The University of Oklahoma chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon was shut down Sunday by the national organization after a video surfaced that allegedly showed members of the fraternity chanting racist slurs and referencing lynching.
The video posted Sunday appears to show people on a bus clapping and chanting "there will never be a n***** SAE / You can hang them from a tree / But they'll never sign with me."
Oklahoma City's NBC-affiliated KFOR TV reported that the clip was filmed Saturday on what appears to be a bus allegedly headed to a date party for the fraternity founder's day. Members of sorority Delta Delta Delta were also invited to the party, and its national organization said Monday it was cooperating with the university.
The president of the University of Oklahoma tweeted, "this behavior will not be tolerated" and said the school is investigating the video and whether those in it are students.
Dozens of students attended a peaceful protest against the video at the university on Monday morning.
Addressing students at the protest, Boren announced all ties between OU and the SAE chapter would be severed and that the fraternity members would have to leave the house by midnight tomorrow.
The head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football team, Bob Stoops, also attended the protest.
The national fraternity organization said the local chapter was closed and all members suspended as soon as the video was discovered.
The president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon also tweeted, "Zero tolerance for bad behavior."
He said that those involved in the video "will be dealt with."
He also said that while the fraternity had expelled those involved in the video, he hoped the university would also expel them.
We are deeply disappointed by the conduct of the students involved in the incident at The University of Oklahoma. Tri Delta expects its members to uphold the highest responsibilities of college women. The behavior documented in the video is deplorable and is in no way consistent with Tri Delta's ideals and core values. We are cooperating fully with our partners at the university as they investigate this matter.
The video, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, started to spread on Twitter Sunday night after @OU_Unheard, a Twitter account that says it represents "an alliance of Black students organized for change" at the university, tweeted it.
Executive producer at CBS affiliate KWTV-TV in Oklahoma City Rusty Surette tweeted that members of the fraternity were asked to leave the house with their personal belongings:
Surette reported that police were on the scene for "safety concerns."
He later tweeted the following picture of the fraternity vandalized:
A high school football star, Jean Delance, de-committed from the university on Monday after hearing about the video. Delance said he spoke with coach Bob Stoops on Sunday, but was not told about the video.
"I am very disappointed in the coaches not letting me know," he told KRDL-AM television. "But that was just heart-breaking right there."
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma football team decided to protest rather than practice on Monday. The players, coach and athletic director walked arm-in-arm, wearing black.