OU President James Gallogly and interim Associate Vice President for University Community Jane Irungu have denounced a video circulating on Twitter depicting an OU student in blackface using a racial slur.
According to the statement, the university “condemns the students’ actions and behavior in the strongest terms possible,” and the students depicted in the video have offered to apologize.
Sources have confirmed to The Daily that the individual filming the video was Francie Ford, a member of the OU chapter of Tri Delta. The chapter has since responded, but the identity of the other individual in the video has not been confirmed.
Gallogly said he was “saddened and offended” that just days before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the nation is reminded of how far it has to go.
“We expect all of our students, staff and faculty to respect the diversity and cultural backgrounds of others,” Gallogly said in the statement. “These differences should not divide us but should strengthen our community and enrich our environment and the OU family. The diversity of our university is paramount and it is our mission to build a community where everyone’s identity is respected and valued.”
Gallogly acknowledged the First Amendment rights of the students, but said in the statement the “negative impact of such conduct cannot be estimated.”
“Together let’s each take the personal responsibility to create a welcoming and inclusive community,” Gallogly said in the statement.
