University group to close after racist video posted online

NORMAN, Oklahoma — A University of Oklahoma fraternity will close and its members will be suspended after the group’s national headquarters says a video of members participating in a racist chant was posted online.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon said Sunday that an investigation had validated the contents of a video showing people chanting a racial slur against blacks and indicating that blacks would never be admitted to the fraternity. The chant also references lynching.

The national fraternity said in a statement that it was “embarrassed” by the “unacceptable and racist” behavior.

The video was first posted online by a black student group at OU. It wasn’t immediately clear how it was obtained.

The university said earlier Sunday that it was investigating and didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the chapter’s closure.

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