A&M says it will probe viral video over slurs
Texas A&M University is investigating a video that went viral after being shared on Twitter in late June that shows an apparently inebriated student repeatedly using racial slurs while giving a fake biology lesson.
The 37-second clip, originally recorded on Snapchat and then posted by a third party to Twitter, shows a white student standing in front of a chalkboard with an open shirt and a beer in his hand, delivering a “lesson” on recessive and dominant genes to at least three others. The student says that a fully black person is called the nword, with the “er” clearly enunciated — while a person who is halfblack, half-white, is called the nword, with an “a” at the end. He also makes a crude joke about two black people having a white child.
Ironically, the student delivers his rant while biracial rapper Drake’s “God’s Plan” blasts in the background. The student is heard again saying and pointing to the nword, which is written on the chalkboard.
“They’re everywhere,” he says
at the end of the video.
After the video was tweeted out, many users called for the student’s punishment or expulsion. In a July 1 email to the university and in a blog post, Texas A&M President Michael Young condemned the student’s behavior, calling it “abhorrent” and against Texas A&M’s “core values.” He vowed to investigate the incident and said “those found responsible will be held accountable.”
The university’s notice of nondiscrimination states that any conduct that goes against the policy could result in disciplinary action, “up to and including separation from the University.”
Young did not indicate whether the student would be suspended or expelled, and said all of the findings would not be released because of a federal law protecting the privacy of college records.
A university spokesperson would say only that the student is enrolled for the coming fall semester. The Black Student Alliance Council also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
News outlets have reported on a spike in racial incidents on college campuses during the Trump era.
A survey by the Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity found that of 69 “equal opportunity professionals” surveyed in 2018, 77 percent said “an uncivil,
hate and bias” incident had occurred at their university within the prior 24 months, while 38 percent stated that an incident had occurred at least once a semester within the last 24 months. Thirteen percent said it had occurred once a month.
The video was first shared on June 28 by a female Twitter user who listed her location as College Station, home of A&M’s main campus; she urged the Aggie community to help identify the student shown in the video.
“Alright Aggie twitter do your thing, help me find this boy so we can bully him,” wrote the user, @pranksinatraoff. The tweet has since generated more than 1,600 retweets, over 2,700 “likes,” and the attention of hundreds. As of Thursday afternoon, the video had 395,000 views.
The student, who has not been publicly identified, released a written apology July 1, according to news station KBXTV, which covers Bryan and College Station.
“A video of myself that I am extremely ashamed of was released over the weekend. My state of mind while the video was made last week in no way excuses my words or actions. In hindsight, I realize what I said and did was wrong and very hurtful to many,” said the student. “I also realize that I have to do work within myself. I am extremely sorry from the bottom of my heart, as this is not who I was raised to be, and not who I want to be. I cannot begin to understand,
but will work to be more aware of, the pain these words cause people. I am deeply sorry.”
Some Twitter users were disappointed in not only the words of the student on camera, but in the behavior of those egging him on.
“I’m sorry but I refuse to believe this was a mistake,” one Twitter user wrote. “All of those people in that room and you’re telling me that NOBODY was sober enough to tell him to stop? y’all were sober enough to correct him on his terminology but couldn’t correct his racism?”
The university responded to the video in a tweet the next day, saying “this behavior is abhorrent.” The university thanked the user for alerting college officials.
“The importance of inclusion and diversity at Texas A&M can’t be overstated,” Young wrote in his letter.
The Texas A&M system had more than 69,000 students last fall, most of whom attended the main campus at College Station.
According to its website, about 56 percent were white, 21 percent Hispanic, 8 percent Asian, 3.5 percent black, 2 percent mixed race (excluding black heritage), and less than a half-percent Native American. The balance were international students or unknown.
Social media has erupted, with many calling for the student to be punished or expelled, while others recalled their experiences with racism on campus.
“Behavior like this is why I left
@TAMU after my freshman year. I had NEVER been called (the nword) until I enrolled at A&M,” wrote another Twitter user.
More than 1,500 people have called for the student’s punishment in a Change.org petition, which notes that the student “broke the Aggie core values of respect, integrity, loyalty, and basic human decency in the video that surfaced over the weekend.”
“He and others around him need to understand the blatant racism and hatred they displayed,” the petition stated.
“Racism should not be tolerated in any situations. Hate is not an Aggie Core Value,” Alyssa McCain, who signed the petition, wrote in the comments. “Please punish this man. He does not deserve to be called an Aggie.”
Last month, Harvard University rescinded its admission offer to a student and gun rights advocate who survived the 2018 high school massacre in Parkland, Fla., after past derogatory and racist statements became known, the New York Times reported.
The Texas A&M petition also demanded that all students sign the Aggie honor code; that the university develop a campaign for understanding hatred, racism and intervention; and that there be more transparency and commitment to core values of the university, among other things.
“Similar ‘incidents’ have occurred in the past and students have lost their trust with the university’s ability to handle these situations,” the petition stated.
In 2016, Texas A&M students launched a week of programming to address diversity issues and took to social media with hashtags like #beingaPOCatTAMU and #racismatTAMUfeelslike to share their experiences with racism on campus, from sightings of Confederate flags to hearing racial slurs.
Hate crimes are reportedly more common at schools and universities than other places.
In 2017, around 11 percent of all hate crimes occurred on schools or college grounds, according to the FBI — ranking third behind residential areas, at roughly 28 percent, and the 17 percent of crimes that took place on highways, roads, alleys, streets, and sidewalks.
Young emphasized that the Texas A&M community “must be vigilant in addressing and confronting what drives hate speech and prejudice,” and encouraged people to file reports at Stop Hate, which allows the university to review such incidents and take action.
“Throughout our campus, there are so many Aggies representing the best of who we are in serving, loving and respecting each other,” Young wrote. “Incidents like this hit us at our core. To be clear, those who champion those beliefs represented in this video are not welcomed at Texas A&M University.”