Oklahoma Football Players, Athletic Director Comment on Racist Fraternity Chant

With the University of Oklahoma still reeling from the video showing members of a school fraternity shouting a racist chant, the football team and the athletic director have released separate statements on the situation. 

Per Oklahoma Athletics' Twitter account, athletic director Joe Castiglione said he is going to meet with the university president and members of the football team about the investigation into the fraternity:  

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Statement from OU Director of Athletics, Joe Castiglione pic.twitter.com/2xk0oTdHJs

— Oklahoma Sooners (@OU_Athletics) March 12, 2015"

In addition to Castiglione's statement, Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight tweeted out a full statement from the entire football team on the matter:

The statement reads as follows:

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In light of the recent release of an undeniably, disgustingly racist video featuring members of a fraternity at our university, we the student-athletes of the University of Oklahoma football team have met to discuss the issues that are at the heart of this matter. This single incident brings to the surface pervasive issues that must be confronted and resolved in order for the university to move forward. We applaud the actions that the university has taken thus far, and we appreciate President Boren's swift and decisive actions following the controversy. We thank Coach Stoops and the staff for wholeheartedly supporting our decisions as a team. As a team, our goal first and foremost is to raise awareness of racism and discrimination on college campuses nationwide. These types of incidents occur nationwide every single year, and our hope is to shed light on this issue and promote meaningful change at a national level. But before we can change the nation, we make it our mission to change our campus. We seek to accomplish this goal by stepping out of the spotlight and integrating the student-athlete experience and the student experience. As student athletes of all races, classes and creeds, we hope to show the university and the community that we are defined by more than the numbers on our jerseys, and that we are human beings that desire to get to know our classmates as we all attempt to end the culture of exclusivity on this campus. Secondary to accomplishing these goals, we also seek disciplinary action for those responsible. The two students that have already been expelled are only a symptom of a larger disease, a disease perpetuated by the leadership of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The chant was not invented by the two that led it, but was taught to underclassmen by people of higher authority. As a team, we have come to a consensus that, in any organization, the leadership is responsible for the culture created and, in this case, encouraged. Being a student at the University of Oklahoma is a privilege, and allowing this culture to thrive is against everything it means to be a Sooner. Ignorance is no excuse. Therefore, we would like to urge the university to continue to investigate the Executive Board of SAE, and we trust that this investigation has already begun. It is our passionately expressed desire as members of the football team for the leadership of SAE to be expelled, suspended, or otherwise disciplined severely. Moving forward, we seek to continue to raise awareness for this issue and reiterate that this is much greater than football. We have not practiced this week, and will not be practicing today as we will demonstrate silently on Owen Field during our normal practice time. We will not forget about this during spring break, and upon our return to the practice field on Monday, March 23, we will continue to address this issue in our media opportunities and by wearing black during our practices. We cannot express how grateful we are to Coach Stoops and the coaching staff for supporting each and every action we have taken, even when these actions may have seemed extreme. We simply cannot wait to get back on the practice field in our pursuit of a national championship, but even a national championship is not more important than using our platform as student athletes to make our university and our nation a better place. We look forward to working with Coach Stoops, Mr. Castiglione, and President Boren to improve the state of our campus and our nation going forward! Boomer Sooner!

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Oklahoma's football team has felt the effect of the fraternity members' actions, with 247Sports 4-star recruit Jean Delance withdrawing his commitment to the school. He told B/R's Damon Sayles that he couldn't "go [to Oklahoma] and say I'm comfortable with being there, especially with what my family went through."

While the racist chants were made by a select group of people at the university, it's not the kind of thing that can or should be swept under the rug. Oklahoma has a lot of work to do to repair its image, if that's even possible, but at least the people in prominent positions are going to do what they can to make sure ignorant and hateful things like this don't happen again.