Update: woman who posted racist messages no longer enrolled at USC
A woman who posted racist messages on social media is no longer a student at the University of South Carolina nor a member of her sorority, officials said Wednesday.
It’s not clear whether the student was expelled from USC or dropped out.
“Due to federal student privacy laws I can’t provide any additional details other than to confirm the student is no longer enrolled,” USC spokesman Jeff Stensland said.
The post drew the condemnation of USC President Robert Caslen.
“Earlier today, we were made aware of a social media post by one of our students that contained a disgusting racist epitaph absolutely not reflective of who we are as Gamecocks,” Caslen tweeted Tuesday afternoon. “We are taking steps to address this situation that we know is hurtful to many members of our community.”
The message, posted to Snapchat on Martin Luther King Jr. Day by the now former student, said “Happy (racial slur) day,” using a three-letter abbreviation for the N-word. A picture posted to Twitter shows three women posing in front of a mirror with the racist message at the top. The other two women’s faces are obscured.
The woman who posted the message was kicked out of her sorority, Phi Mu, on Tuesday, Phi Mu spokeswoman Jackie Isaacson said in a message to The State.
Isaacson said both the national organization and the local chapter of Phi Mu were “appalled by this incident and are committed to ensuring that members understand the severity of the situation.”
“Phi Mu strives to educate members and support them in being culturally competent and inclusive. That was not demonstrated by this now-former member,” Isaacson said in a statement.
A.C. Parham, an alumna of USC and Phi Mu, denounced the racist message and had called for the woman to be kicked out of Phi Mu.
“These actions are in direct contrast to our creed,” Parham said.
“Clearly a mistake was made” in recruiting the woman who posted the racist message, Parham said.
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 9:44 AM.