A new video has emerged of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon [SAE] Fraternity house mom at the Oklahoma University repeating the n-word over and over again while laughing. This is as two students were expelled over their alleged "leadership role" in a video of the frat members singing a racist song which surfaced online two days ago. The video has led to outrage on social media and protests by other students in the school - both African Americans and others.
In the video, several white students who seem dressed for a party are seen on a bus singing, clapping, pumping their fists and laughing. The song rhyming to "If You're Happy and You Know it", and goes; "There'll never be a ni**** SAE. You can hang him from a tree, but he can never sign with me. There'll never be a ni**** SAE". The song is undeniably racist.
One of the students expelled has been identified as Parker Rice. CNN says he has not responded to multiple requests for comment, although Matthew Lopez, a friend of his, said the video does not represent Rice's "core personality."
"Unfortunately though, as things are, that might define him for a while. But it does not define him personally, I feel. Parker Rice is a charismatic, good person, with a good soul and a good spirit that I feel, truly did not believe in or did not truly understand what he was saying."
The latest video of a woman singing was posted by the university's student newspaper, and it shows an older woman - identified as Beauton Gilbow - saying "ni****" seven times in quick succession. The video is said to be from 2013 and in it, the woman is seated with an Oklahoma shirt behind her, and laughs as she repeats the racial slur.
However, Gilbow has defended herself saying that she was singing aloud to "All Gold Everything" by Trinidad James, a black, Atlanta-based rapper. And indeed, the song can be heard in the background. She said this in a statement;
"I have been made aware that a video of me that is circulating on social media and in the news. I am heartbroken by the portrayal that I am in some way racist. I have friends of all race and do not tolerate any form of discrimination in my life. I was singing along to a Trinidad song, but completely understand how the video must appear in the context of the events that occurred this week."
When contacted by the media after the first video went viral, the college president, David Boren said he would suspend or expel the group's ringleaders if at all possible. Boren has now told CNN that the decision to suspend speaks to his school's "zero tolerance" policy for such "threatening racist behavior."
Already, the Greek letters sigma, alpha and epsilon have been removed from the frat house's facade, the house will be closed as of midnight Tuesday and the university will board up the windows, following up on separate decisions by the university and the SAE national headquarters to shutter the Oklahoma chapter, Boren told CNN.
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