The University of Oklahoma's (OU) Kappa chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity has issued an apology for a video of their members engaging in a racist chant.

According to ABC News, the chapter's board of trustees and alumni said in a statement a "horrible cancer" began festering in the fraternity in recent years. Without disclosing specifics, the board said it was "sincerely remorseful" for the damage the video did.

Initially published on Twitter by a student group called OU Unheard, the video showed SAE members chanting, "there will never be a n---- at SAE." The chant also contained references to lynching.

"For the safety of the students that were involved and the students who were not involved, our desire would be for all parties to begin the healing process," the board's statement read. "We hope that this despicable situation will forever change an atmosphere that would even allow an incident like this to take place."

OU President David Boren responded to Unheard's tweet within hours Sunday night and attended student-led demonstrations the next day before addressing the campus in a press conference. There he formally kicked the SAE chapter off campus, as the national organization had already pulled its official recognition.

Boren and the SAE national office's responses set the tone for the ensuing fallout: swift and decisive. The evicted OU SAE chapter seemingly took their punishment without contesting the decision.

CLICK HERE to read about SAE's progress on their internal investigation.

Boren even announced the expulsion of two students identified to have taken a leading role in the chant. One of the students, Parker Rice, spoke to the Dallas Morning News to issue a formal apology.

"I am deeply sorry for what I did Saturday night. It was wrong and reckless. I made a horrible mistake by joining into the singing and encouraging others to do the same. On Monday, I withdrew from the university, and sadly, at this moment our family is not able to be in our home because of threatening calls as well as frightening talk on social media," he said. "I know everyone wants to know why or how this happened. I admit it likely was fueled by alcohol consumed at the house before the bus trip, but that's not an excuse. Yes, the song was taught to us, but that too doesn't work as an explanation. It's more important to acknowledge what I did and what I didn't do. I didn't say no."

The family of Levi Pettit, the other expelled OU student, also issued an apology to the Morning News.

"As parents of Levi, we love him and care for him deeply. He made a horrible mistake, and will live with the consequences forever," Brody and Susan Pettit said in a statement, which was also posted online. "However, we also know the depth of our son's character. He is a good boy, but what we saw in those videos is disgusting. While it may be difficult for those who only know Levi from the video to understand, we know his heart, and he is not a racist. We raised him to be loving and inclusive and we all remain surrounded by a diverse, close-knit group of friends."

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