University of Oklahoma President to Hold Press Conference Addressing Racist SAE Chant; Watch it LIVE
ByNow following hours of outrage and demonstrations, University of Oklahoma (OU) President David Boren is expected to address in person the campus community.
Boren has released two statements on Twitter since a 10-second voyeur video appeared online of OU's Kappa chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity engaging in a racist chant. A group called OU Unheard posted the video on Twitter with Boren's official username mentioned in the message.
Video below contains offensive language.
Racism is alive at The University of Oklahoma. @President_Boren pic.twitter.com/eAvnPD8jxA
— Unheard (@OU_Unheard) March 8, 2015
Rusty Surette, an executive producer for CBS' affiliate News9 in Oklahoma City, reported Monday morning that Boren would be holding a press conference on campus at 11 a.m. CT (12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT). News9.com will be airing the presser LIVE.
News Alert: #OU President David Boren news conference planned for 11am to address racial #SAE frat video. Live on https://t.co/OfUpLnTBip — Rusty Surette (@rustysurette) March 9, 2015
Boren's first statement on Twitter came about four hours after Unheard posted the video and he said at the time the school would be seeking to affirm that the people involved were in fact members of OU's SAE chapter. The fraternity's national organization officially dismissed the OU Kappa chapter and now Boren is publicly denouncing the chapter as well.
Boren's second statement on Twitter, posted Monday morning, did just that and well be setting the tone for the press conference. In his statement, he called the video "reprehensible" and those who participated "disgraceful."
Updated statement attached - DBo pic.twitter.com/xxfiJwCh0P — David Boren (@President_Boren) March 9, 2015
Thank all of you who came to the rally this morning to demonstrate the true values of our university. -DBo — David Boren (@President_Boren) March 9, 2015
He then stated that OU would be cutting "all ties and affiliations" with their SAE chapter, instructing members to vacate the house by midnight on Friday. That process already started, as Surette and other media personnel captured photos of members packing their things and leaving while police officers looked on.
Breaking: @HeatherHopeTV reports #OU #SAE members are at frat house to collect personal belongings. #SAEHatesMe pic.twitter.com/dicThyTTIz
— Rusty Surette (@rustysurette) March 9, 2015
Demonstrations began Sunday night with people gathered at the OU SAE house dressed all in black and continued Monday morning with a 7:30 a.m. vigil for prayer.
BREAKING: 40 students all in black have already gathered at #OU campus to protest racist #SAE frat video PHOTO: pic.twitter.com/BOIxvjfrhc — Rusty Surette (@rustysurette) March 9, 2015
BREAKING: "TEAR IT DOWN" spray painted on #OU #SAE frat house after racist video surfaces #SAEHatesMe pic.twitter.com/3htcAU7W1Q
— Rusty Surette (@rustysurette) March 9, 2015
Samuel Iroanya, a spokesman for OU Unheard, told News9: "If you watch the video, those chants were being chanted very passionately and we just wonder why would you have this much hatred in your heart for someone just based off the color of their skin."