been shut down after members were caught chanting the n-word and
glorifying lynching in a disgusting video.
Sunday, shows members of a Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter singing that
there ‘will never be a ni**er’ in their fraternity.
is that it was filmed on Saturday, the same day the rest of us
celebrated the history of Selma, Alabama.
University organization Unheard, the University of Oklahoma and the
president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon shut down the chapter.
@Melyssious The chapter has immediately been placed on a cease & desist. No place for racism. They will be dealt with!
— Brad Cohen (@SAE_ESA_brad) March 9, 2015
SAE also released a statement condemning the behavior of the students.
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.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. 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.This type of racist behavior will not be tolerated and is not
consistent with the values and morals of our fraternity. We have more
than 15,000 collegiate members across the nation, and this incident
should not reflect on other brothers because this type of hateful action
is not what Sigma Alpha Epsilon stands for. This is absolutely not who
we are.We teach our members to serve as role models in their communities and
to live up to our creed, “The True Gentleman.” When members fail to do
so, we will not hesitate to take corrective actions or to impose
sanctions. Any behavior that is not aligned with the conduct we expect
is unacceptable. Equally unacceptable is bystander behavior of members
who fail to intervene when they witness conduct that deviates from our
beliefs.“I was not only shocked and disappointed but disgusted by the
outright display of racism displayed in the video,” said Brad Cohen, the
fraternity’s national president. “SAE is a diverse organization, and we
have zero tolerance for racism or any bad behavior. 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. I am proud of my fellow board members
because we mean what we say.”Alumni who serve on the chapter’s house corporation board and who
serve as advisers are appalled by the video and the song that was sung
in it. They do not condone offensive and hateful behavior and will hold
accountable the men who participated in the incident.Although Sigma Alpha Epsilon regrets the closure, we believe members
must be held responsible for their actions. We are hopeful that we can
re-establish the Oklahoma Kappa chapter at some point in the future with
a group of men who exemplify our beliefs and who serve as leaders on
campus and in the community.
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