Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

No, a public university may not expel students for racist speech
Washington Post ^ | March 10, 2015 | Eugene Volokh

Posted on 03/10/2015 9:20:42 AM PDT by C19fan

Some Oklahoma University students in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity were videorecorded singing (as best I and others can tell),

There will never be a n***** at SAE There will never be a n***** at SAE You can hang him from a tree But he’ll never sign with me There will never be a n***** at SAE

[Edited from source]

Oklahoma University president David Boren said, “If I’m allowed to, these students will face suspension or expulsion.” But he is not, I think, allowed to do that.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Oklahoma
KEYWORDS: fraternity; oklahoma; racism; sigmaalphaepsilon; uofoklahoma
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-72 next last
To: cuban leaf

OK, so there is a double standard, just wondering.


21 posted on 03/10/2015 9:37:53 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Tau Food

The video was taken on a privately charted bus going to a private function.

The only way that would meet the criteria of creating a hostile environment is if one of the other students on that bus claimed such. And that would require a detailed investigation and adjudicative process.

The chant was racist and abhorent. But Boren is setting his school up for one heck of a lawsuit payout by doing this. Perhaps he’s angling for getting this off his plate quickly, figuring that the inevitable lawsuits can be quietly settled by a nice payout.


22 posted on 03/10/2015 9:40:15 AM PDT by tanknetter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Regal
A law suit is a brewin’.

I predict not. I think the expelled students will either treat the expulsions as personal badges of honor or they will wonder how they could have gotten themselves into this position. Keep in mind that they will probably agree that the content of their "speech" was a bit gratuitous.

23 posted on 03/10/2015 9:41:44 AM PDT by Tau Food (Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

Yahoo Breaking Banner,, 2 stupidents expelled from OU.


24 posted on 03/10/2015 9:44:04 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

The President can and probably will censor speech, expel the students, allow sodomy and abortion and all other inversions of sound morals./s/


25 posted on 03/10/2015 9:44:09 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler
Or, to go the full South Park...


26 posted on 03/10/2015 9:44:29 AM PDT by Salgak (Peace Through Superior Firepower. . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

2 University of Oklahoma students expelled over racist video
http://news.yahoo.com/fallout-continues-univ-oklahoma-over-racist-video-054431982.html


27 posted on 03/10/2015 9:45:16 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Tau Food

And if they make a stink, they could find themselves facing a lawsuit brought by the fraternity. The Greek system is big business and tarnishing the brand could bring grief down on them.

If you’re looking for another “bad guy” in this scenario- it would be SAE National. They cut these kids off in a split second. So much for brotherhood.


28 posted on 03/10/2015 9:45:51 AM PDT by Regal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: C19fan

The silly part in this is the former frat members trying to distance themselves. The song they were singing does not sound like something they just made up. Actually it’s sounds more like the type of song/chant that would be passed on through the years from pledge class to pledge class as they’re sloshing beers in the frat house basement. Also guessing that there may be a few more stanzas to include other ethnicities.

It’s simple. They are FRAT boys. And they are all full of shinola. It’s a prerequisite.


29 posted on 03/10/2015 9:45:57 AM PDT by Hatteras
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

snip from article..

Boren says he hopes the dismissal of the two students will help students realize “it is wrong to use words to hurt, threaten, and exclude other people.”

Wrong WRONG WRonnngggg..!!

Says a guy who was a Dem who stood next to Robert KKK Byrd in the Senate.. and seemed fine by it.

Yes, America is being transformed, Isn’t it?


30 posted on 03/10/2015 9:47:57 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: tanknetter
Perhaps he’s angling for getting this off his plate quickly, figuring that the inevitable lawsuits can be quietly settled by a nice payout.

Well, let's say a judge agrees with them that they should not have been expelled. Now, a jury is asked to determine damages. They shouldn't spend the money yet.

I suspect that they will move on with their lives and find another school. There is a qualitative difference between what they did and Patrick Henry's treasonous (at the time) words "Give me liberty or give me death!" There won't be any statues for these guys.

31 posted on 03/10/2015 9:48:08 AM PDT by Tau Food (Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Verginius Rufus

There isn’t much upside in suing.
OU isn’t much of a brand name for a degree so there isn’t much value to preserve.


32 posted on 03/10/2015 9:48:34 AM PDT by buwaya
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
I'd probably start by using every landlord / tenet law I could find to halt the instant eviction.
33 posted on 03/10/2015 9:50:57 AM PDT by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
Ya think theres any chance of Revrunt Sharpton "preaching" a "sermon" on this issue in the foreseeable future??




34 posted on 03/10/2015 9:51:33 AM PDT by MeshugeMikey ("Never, Never, Never, Give Up," Winston Churchill ><>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1Old Pro

I view this whole incident as a pushback against the pro-black anti-white atmosphere the Obamunists have fostered.

Such things were unheard of 20 years ago. Nobody did these things because it was considered rude. Now it’s an “up yours” sort of response.


35 posted on 03/10/2015 9:51:50 AM PDT by Ouderkirk (To the left, everything must evidence that this or that strand of leftist theory is true)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: kingu
I'd probably start by using every landlord / tenet law I could find to halt the instant eviction.

The frat house is university property. The students lived there because they were members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and SAE had use of the building. SAE has revoked the chapter charter, or whatever the word is, so SAE no longer has use of the house. Therefore the students aren't entitled to live there. Open and shut case.

36 posted on 03/10/2015 9:57:01 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: ImJustAnotherOkie

How about “La Raza”, “the race”, a Hispanic nationalist group?
They are by definition racist, against both whites and blacks, and in practice, Native Americans and “indigenos” in Central America.


37 posted on 03/10/2015 9:57:02 AM PDT by tbw2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
It doesn't matter if the students are expelled or not. They are toast regardless.

The vast majority of professors are sufficiently left wing that none of the students involved will ever get a passing grade in anything.

38 posted on 03/10/2015 9:58:39 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (You don't notice it's a police state until the police come for you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1Old Pro

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Per the clear language of the 1st Amendment, there is no abridgement of the 1st Amendment rights of the students. They were free to use any language they wanted, the National Organization of SAE was free to shut down the chapter. The 1st Amendment protects speech from (federal) government sanction. It doesn’t protect individuals from the consequences of saying stupid things.


39 posted on 03/10/2015 9:59:10 AM PDT by Team Cuda
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Hatteras
It’s simple. They are FRAT boys. And they are all full of shinola. It’s a prerequisite.

Yup. Thats what makes this story so ridiculous.

If the MSM has that much time to spend on silly frat hijinks then the state of race relations in this country - at least going one way - must be pretty damn good.

40 posted on 03/10/2015 9:59:30 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-72 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson