St. Thomas Student Seen In Viral Video Withdraws, Issues Apology

ST. PAUL, MN — The University of St. Thomas student seen in a widely shared video shouting at a protester outside a Turning Point USA event last week has withdrawn from the school, the university announced Tuesday.

St. Thomas said it was sharing the news at the request of the student and her family. The university also released an apology from the student, who has not been publicly identified.

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"I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during the situation with the protesters," the student said. "What I said and did was wrong, and I understand that my actions caused hurt and disappointment. Regardless of the circumstances, I should have handled the situation with respect, and I take full responsibility for my behavior. I am truly sorry."

She also said she understands that "everyone has the right to express their opinions, even when we disagree," and that she is committed to educating herself on how her words and actions affect others.

"I understand that my actions have consequences, and I take responsibility for that," she said.

The Crest, the St. Thomas student newspaper, reported that the video was recorded Oct. 14 outside a Turning Point USA event at the University of Minnesota and has drawn more than 10 million views.

In the clip, the woman turns toward a protester and shouts, "Go back to your own country," followed by an expletive, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune, which noted the video does not show what happened before the remark.

St. Thomas first addressed the video on Oct. 16, saying it began looking into the incident as soon as it became aware and was handling it under the student code of conduct.

"As a Catholic university, we have a responsibility to provide a welcoming environment for all and do not condone hateful language being used by anyone in our university community," the university said at the time.

In Tuesday's update, St. Thomas said its mission calls it to build a community "in which every person is welcome, respected and treated with dignity," and encouraged members of its community to take accountability when their actions fall short of those values.

The university also condemned "threats of violence, intimidation and harassment" by people outside the St. Thomas community, without elaborating.

"Civil dialogue, critical thinking, the search for truth and care for the human person are the values that should always guide us as a university," the statement said.