March 11-13, 2019

Page 1

W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | M A R C H 11 -13 , 2 0 19 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CAITLYN EPES

The university statements made after each of the four public racist incidents that have occurred in spring 2019.

UNIVERSITY INACTION No disciplinary action taken by administration after fourth public racist incident

S

ince the start of the spring 2019 semester, the OU community has experienced four incidents of public racism, two of which involved current OU students. None of these incidents resulted in disciplinary action by the university. However, the most recent incident of racism, which involved OU’s College Republicans and included threatening language about an OU professor, renewed the question of whether or not the university should take any action. S c re e n s h o t s f ro m t h e O U College Republicans’ GroupMe were leaked March 7 and contained racist, Islamophobic, misogynistic and violence-centered comments. Some of the comments condoned racist events that happened in January, saying that the man w a l k i n g a ro u n d c a m p u s i n blackface Jan. 30 wasn’t committing an act of racism. P r i o r to t h i s i n c i d e nt, o n Jan. 18, then-Tri Delta sorority member Francie Ford posted a Snapchat video of her and her roommate Olivia Urban wearing blackface using a racial slur. Ford and Urban both withdrew from the university in the aftermath, though the university would not have been legally able to take disciplinary action against them. Less than a week later, on Jan. 23, an unknown individual walked around campus in blackface. Students planned the Rally to Stop Racism and the Better Together March that week in response to each of these incidents. Feb. 15, a video circulated on social media of a former OU student hanging a noose around a stuffed duck saying “Hang you from a tree, n-----, just like a n-----.” After the fourth incident on March 7, OU President James Ga l l o g l y ma d e a s t at e m e nt saying the comments in the College Republicans’ GroupMe were protected by free speech. Gallogly noted that the university would reach out to the leaders of the College Republicans to “emphasize the impacts such harmful language has on valued

JANA ALLEN • @JANA _ ALLEN21 members of our community and to reiterate that the sentiments expressed are inconsistent with our University values.” Though the OU Student Code of Conduct does not address hate speech, the closest relevant section of the code is abusive conduct, which is defined as “conduct that is sufficiently severe and pervasive that it alters the conditions of education or employment and creates an environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, harassing, or humiliating.” According to the code, “simple teasing, offhanded comments and isolated incidents” are not considered abusive conduct. After OU experienced four instances of public racism in less than two months, The Daily asked university spokesperson Lauren Brookey if these events can still be considered isolated incidents, to which Brookey did not respond. While racist comments are generally protected under free speech, speech becomes

Oklahoma College Republicans logo.

regulate d by the university when it affects the learning environment or is threatening, OU General Counsel Anil Gollahalli told The Daily in January. Some of the comments made by OU College Republicans members Jonathon Tolle, Otto Wimer and an unnamed individual who p oste d in the GroupMe under the name Joe McCarthy discuss whether those individuals could win in a physical fight against former College of International Studies dean Suzette Grillot. Wimer said he’d “wipe the floor” with Grillot, and Tolle said he’d “break her f------ kneecaps.” Brookey said that because the comments were not made directly to Grillot, and it is unlikely the students ever intended that she see them, the comments do not “rise to the level of conduct that is actionable under the Code.” “While offensive and distasteful, the statements were not made with the intent to cause fear or intimidation,” Brookey

said. “The entire exchange contains hyperbole and opinion, and not actual threats, calls to action or any other behavior that would violate the Code.” Grillot said on Twitter in response to Gallogly’s initial statement about the incident that threats of violence are not protected speech. “Gallogly is on shaky ground once again by defending such violations as ‘legal,’” Grillot said. “Violent comments contribute to an unsafe working & learning environment & should never be tolerated...” While OU did not take any action against those involved, former treasurer for the OU College Republicans Ethan Maddy told The Daily March 7 that he and three other executive officers would resign from the group as a result of the incident. “While it has been an honor to serve you all as treasurer, the controversies that have gone on through this organization do not reflect my values or who I am as a person,” Maddy said in his

VIA FACEBOOK

message. “However, I believe that this club has the potential to be a driving source of good on this campus but I simply can not be a part of an organization that has had so many disgraceful and hateful comments from so many members.” The university drew criticism from the OU College Democrats, who released a statement saying OU should take action against the group and against racist activity on campus in general. “We are also concerned about the status of the individuals who have made these hateful remarks as students at our university and call for proper disciplinary action to be taken,” the College Democrats’ statement said. “In light of this and other recent racist events in the OU community, including the blackface video, we are deeply troubled. Hate speech has no place at the University of Oklahoma.” President of the College Republicans Logan Schoonover went with another member of the group to meet with Associate Vi c e P re s i d e nt f o r St u d e nt Affairs Kristen Partridge and Gender + Equality Director Erin Simpson to discuss the situation. The meeting ended in a plan for the College Republicans to undergo diversity training with Partridge and Simpson, as well as meet with multicultural groups on campus. Schoonover, who faced backlash after the incident for letting the individuals making the racist comments back into the GroupMe after initially removing them, said she wished she could go back and do more to stop the racist activity. “I wish I could have done more and hindsight is 2020, and I realize that I am part of the problem by not doing more and thinking I had done enough,” Schoonover said. “I know it hurt so many people, and I just want to do everything I can going forward.” Jana Allen

jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.