Sigma Alpha Epsilon Continues Investigation and Program to Eliminate Racist Behavior

EVANSTON, Ill., March 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity (SAE) on Friday confirmed members of its former University of Oklahoma chapter likely learned a racist chant while attending a national leadership school about four years ago.

However, SAE Executive Director Blaine Ayers said the organization has no current evidence that the chant is widespread across the fraternity's 237 groups. Ayers said SAE continues its in-depth investigation of its chapters.

"We remain committed to identifying and rooting out racist behavior from SAE, and we are actively investigating all of our local organizations to determine whether there are issues in any other location," Ayers said. "We intend to conduct a thorough and complete investigation, and this will take time. However, we will share the results of our investigation when it is complete. Our current findings at the University of Oklahoma are similar to those announced on Friday by OU president David Boren. But our investigation to date shows no evidence the song was widely shared across the broader organization."

Ayers said he contacted Boren on Friday to acknowledge the university's investigation and to assure Boren that SAE is continuing its own investigation.

SAE invites hundreds of leaders annually to a six-day leadership retreat, where participants attend classes, seminars and other educational functions throughout the day and evening. While attendees have little social time, there are occasions when participants can gather socially.

Ayers said it is likely that during one of these social gatherings, some members shared the racist song that was recorded on video at OU and shared through social media earlier this month.

SAE closed its OU chapter immediately after seeing the video, and subsequently announced a four-point initiative – including an anonymous hotline, mandatory online sensitivity training, the hiring of a diversity and inclusion officer and the appointment of a national advisory panel on diversity and inclusion – to eradicate racism and other forms of discrimination from the fraternity.

"The song is horrific and does not at all reflect our values as an organization," said Ayers. "If we find any other examples of this kind of behavior currently occurring, we will hold our members accountable, just as we've done in Oklahoma."

About SAE
Sigma Alpha Epsilon, founded in 1856, is one of the nation's largest national social fraternities, with 237 chapters and colonies and approximately 15,000 collegiate members and 200,000 living alumni. Our creed is known as "The True Gentleman," and our mission is to promote the highest standards of friendship, scholarship and service for our members based upon the ideals set forth by our Founding Fathers and enunciated in our creed.

Contact:
Brandon Weghorst
Associate Executive Director of Communications
(847) 424-3038
[email protected]

SOURCE Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity