[349] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Fraternity apologizes for racial remarks
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Kenneth D. Campbell)
Mon Apr 30 18:10:12 2001
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Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 18:10:51 -0500
To: kdc@MIT.EDU
From: "Kenneth D. Campbell" <kdc@MIT.EDU>
This story is on the MIT News web site: http://web.mit.edu/news. Ken Campbell
MIT News
Fraternity apologizes for racial remarks
April 30, 2001
Alpha Tau Omega, an MIT fraternity, publicly apologized Monday to a
hip-hop band and the MIT community for a racial remark made Friday
afternoon during a rooftop party to a young black woman on the street below.
The woman, who sings with the band, The Roots, had just been driven to
Alpha Tau Omega, 405 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, by an ATO brother who was
working with the band. The band performed Friday night at MIT's Johnson
Athletic Center. The president of the fraternity said he barred members of
the fraternity from attending the dance.
The woman ran into the house and up to the roof, followed by a male member
of the band. Words were exchanged and a scuffle ensued between fraternity
members and the male member of the band. He was kicked (but not injured)
in the incident. Cambridge and MIT Campus Police were called by a member of
the band and the fraternity, and Campus Police quelled the disturbance.
MIT President Charles M. Vest sent an email letter to student leaders
Saturday, calling it "an ugly and totally inexcusable incident.... It both
angers and saddens me, and it will not be tolerated."
The Dean's Office and Campus Police are continuing the investigation of the
incident, which occurred at an unauthorized party where alcohol was served.
The fraternity's apology will be published Tuesday in the student
newspaper, The Tech. It is addressed to "Members of the MIT Community" and
states:
"We the brotherhood of Alpha Tau Omega apologize for the events that
occurred on and around our house on the afternoon of Friday, April 27th.
To the members of The Roots, our sincerest apologies for the incident. We
acknowledge the embarrassment that this incident has brought to the MIT
community and are working, both among ourselves and in conjunction with the
leaders of the campus community, to demonstrate that this fraternity does
not promote or tolerate what happened on Friday.
"We apologize to all individuals offended by the words containing racial
elements spoken from our roof. The statement in question was undeniably
derisive, but it was not meant to be a personal attack. Still, as a
racially diverse brotherhood on campus, the member should have known such a
statement is very emotionally charged. We fully understand how the
statement was construed as racially offensive. We apologize that these
words from the mouth of one of our brothers could make anyone in the MIT
community uncomfortable or angry.
"We have already begun taking judicial action against the members involved
and are moving quickly to remove them from our membership. We express
deep-seated sentiments to all in the MIT community and we look forward to
doing our part to rectify this situation in a swift and fair manner."
It was signed by Erik M. Glover, president, of the Beta Gamma Chapter of
Alpha Tau Omega
President Vest wrote in his Saturday statement, "Yesterday an ugly and
totally inexcusable incident occurred on our campus. It both angers and
saddens me, and it will not be tolerated.
"Totally offensive racial epithets were reliably reported to have been
shouted at visitors to our campus from the roof of the Alpha Tau Omega
house on Amherst Alley. A serious incident of physical scuffling followed.
Professional work by our campus police as well as intervention by others
prevented this from becoming an even more damaging matter.
"Our community draws strength and joy from its diversity in many
dimensions, including that of race. But mean-spirited behavior such as
that which precipitated this incident can invade our collective soul and
destroy our ability to pursue our mission of learning, growth and
leadership. No one at MIT, and certainly no one visiting us, should ever
be subjected to such virulent and thoughtless abuse.
"Race in America remains a troubling matter, but we look to the leadership
and good will of talented young men and women who are privileged to be part
of great institutions like MIT to move us beyond this and improve our
world. It therefore is doubly disturbing that such behavior would occur
among us. We must be a place of tolerance and community.
"MIT's administrative, faculty and student governance systems will deal
swiftly and fairly with those responsible for this event. But we all must
move equally swiftly to pull together, to learn the lessons of this matter,
and to work together in mutual respect and common purpose to live up to our
potential as friends, colleagues and leaders."
-0-
CONTACT:
Kenneth D. Campbell
MIT News Office
(617) 253-2700
kdc@mit.edu
