Syracuse university
Several members of the Theta Tau fraternity at Syracuse University have been suspended for racist videos. In this photo, visitors look at portraits of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq on the first day of the exhibition 'To Never Forget: The Faces of the Fallen' in the Shaffer Art Building at Syracuse University in New York, March 3, 2005. Getty Images / John Normile

Several members of the Theta Tau fraternity at Syracuse University, New York, were suspended Wednesday after it was confirmed that they were involved in the making and sharing of online videos which showed the members spouting off numerous racial and ethnic slurs.

Chancellor Kent Syverud confirmed the same in a campus-wide email and said the videos were “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and hostile to people with disabilities."

The recordings, which were obtained by the Daily Orange, shot in the Theta Tau house shows one person forcing another to his knees, asking him to repeat an “oath” that included racial slurs.

“I solemnly swear to always have hatred in my heart for n-----s, s---s and most importantly the f----n’ k---s,” the person on his knees can be heard repeating.

Reports state that several videos filmed in the house were posted on a secret Facebook group called “Tau of Theta Tau” by a user named David Yankowy III. In one of the recordings, a person could be heard yelling at two others using anti-Semitic language.

“You f----n’ k---s, get in the f----n’ showers,” he says and the two men run out of the room as others laugh.

In another recording, a person can be seen sitting in a rolling chair while another person yells, “He’s drooling out of his mouth because he’s retarded in a wheelchair.”

At one point, one person can also be heard telling the others to “…Get together and (talk) about their significant others while drinking different wines and talking in gay girly accents.”

Speaking about the incident, Syverud said in the email, “I am appalled and shaken by this and deeply concerned for all members of our community.”

In his email, he also confirmed that after confirming Theta Tau’s involvement in the videos, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities immediately suspended the fraternity and Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety launched an investigation into the incident to identify the individuals and to take additional legal and disciplinary action.

Reports state that Theta Tau is a professional engineering fraternity and according to the chapter’s website, Alexander Fox is listed as the fraternity’s regent. He was also listed as an administrator or moderator of the secret Facebook group.

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