The University of Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter whose members were caught on video repeating a racist chant originally became familar with the chant on a national SAE leadership cruise four years ago, the university’s investigation determined. A total of 25 students will be disciplined over the incident, university President David Boren said; two were expelled, and the fraternity chapter has been closed. From the Huffington Post:
In a Friday letter to the SAE national office, also obtained by HuffPost, Boren said there was no indication the racist song was formally taught to fraternity members. But, he added, “it does appear that the chant was widely known and informally shared amongst members of the leadership cruise.”
The “findings” document posted at HuffPo attributes its conclusion to interviews conducted by the “Office of Student Affairs.” Boren said Friday that more than 160 people were interviewed.
The university’s letter to SAE’s national office suggests that the fraternity investigate how widely the chant has permeated other chapters throughout the country; the organization has said it is conducting such a review and has begun several anti-racism initiatives.
