Lessons from the SAE racism incident

This week, a video depicting students from the University of Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) chapter singing an obscenely racist chant surfaced on the internet. The response to this disgusting display of racism by the University of Oklahoma’s (OU) president David Boren should be praised for its blunt language, strongly deterrent nature and the message it sends to college students and Americans. However, there are also lessons that we on The Hill must take away from this incident.

“We don’t provide student services for bigots," OU president David Boren said in response to the university’s decision to bar the former brothers of SAE from using on-campus resources to find new housing; a swift -- and some might say extreme -- response, but one that was warranted. Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from this entire incident is something that applies to more than just racism: When a student or group of students harm others in such a reprehensible, irrefutable and egregious manner, the harming student or group does not deserve to make use of any of the facilities that the university has to provide. Whether a case of racism, cultural insensitivity or sexual assault, a University's strong response to the harmful actions of some students speaks volumes about the culture they wish to perpetuate.

President Boren and the administration of the University of Oklahoma should be commended for every action they’ve taken in response to this incident. They have since severed all ties with SAE, closed the house and, as of now, expelled two students from the University. Boren was transparent about his decisions, and the assertive language used in his statement makes it clear that racism at OU will not be tolerated. He has set an example that, hopefully, will be followed by universities and organizations around the nation. It takes a strong message to drive the point home, and in the future, a fitting response like this one should not just meet cases of blatant bigotry, but should be the norm whenever we see that undeniable harm has been inflicted upon one of our own. Cases of institutionalized racism, while less glaring, deserve the same swift and decisive response.

Often times, crimes and hatred occur on college campuses and are swept under the rug, or are stretched out into years-long “ongoing investigations” without any real punitive action taken. Obviously, due process is enshrined by law and is a crucial element of the justice system, but there’s a marked difference between due process and saving face. We can hope that Tufts' community uses this as a teaching moment, just as we all should, and that when faced with similar incidents it will act transparently, fairly and justly.