Silke Jasso
After a video in which he helps lead a racist chant on a fraternity bus trip went viral on Saturday, life has been turned upside down for Parker Rice — one of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers.
Videos by Rare
Since then Rice’s fraternity house at the University of Oklahoma has been shut down and he has been expelled from, or voluntarily left, school, depending on who you believe.
In a statement to the Dallas Morning News released on Tuesday, Rice tried to make sense of his stupidity and amends for the hurt his actions may have caused.
“I am deeply sorry for what I did Saturday night. It was wrong and reckless. I made a horrible mistake by joining into the singing and encouraging others to do the same,” Rice writes.
“On Monday, I withdrew from the university, and sadly, at this moment our family is not able to be in our home because of threatening calls as well as frightening talk on social media.”
Rice goes on to try and explain that he comes from a good family and friend group, who carry values that he has betrayed.
“We were taught to be ‘Men for Others.’ I failed in that regard, and in those moments, I also completely ignored the core values and ethics I learned from my parents and others,” he writes.
“My goal for the long-term is to be a man who has the heart and the courage to reject racism wherever I see or experience it in the future.”
Parker Rice’s full statement.
I am deeply sorry for what I did Saturday night. It was wrong and reckless. I made a horrible mistake by joining into the singing and encouraging others to do the same. On Monday, I withdrew from the university, and sadly, at this moment our family is not able to be in our home because of threatening calls as well as frightening talk on social media.
I know everyone wants to know why or how this happened. I admit it likely was fueled by alcohol consumed at the house before the bus trip, but that’s not an excuse. Yes, the song was taught to us, but that too doesn’t work as an explanation. It’s more important to acknowledge what I did and what I didn’t do. I didn’t say no, and I clearly dismissed an important value I learned at my beloved high school, Dallas Jesuit. We were taught to be ‘Men for Others.’ I failed in that regard, and in those moments, I also completely ignored the core values and ethics I learned from my parents and others.
At this point, all I can do is be thoughtful and prayerful about my next steps, but I am also concerned about the fraternity friends still on campus. Apparently, they are feeling unsafe and some have been harassed by others. Hopefully, the university will protect them.
For me, this is a devastating lesson and I am seeking guidance on how I can learn from this and make sure it never happens again. My goal for the long-term is to be a man who has the heart and the courage to reject racism wherever I see or experience it in the future.
Thank you for your consideration of my deepest apologies for what I did.
