Black Freshmen at UPenn Added to Racist Group Message Depicting Images of Lynching; Student in Oklahoma Suspended

PHILADELPHIA, PA — A student at the University of Oklahoma has been suspended after a number of black freshmen students at the University of Pennsylvania were added to a group messaging account that contained racist images and messages, according to university officials.

In a statement on Friday, UPenn President Amy Gutmann said police and information security staff were trying to locate the exact source of the account and determine whether any steps can be taken to block the account. The account appeared to be based in Oklahoma.

On Saturday, Gutman received a call from the University of Oklahoma president David Boren, informing her that there was a basis for temporarily suspending a University of Oklahoma student as officials investigate his involvement in the matter. Penn Police will continue to work with the FBI and police at the University of Oklahoma to complete the investigation, as more individuals may be involved.

The college newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian, reported black students were added against their will to a GroupMe messages labeled, "Mud Men." Some of the messages posted in the group included images of lynching and in what appeared to be another group chat called, "Trump is Love," a participant referred to another as a "dumb slave."

"These messages are absolutely despicable. Hate such as this has no place on Penn's campus or in our nation. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected, and we hope that Penn administration and Penn police find the perpetrators as soon as possible," UPenn College Republicans said in a statement posted on their Facebook page.

Racial tensions across the country have been heightened and racial tensions on college campuses have found a way to manifest themselves, whether it is in the form of university officials distancing themselves from controversial figures by renaming schools or incidents where students have worn blackface or other culturally insensitive attire.

Racist and otherwise heated incidents have also come to the forefront in the national conversation since the presidential election.

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