NORMAN, Okla. — Almost a generation ago, the University of Oklahoma set out to raise its profile, seeking to build a regional school that served mostly students from the Southwest into a leading institution that attracted top scholars.
President David Boren made progress, achieving a reputation that now extends well beyond the Sooners football team that once defined the campus. But those improvements seem in peril after members of a fraternity were caught on video chanting a racial slur. The chant referenced lynching and indicated black students would never be admitted to OU’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Boren immediately severed ties with the fraternity and ordered members to vacate the house.
On Tuesday, he expelled the two students who appeared to be leading the chant for creating a hostile educational environment and promised others involved would face discipline.
Also Tuesday, one fraternity member seen on the video and parents of another issued statements apologizing.
In a statement e-mailed by his father, Parker Rice said the incident “likely was fueled by alcohol,” but “that’s not an excuse.” He said he was “deeply sorry” for the performance, calling it “wrong and reckless,” “a horrible mistake” and “a devastating lesson” for which he is “seeking guidance.”
He said he withdrew from the university Monday.
The parents of Levi Pettit posted a statement online saying they were shocked by their son’s actions, that he “made a horrible mistake, and will live with the consequences forever.”
