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Update at 6:40 p.m.: Moments after Levi Pettits family apologized for their sons behavior in the SAE video, Parker Rice the recent Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas graduate sent his own apology, via his father Bob. Here it is in full:
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 thats not an excuse. Yes, the song was taught to us, but that too doesnt work as an explanation. Its more important to acknowledge what I did and what I didnt do. I didnt 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.
This sign now sits in front of the Rice house in Northwest Dallas.
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.
Bob Rice says that at the moment, we are not doing interviews.
Update at 6:17 p.m.: The family of a second Dallas-area family has confirmed their son can be seen in the now-infamous University of Oklahoma SAE video. And they are apologizing for his actions.
Moments ago The Dallas Morning News received a statement attributed to Brody and Susan Pettit, parents of recent Highland Park High School graduate Levi Pettit.
As parents of Levi, we love him and care for him deeply, says the statement, which has also been posted on this website. He made a horrible mistake, and will live with the consequences forever. However, we also know the depth of our sons character. He is a good boy, but what we saw in those videos is disgusting. While it may be difficult for those who only know Levi from the video to understand, we know his heart, and he is not a racist. We raised him to be loving and inclusive and we all remain surrounded by a diverse, close-knit group of friends.
Levi Pettit, seen here in a 2013 photo, was a star golfer at Highland Park High School (Elisabeth Dillon/File photo)
We were as shocked and saddened by this news as anyone. Of course, we are sad for our son but more importantly, we apologize to the community he has hurt. We would also like to apologize to the entire African American community, University of Oklahoma student body and administration. Our family has the responsibility to apologize, and also to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Our words will only go so far as a family, we commit to following our words with deeds.
To our friends and family, thank you for your kind comments and prayers. They are very comforting in this difficult time.
We ask that the media and public please respect our familys privacy as we come together to heal and determine next steps.
Bill Coletti, who is serving as spokesman for the family, says they will say nothing further. He also says the family dispatched the statement since media members had begun to ask about his role in the video.
Levi Pettit was a star golfer at Highland Park.
[Editors note: This story has been updated since it was originally posted.]
University of Oklahoma President David Boren has expelled two Sigma Alpha Epsilon members captured on video singing a racist chant. The two students were identified in a statement as having played a leadership role during the bus ride caught on video. And, says the president, more students are likely to be expelled once they are identified.
One already has, and hes from Dallas.
The Dallas Morning News has confirmed that recent Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas graduate Parker Rice, a former football player at the school, was the one seen leading the chant. OU will not say if Rice was among those expelled, but Jesuit officials addressed the revelation Tuesday morning without identifying the 19-year-old by name.
In the recent video regarding OU and the SAE fraternity, it appears that a graduate from Jesuit Dallas is leading the racist chant, says a message from Jesuit Dallas President Mike Earsing. I am appalled by the actions in the video and extremely hurt by the pain this has caused our community. It is unconscionable and very sad that in 2015 we still live in a society where this type of bigotry and racism takes place.
A Jesuit spokesman would later identify Rice as one of the fraternity members seen in the video.
The statement from Jesuit came hours after several Twitter accounts, among them one linked to Anonymous, identified the leader as a Dallas native.
The OU student identified as Parker Rice, a recent Jesuit graduate
Former classmates have taken to social media to defend Rice, insisting he is a good guy and NOT a racist. But far more have suggested he better not go out in public for awhile, in the words of one user. There have been a few death threats as well.
The 19-year-old Rice has erased his social media presence; so has most of his family, including his mother, who has deleted her Facebook page. The fathers work phone number has been disconnected; the house number is not accepting any further voice mail messages.
And a recently posted story about Rice and his brothers one of whom is also a SAE member at OU was deleted this week from the Dallas schools website.
Rices father, Bob, a commercial Realtor, has deep ties to North Dallas, where the family lives. He serves on the boards of the Town North YMCA and North Dallas Chamber Baseball League and has volunteered in various capacities for those organizations over the last two decades.
Catherine Bishop, OUs vice president for public affairs, tells The News via email the school will not name the students who were expelled or involved in the video: The record information is confidential pursuant the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
The SAE chapter was shuttered Monday by University of Oklahoma president after a video surfaced Sunday night showing several young men clad in tuxedos singing about how black students would never be allowed into SAE. And the national Delta Delta Delta sorority said it too is cooperating fully with the university, since several OU Tri-Delts also appear to have been aboard the party bus.
Boren called the fraternity members disgraceful and deemed their behavior reprehensible.
Former Dallas Cowboys and University of Oklahoma head football coach Barry Switzer, an honorary SAE, issued a statement Tuesday afternoon in which he said this situation is unfortunate for the many innocent people involved.
Said Switzer, As a long-time supporter of the University and member of the SAE chapter, I know the majority of our students dont condone or participate in bigotry. These incidents are not a reflection of the true spirit of our campus. I hope that we can begin to heal the wounds by avoiding rhetoric that fuels the fire and instead spend more time thinking about how we can collectively create positive relationships and interactions among our campus family.
Staff writer Naheed Rajwani contributed to this item.
OU Expulsion Letter
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