*Oklahoma City University’s virtual graduation ceremony had to be cut short after it was hijacked by someone who posted a racial slur and a swastika.
The offensive imagery appeared on the Zoom broadcast as graduate Jay Williams (who is Black) was delivering a prayer, saying, “Where there is hate, may we be agents of love.”
“Our Class of 2020 graduation was cut short by a horrendous act of racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism,” university President Martha Burger said in a statement.
“We are heartbroken and outraged at the hate-filled attack that occurred at the end of our virtual graduation celebration,” Burger added. “During a time that should have been focused on recognizing our graduating students, an unknown source was able to bypass the system and display racist and offensive language. I want to be clear, OCU stands against racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism.”
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The person was able to bypass the system and display racist and offensive language during Oklahoma City University’s virtual graduation. https://t.co/E2ePzKsAHY
— Tulsa’s Channel 8 (@KTULNews) May 10, 2020
University police and the FBI have launched a joint investigation to identify the racist(s) responsible for sullying the graduation event.
“Although we took safety precautions, unfortunately the digital platform we used to connect has become a target,” Burger said. “We will ensure that all participant data is provided to investigators and will assist law enforcement as they work to identify the perpetrators of this racist act.”
U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn also reacted to the hack with the following statement:
“I am heartbroken and angered by the racist and anti-Semitic actions that defaced today’s Oklahoma City University graduation ceremony. It is especially tragic that this hate-filled attack marred a day meant for celebration, a day already made harder by the inability to gather in person due to the COVID-19 crisis. This type of hate crime serves as a potent reminder that we still have much work to do. Hate lays the groundwork for violence and we must stand together against it. To heal these deep wounds, we must look with unflinching honesty at the sources of extremism, acknowledge and learn from our past, listen to each other, and share our experiences. We cannot, nor will we, turn a blind eye to this behavior. We are stronger when the diversity of our communities is celebrated.
“Let me be clear — racism must not be tolerated in our community. We must hold those responsible accountable and confront racism wherever it exists,” she said.
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