The Alpha Delta Pi sorority at Methodist University has been suspended after a viral social media post in which a sorority sister is seen in front of Powerpoint presentation depicting four Black university football players with comments like “large nostrils” or “big lips.”
The Fayetteville Observer reports that the photo was part of a presentation done by the sorority rating the attractiveness of the men on the Monarch’s football team. The basis for the ratings deducted points for features common among Black athletes like dreadlocked hair.
One of the football players featured in the presentation stated that he received a text message from the woman giving the presentation apologizing for the spectacle. “I will accept with full responsibility the punishment that is decided with this matter with the school,” the girl, identified as “Taylor Marie,” wrote. “Again, I am truly sorry and did not mean for this to hurt anybody and it was not targeted at African Americans in any way. I can promise that.”
The North Carolina university released a statement saying, “We abhor racism in any form on our campus, and we immediately investigate all possible incidents of racism and act on them appropriately, as warranted by the facts. We believe in action and we are taking action. Last week we immediately launched a thorough investigation of a reported incident. This week, the hearing process is already underway. We will complete the hearing process as soon as we can while also following our established protocols. In addition, we have suspended Alpha Delta Pi sorority indefinitely, pending further investigation. Alpha Delta Pi has been told to cease and desist from all activities.”
The sorority’s national organization reportedly suspended the student seen in the post, saying it “was outraged and deeply saddened to learn of the racist behavior of a member of our Theta Epsilon chapter at Methodist University.”