
A US college fraternity has been closed down after video footage emerged of a group of students chanting what appeared to be a racist song on a train.
The Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) national headquarters closed its Oklahoma University (OU) branch indefinitely after people were seen in the video chanting "there will never be a n----r at SAE".
According to CNN, all members of the OU branch have been suspended and SAE has threatened to remove those responsible from the fraternity for life.
Warning: Video contains offensive language
Clearly in that video, that is nothing new. That is nothing that just sparks up overnight. That is a chant that was well known, well versed, and seemed to be okay with everybody that was involved.
- Chelsea Davis, Unheard co-director
OU president David Boren was quick to condemn the actions of the students. In a post on Twitter he said:
Similarly, SAE - one of the "largest and best-known" fraternities in the US - was quick to act when the video first emerged, releasing a statement on its website:
We apologise for the unacceptable and racist behavior of the individuals in the video, and we are disgusted that any member would act in such a way.
Furthermore, we are embarrassed by this video and offer our empathy not only to anyone outside the organization who is offended but also to our brothers who come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities.
- SAE statement