Inquiry ties racist song to fraternity’s national leadership

A racist song that caused a national uproar when it was caught on video was a fixture within a fraternity chapter at the University of Oklahoma and not an anomaly, the university reported Friday, and members first learned it at a gathering of the national fraternity four years ago.

“It was learned by chapter members on a national leadership cruise sponsored by the national organization of Sigma Alpha Epsilon,” the university said in a brief report on the results of its inquiry into the episode. “Over time, the chant was formalized in the local SAE chapter and was taught to pledges as part of the formal and informal pledgeship process.”

The national fraternity released a statement confirming that its members from the University of Oklahoma “likely learned a racist chant while attending a national Leadership School about four years ago.” It said it continues to investigate its more than 200 chapters, and has not turned up any sign “that the chant is widespread.”

The university’s investigation, including interviews with 160 people, showed that the song was well-known among leaders of the fraternity from multiple chapters, and shared on the cruise, David L. Boren, the University of Oklahoma president, said Friday at a news conference. In a letter to the national organization, Boren wrote that while the university has taken action, “the matter cannot be closed in our view, however, until the culture at the national level has also been addressed.”

The university and the national organization moved to disband the university’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter within hours of the video becoming widely circulated on March 8. Boren evicted members from the fraternity house, and ordered the expulsion of two students seen on video leading the song.

Speaking to about 200 people Friday, he said that in all, about 25 fraternity members, including the two who were expelled, had been disciplined, and that all had accepted the discipline. He dismissed the concerns of free speech experts who have said they doubt the university has the legal right to penalize people for expressing even offensive views. “If speech is used to create a threatening and hostile environment,” Boren said, “then you have a right to act.”

Boren said he held a meeting before the news conference between leaders of black student groups and the former fraternity chapter, “baring their souls to each other” for 90 minutes.

“To say it was a very emotional moment for me is an understatement,” he said, his voice breaking slightly, “because I observed our students rendering apologies, apologies being accepted, uniting, treating each other with care and concern and love and dedicating themselves to rebuilding our university community.”

One black student in that meeting, Christopher Flix, said the apologies were appreciated, but when asked if the white students were truly remorseful, said, “You know, you can never tell.

This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 10:19 PM with the headline "Inquiry ties racist song to fraternity’s national leadership."