ATHENS, Ga. — A University of Georgia student who was the focus of racist texts from a fraternity says the college needs to do more than give the group a slap on the wrist.
UGA sent Channel 2′s Tom Jones a statement, describing the comments as offensive and outrageous, and said the statements have no place on its campus.
Student Arianna Mbunwe wants the university to deliver a stiff punishment to make sure everyone understands that.
Mbunwe said she’s been on a crusade to make the campus and community safe after noticing a sorority not practicing social distancing.
She believes her activism is what led members of UGA’s chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity to share racist texts about her.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s no mask.’ And that kind of blew up, I guess,” Mbunwe said. “I don’t want people to get away with this. I want them to have some type of consequence.”
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One text said, “Lord, give me the strength to not call that woman a racial slur.”
Another called her a “foul mouth miserable creature.”
Some posts used the n-word and others used language Channel 2 Action News couldn’t show on TV.
“I mean, I knew people were talking about me, but I didn’t know that’s how they were talking about me,” Mbunwe said.
UGA’s Interfraternity Council said the frat punished itself by suspending all operations.
UGA sent Jones a statement:
“(The university) is aware of the outrageous and offensive comments. Such statements of bigotry and intolerance do not have any place on our campus. We condemn them in the strongest terms. This matter is now being investigated.”
UGA’s Interfraternity Council posted a statement on Twitter Sunday that they were aware of the “racist, sexist and otherwise discriminatory comments” made on Lambda Chi Alpha’s GroupMe chat.
Mbunwe told Jones that she also wants the students expelled.
“I want them disbanded and their charter revoked,” Mbunwe said.
Despite the incident, she said she still feels safe on campus.
“I just feel a little bit unnerved that I’m walking around with people that silently think these things about other folks,” Mbunwe said.
She told Jones that she also wants an apology from UGA, the Interfraternity Council and the fraternity.
Mbunwe said she doesn’t want this to all be forgotten until it happens again.
UGA said its equal opportunity office is investigating this matter.
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