University of Mississippi investigating student's racist gestures at counterprotest

The University of Mississippi is investigating one of its students who was captured in a now-viral video harassing a protester with actions the school says "conveyed hostility and racist overtones."

Footage circulating social media of Thursday's campus demonstrations showed the situation turning volatile as a crowd of mostly White, male counterprotesters quickly outnumbered about 30 pro-Palestinian protesters 10 to 1, according to Mississippi Free Press. One clip showed a White male mimicking a monkey in front of a Black woman while others chanted "Lock her up!"

The next day, Chancellor Glenn Boyce sent a letter to students and staff saying Ole Miss leaders launched an investigation into one student's conduct after becoming "aware that some statements made were offensive, hurtful and unacceptable." He said they were working to determine whether additional cases would follow.

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"Behaviors and comments that demean people because of their race or ethnicity marginalize them and undermine the values that are fundamental to a civil and safe society," Boyce said. "People who say horrible things to people because of who they are will not find shelter or comfort on this campus."

Boyce didn't identify the individual the school is investigating, citing student privacy laws. The fraternity Phi Delta Theta also didn't name a student it removed from membership Friday but also cited footage, saying "The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter."

Other widely spread videos showed counterprotesters, some dressed in American flag colors or holding Donald Trump flags, throwing water on the smaller group and chanting "Take a shower," "Shave your legs," "Who's your daddy?" and other taunting remarks.

Trump shared a video of the counterprotesters on his Instagram account, saying, "Thank you Ole Miss—MAGA!"

Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins shared a clip, which included the man mimicking a monkey, on X, saying it showed "Ole Miss taking care of business." He said in a statement Monday that he didn't think the student was the "focal point of the video … but I recognize that there certainly seems to be some potentially inappropriate behavior that none of us should seek to glorify."

Mississippi has the highest population of Black residents of any state with around 38%. But Ole Miss' student body is disproportionately White, with about 76% compared to about 11% who are Black.

In his letter, Boyce nodded to the school's sordid history of racism, which it's still trying to work through.

"While we are a modern university with a vibrant community of more than 25,000 people, it is important to acknowledge our challenging history, and incidents like this can set us back," Boyce said. "It is one reason we do not take this lightly and cannot let unacceptable behavior of a few speak for our institution or define us."