Former members of Pitt groups accused of racist posts
University is looking into allegations
Screenshots of private chats on social media containing racist memes and apparently coming from former members of student groups including the College Republicans at the University of Pittsburgh are sparking denunciations by those organizations.
A Pitt spokesman said Friday that the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion is looking into the matter and reiterated the school’s commitment to providing a welcoming environment.
The messages, at least one of which appears under the title “The Meme Stash to End All Meme Stashes,” are captured and displayed on an anonymous Twitter account.
The Post-Gazette approached the @pittracists account to discuss the site. An individual claiming to be involved in it was willing to be interviewed, but only without giving the newspaper any personally identifying information.
A campus fraternity removed one of its members after learning the individual was identified on the account. A third organization, a student media outlet not affiliated with the university, also was identified by the @pittracists account.
It included student names, photos and in some cases majors along with the chat postings written or shared.
Some of the organizations said far-left groups were trying to discredit them and harassed
members not connected to the posts. But the campus organizations made it clear they found the posts themselves offensive.
The College Republicans, in a statement, said the group does not condone such views and severed ties with an unspecified number of students involved.
“Earlier this year, officers of the University of Pittsburgh College Republicans were informed of screenshots pertaining to private conversations between former members of our club that took place in September 2017,’’ read a statement posted to the organization’s Twitter account.
“We, both as Republicans and as human beings, reacted with serious concern and exasperation. These screenshots included offensive material that the College Republicans find utterly repulsive and do not condone in any way, shape or form.”
It added, “These images are reprehensible and contrary to our values ... (and) the individuals who posted the offensive materials were reprimanded immediately and have been formally removed from the College Republicans.”
The statement, however, also said the chat posts, made without the group’s knowledge, were being used by other organizations to falsely label the College Republicans as racist.
The @pittracists account contained what appeared to be a statement, since deleted, from a second organization, under the account @Polis_Media, that also criticized the posts. The site since has been disabled, and a representative of that group could not immediately be reached for comment.
University officials said Polis Media is an independent student-run media organization and is not affiliated with the university.
The conversations captured on the site that were written or shared included racially, ethnically and sexually offensive content on topics including the Holocaust.
In one, a picture of several African-American grade-school-age children appears with cotton candy, and a headline: “You Mean I Don’t Have to Pick it and Can Eat It?!”
In another, a white adult’s face appears above the words: “Things a white guy can’t say” and listed a racial slur.
In another, “Things a black guy can’t say: hello Dad!”
Pitt spokesman Joseph Miksch issued the following statement to the Post-Gazette on Friday:
“The University of Pittsburgh is committed to fostering a campus community that embraces diversity, provides an inclusive atmosphere and respects rights of expression,” it read. “We want to make clear that racism and antiSemitism have no place on our campus and run in stark opposition to our core values.
“Our Office of Diversity and Inclusion is looking into these posts and the allegations, and we encourage all members of our community to report potential incidents of discrimination, bias or harassment.”
The account in some cases seemed to prod organizations.
For example, it listed an individual whose social media post linked him to a fraternity at Pitt.
“..@PittBeta @PittBetaThetaPi this your man?” it asked.
A statement posted Friday afternoon to Beta Theta Pi’s Twitter account said the chapter learned of the posting in the morning, subjected the individual to judicial procedures and he “is no longer a member ....”
It said the fraternity “is frustrated, pained and deeply ashamed to learn of the words and actions of a former member of our fraternity.”
It said the chapter has approached the university diversity office to enhance the chapter’s cultural competency” and promote diversity, adding: “We are deeply sorry for the hurt and harm these actions have caused, and promise to do better.”