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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Expelled University of Oklahoma fraternity member 'deeply ashamed' of racist chant | Expelled University of Oklahoma fraternity member 'deeply ashamed' of racist chant |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A former University of Oklahoma fraternity member has apologized for his role in leading a racist chant on a bus where he and fellow college students used offensive language regarding membership of black students in their fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. | A former University of Oklahoma fraternity member has apologized for his role in leading a racist chant on a bus where he and fellow college students used offensive language regarding membership of black students in their fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. |
| Levi Pettit met on Wednesday behind closed doors with African American community leaders, and later spoke publicly for the first time since video of the chant was released. | |
| Related: University of Oklahoma fraternity closed and members suspended over racist video | Related: University of Oklahoma fraternity closed and members suspended over racist video |
| The 20-year-old former fraternity member stood in front of a podium, ringed by the black community leaders with whom he had just met, and apologized profusely: “I am sorry, I’m sorry, deeply sorry, so sorry for all the pain I caused. Although I don’t deserve it I want to ask for your forgiveness. There are no excuses for my behavior.” | The 20-year-old former fraternity member stood in front of a podium, ringed by the black community leaders with whom he had just met, and apologized profusely: “I am sorry, I’m sorry, deeply sorry, so sorry for all the pain I caused. Although I don’t deserve it I want to ask for your forgiveness. There are no excuses for my behavior.” |
| After the video was leaked earlier this month, a public uproar led the university to shut down the fraternity and expel both Pettit and fellow fraternity member Parker Rice. A lawyer for the fraternity told the Associated Press on Wednesday that school officials had agreed to expel no further members of the fraternity. | After the video was leaked earlier this month, a public uproar led the university to shut down the fraternity and expel both Pettit and fellow fraternity member Parker Rice. A lawyer for the fraternity told the Associated Press on Wednesday that school officials had agreed to expel no further members of the fraternity. |
| Pettit described the words he said, which included a reference to lynching, as “mean, hateful and racist”, and said he would be “deeply sorry and deeply ashamed for the rest of my life”. | Pettit described the words he said, which included a reference to lynching, as “mean, hateful and racist”, and said he would be “deeply sorry and deeply ashamed for the rest of my life”. |
| He then went on to describe what he had learned in the process. “The people I have met with have opened my eyes to things not exposed to; these stories and lessons and insight they have shared with me are things I will carry with me for rest of my life.” | He then went on to describe what he had learned in the process. “The people I have met with have opened my eyes to things not exposed to; these stories and lessons and insight they have shared with me are things I will carry with me for rest of my life.” |
| At the end of the press conference, Pettit said that if, in his everyday life, “I ever see racism in any form public or private, I believe I now have the courage and insight to refute that kind of behavior”. | At the end of the press conference, Pettit said that if, in his everyday life, “I ever see racism in any form public or private, I believe I now have the courage and insight to refute that kind of behavior”. |