In the days since a video showing Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers at the University of Oklahoma singing a racist chant sent shock waves across many campuses, several institutions have announced inquiries into the actions of their own Greek groups. And another college president is using the occasion to speak out strongly against racist behavior.
The University of Maryland at College Park said on Thursday that it is investigating a racist and sexist email allegedly sent by a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. The email was sent in January 2014, but it was only recently published online.
“The University of Maryland remains committed to our core values of respect for human dignity, diversity, and inclusiveness. We are deeply saddened by the impact this email is having on our community,” Wallace D. Loh, College Park’s president, said in a written statement.
The statement also says that university officials met with the student who sent the email, that the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct is leading the investigation, and that the fraternity will undergo diversity training.
On Friday afternoon, Mr. Loh took to Twitter to share his views on the issue and invite conversation with others, using the hashtag #LohChat.
Mr. Loh said the email had “shaken” him. Here’s a sampling of some of his comments before the chat started:
SAE’s national office said that two of its other chapters were under investigation for alleged displays of racism, at Louisiana Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin. The alleged incident under investigation at Louisiana Tech involves the use of a racist chant during a fraternity-pledge event in 2010 that was similar to the one used by brothers at the University of Oklahoma.
The University of Washington, meanwhile, is investigating claims that members of its SAE chapter shouted racist comments at black students participating in a Black Lives Matter protest last month as they passed the fraternity’s house.
It’s clear that the turmoil in Oklahoma has continued to resonate: Even Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has joined the discussion, taking to Twitter to convey his approval of how David L. Boren, Oklahoma’s president, reacted to the situation.
Others are taking to social media to call attention to other incidents of racism, using the hashtag #NotJustSAE.
