University of Oklahoma Determines SAE Chapter Learned Racist Chant at National Organization-Hosted Event

The University of Oklahoma (OU) released the findings of their investigation into the video displaying several fraternity members shouting a racist chant in concert.

According to the Washington Post, OU investigators determined the school's Kappa chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity learned the chant at an event hosted by the national organization. The school expelled two students who appeared to be leading the chant shortly after OU President David Boren shut down the school's chapter indefinitely.

Boren has received mostly praise for his swift and decisive response to the incident, as not even a month has passed since the video first surfaced.

Delivering the investigation results in a press conference Friday, NBC News reported, Boren said investigators determined the school's chapter learned the chant at a leadership event at the SAE headquarters some four years ago. Boren also said 25 more students will face disciplinary action.

"We also today want to a send a message to the rest of the country... this is a problem in America. We've had an epidemic of racism all across our country," he said at the news conference. "We can stop it - if all of us and the institutions and organizations we belong to say we have zero tolerance for racism in America. That's not who we are in America as a people."

SAE has not commented publicly on the OU investigation, but the fraternity has said in the past they do not condone such racist behavior. In the wake of the incident, SAE rolled out a four-point program to "combat instances of racial discrimination and insensitivity among its members."

One of the expelled OU SAE members, Parker Rice, said in his formal apology the chant was "taught," though he did not elaborate on its origin. The Kappa SAE chapter is still reportedly considering legal action against the school for being kicked off campus.

"The chant was learned by local chapter members while attending a national leadership cruise sponsored by the national SAE organizations four years ago," Boren wrote to the SAE national office. "While there is no indication that the chant was part of the formal teaching of the national organization, it does appear that the chant was widely known and informally shared amongst members on the leadership cruise."