Ole Miss investigating students racist gestures caught on camera

University of Mississippi students were captured on video making racist gestures outside the apartment of Black students on Nov. 6 in Oxford, Mississippi.

School officials condemned the racist taunts and started an investigation. 

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The doorbell video, posted online a few days ago, shows three women walking past the apartment door, and two of them making monkey sounds and gestures before walking on.

According to The New York Times, the video was posted to social media by a Black woman who said she lived in the apartment, and she tagged the university in the posts, requesting a response. 

The woman said the three women caught on video were her neighbors. WMC-TV in Memphis reported that Alaina Kunes, 18, an Ole Miss freshman, is one of the women who made the gestures. 

Ole Miss student issues apology for incident

What they're saying:

Alaian Kunes apologized Tuesday in a statement obtained by WMC-TV in Memphis acknowledging that her actions were "deeply harmful."

"I have apologized to the women and I pray they will forgive me," Kunes wrote. "I can never truly understand the pain I have caused them, and it was never my intention. These girls deserve to feel seen and understood, and what I did is not a reflection of who I am trying to become."

Kunes continued by saying that her actions were "insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful." She added that she had apologized to the women who live at the apartment and plans to cooperate with the Ole Miss investigation.

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WMC-TV reported that Kunes is the first of three white women spotted walking past the apartment’s front door in the Ring doorbell camera video. 

Two of the women are apparently mimicking monkey behavior and noises as they walk by. The second woman seen making the gestures has not been identified or come forward.

Kunes stated that she had not met the apartment’s residents and did not know their race before the Nov. 6 incident.

Ole Miss chancellor releases statement 

The other side:

Ole Miss Vice Chancellor Shawnboda Mead, EdD addressed the matter in a statement posted by the university that read in part: "Over the weekend, a video circulated on social media showing University of Mississippi students engaging in racist gestures directed toward other students." 

"The behavior depicted in this video is deeply troubling, hurtful, and unacceptable. We condemn the behavior as it does not reflect our university's values or the kind of community we strive to be every day."

"Our staff have reached out to the students directly impacted to offer support, listen to their concerns, and connect them with available resources. We will continue to support them as we work through this process."

The Source: Information for this story was provided by statements from the Ole Miss vice chancellor, WMC-TV in Memphis, which obtained a statement from one of the students involved in the incident, and The New York Times. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.