Frat shut down after video of racist chant goes viral

Sigma Alpha Epsilon shuttered its University of Oklahoma chapter after a video that appears to show members chanting racist comments surfaced online.

Unheard, a self-described black student alliance “organized for change within campus administration and atmosphere,” posted the video of young men singing “There will never be a n——r at SAE” on YouTube Sunday. It quickly went viral.

“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 fraternity’s national headquarters said in a statement announcing the chapter’s closure. “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.”

Sigma Alpha Epsilon also suspended all of the chapter members and said those responsible may be permanently barred.

Unheard said in a statement attached to the video: “WE DO NOT LIVE IN A POST RACIAL AMERICA. Even after 50 years after the events that occurred in Selma, Alabama we still have a reason to march. We as a people have indeed come a long way, but yet still have so far to go.”

This weekend marked the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when students and civil rights leaders were attacked by police during a civil rights march.

On Monday, Unheard organized a rally to protest the discrimination and claimed the video’s offensive language as the hashtag.

Stand along @ou_unheard as they work against systemic racism. Advocate for change at OU and change in our country pic.twitter.com/EFqbdwWRUS

— Nick A (@nickaguilera) March 9, 2015

The university’s president, David Boren, tweeted that the behavior in the video is “reprehensible and contrary to all of our values.”

Campuses across the country have seen what appears to be a spike in intolerance toward certain groups. The University of California student government last week passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism after several acts of hostility toward Jewish students.

Emily DeRuy is a Washington, D.C.-based associate editor, covering education, reproductive rights, and inequality. A San Francisco native, she enjoys Giants baseball and misses Philz terribly.