Posted on 03/13/2015 9:32:48 AM PDT by GIdget2004
The Sigma Alpha Epsilon national headquarters, or national fraternity, has not retained legal representation, nor do we intend to pursue any action against the University of Oklahoma. Based on reports that have been brought to our attention, certain local alumni may have retained legal representation, but we cannot validate those reports nor are we involved in that matter. There has been no communication from the alumni advisory group to the national headquarters since the chapter closing. We support and respect the university administrators’ decision to revoke recognition of the group.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s leadership continues to proceed with bringing all suspended members of the University of Oklahoma chapter forth before a commission to expel them from the national organization, which will revoke their membership permanently. At the same time, the headquarters has learned of the expulsion of two chapter members from the university, which we support. Although university officials have not communicated directly with headquarters staff or leadership, we believe that these men must be held responsible for their actions.
In separate statements, the two men who have been expelled from the university have mentioned that the song was “taught to us.” However, as has been maintained in previous statements, the national fraternity does not teach such a racist, hateful chant, and this chant is not part of any education or training. Our investigation has found very likely that the men learned the song from fellow chapter members, which reiterates why Sigma Alpha Epsilon did not hesitate to close the chapter completely because of the culture that may have been fostered in the group.
(Excerpt) Read more at sae.net ...
It is tragic but it's also a fact of life in these days of Google and You Tube that stupid stunts can follow a person for years if not the rest of their life. They did what they did, and unfair or not they're never going to be able to un-ring that bell.
OU is an organization owned by the state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma state constitution as well as the United States constitution guarantee the right to free speech. These boys engaged in hateful but free speech. That means they can be punished (by exclusion) by friends, strangers, acquaintances, employers, private universities, fraternities, and anyone else who takes exception to their ideology EXCEPT the government. When a state owned entity punished them for free speech it violated the law.
If you can't understand that distinction I don't know what to tell you.
They do have a constitutional right to attend OU.
It now appears, from the student’s own statements, that they withdrew from OU.
If they want to sue OU they can, but will have to take the stand and answer some difficult and perhaps awkward questions.
“Please tell the court (and the racially diverse jury) exactly what you were recorded saying on that bus during an University of Oklahoma student organization event.”
“How often and how many times did you say that you did not want blacks in your organization and also hang blanks from trees?”
“Do you believe that your statement on the bus, which you have admitted to be,”There will never be a nigger at SAE
There will never be a nigger at SAE
You can hang him from a tree
But he’ll never sign with me
There will never be a nigger at SAE.” could be deemed inflammatory or might even incite violence?
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