02:32 PM - Edit history (1)

Hat tip, Gawker: SAE Frat Bros Sing Racist Song About When Black People Can Join (Never)

https://instagram.com/p/z_ilNau41L/#

[Dems to Win]

18. I'd bet everything I own that song is being sung at every SAE house in the country

The OK boys didn't just make it up yesterday. They all knew the words -- I bet it was taught to them as part of their initiation.

The national organization is just embarrassed the song became public.

And... how did that happen? I suspect the video was shot by one of the guy's dates on the bus. She probably accepted the date with the guy, not knowing the racist nature of the fraternity. When she heard that awful song, she pulled out her camera and documented it and leaked it. Somewhere in Norman, Oklahoma there is a young white woman who did the right thing. Kudos to her, I hope she's safe.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

19. Yeah, I want to know if the words of the chant were true

"There'll never be a N****r at SAE". I wonder if the tradition carries on at other SAE chapters. Has anyone determined if there are black students at other SAE chapters? I can't imagine any black person singing about being hung from a tree like black people were hung by the hundreds in the old days down south. Just terrible and it sounds like the chant wasn't written yesterday, but has probably existed for decades, even from the Jim Crow days.

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. kick

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. In light of OU SAE controversy, photo shows visible confederate flag hanging from OSU SAE house

http://www.ocolly.com/news/article_9ecc3ff8-c619-11e4-96c7-9b54dfefd9fb.html?mode=jqm
The same evening that University of Oklahoma's Sigma Alpha Epsilon came under fire for a racially charged viral video, a Confederate flag was visible hanging in a window of Oklahoma State University's SAE house.

The OU chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon was disbanded and all members were suspended Sunday night.

The O’Colly reached out to members of OSU's SAE chapter for comments on the video.

Chris Bringaze, OSU SAE President, said in an email that the video did not represent SAE’s values.

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. Sooners recruit decommits amid OU racist frat video scandal

http://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/oklahoma-sooners-bob-stoops-recruit-jean-delance-decommits-amid-racist-frat-video-scandal-030915

[mahatmakanejeeves]

24. SAE's speech may be protected by First Amendment

Last edited Tue Mar 10, 2015, 02:39 PM - Edit history (1)

There was doubt?

SAE's speech may be protected by First Amendment

Posted: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 6:00 am
Dillon Hollingsworth, Sports Editor

....
At this point the OU chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon no longer exists. All of its members have been suspended from the fraternity, Boren has ordered the house to be closed, and everyone living inside must be out by midnight on Tuesday. ... For many, that is not enough. Calls for expulsion abounded across the campus on Monday, and Boren explained in his press conference that the university’s legal team is working to find a way to punish individuals in a way that is constitutionally sound.

Unless their investigation yields something more than the image of fraternity brothers spewing bigotry on a charter bus, though, there is a good chance they won’t find it. ... “If the extent of it is what we see in those 11 seconds of video, I don’t see a constitutional basis for [expulsion],” said Robert Shibley, executive director of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

Shibley’s organization’s mission is to protect individual rights at America’s colleges and universities. Just last week the foundation helped students at Utah’s Dixie State University file a lawsuit against their school for placing unconstitutional restrictions on their First Amendment rights.

“It suggests that they would not allow black people into SAE fraternity or SAE chapter. If that indicates they might be engaged in unlawful discrimination, you can investigate the unlawful discrimination angle of it,” Shibley said. “But actually just saying that isn’t the offense. The offense would actually be engaging in discrimination.”

ETA: read the comments:

Boren expels students connected to Sigma Alpha Epsilon's racist video