Jesuit Grad Says He's "Deeply Sorry" For Leading Racist Chant
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A former University of Oklahoma fraternity member who was shown in a video chanting a racial slur has apologized.
It's a 10-second video that abruptly ended the college careers of two Dallas men.
Parker Rice and Levi Pettit were both members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Oklahoma
Parker Rice apologized in a statement emailed to The Associated Press by his father.
"I am deeply sorry for what I did Saturday night. It was wrong and reckless. I made a horrible mistake by joining into the singing and encouraging others to do the same. On Monday, I withdrew from the university, and sadly, at this moment our family is not able to be in our home because of threatening calls as well as frightening talk on social media.
"I know everyone wants to know why or how this happened. I admit it likely was fueled by alcohol consumed at the house before the bus trip, but that's not an excuse. Yes, the song was taught to us, but that too doesn't work as an explanation. It's more important to acknowledge what I did and what I didn't do. I didn't say no, and I clearly dismissed an important value I learned at my beloved high school, Dallas Jesuit. We were taught to be 'Men for Others.' I failed in that regard, and in those moments, I also completely ignored the core values and ethics I learned from my parents and others.
"At this point, all I can do is be thoughtful and prayerful about my next steps, but I am also concerned about the fraternity friends still on campus. Apparently, they are feeling unsafe and some have been harassed by others. Hopefully, the university will protect them.
"For me, this is a devastating lesson and I am seeking guidance on how I can learn from this and make sure it never happens again. My goal for the long-term is to be a man who has the heart and the courage to reject racism wherever I see or experience it in the future.
"Thank you for your consideration of my deepest apologies for what I did."
-- Parker Rice
Levi Petitt's parents Brody and Susan also apologized saying,
"He made a horrible mistake, and will live with the consequences forever."
"He is a good boy, but what we saw in those videos is disgusting."
"We know his heart, and he is not a racist."
Civil Rights Activists left this sign outside the North Dallas home of Parker Rice saying "Racism is taught".
One of Petitt's neighbors say that she is "Horrified by the video but the Levi she knows is a nice young man and polite."
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