Dear Mari,

We are writing in response to the recent banner displayed by the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity on Saturday, September 10, 2016, which read: “Oh say can you see Kaepernick sits when he pees.” This is not the first time this fraternity has posted inflammatory banners. DKE has repeatedly displayed language and imagery on campus that many in the LSU community consider highly offensive, racist, misogynistic, and homophobic. While we acknowledge their first amendment right to free speech even when that speech expresses unpopular ideas, we believe it’s highly important to formally state that such behavior fosters a hostile campus environment for a large number of students. Particularly in light of the traumatic events of July and August, many LSU students are in need of strong leadership from our university, the state’s flagship institution. The repeated actions of DKE, in fact, violate all elements of LSU’s Code of Conduct Section 1 Commitment to Community:

• accept responsibility for my actions;

• hold myself and others to the highest standards of academic, personal, and social integrity;

• practice justice, equality, and compassion in human relations;

• respect the dignity of all persons and accept individual differences;

• respect the environment and the rights and property of others and the University;

• contribute positively to the life of the campus and surrounding community;

• and use my LSU experience to be an active citizen in an international and interdependent world.

To live up to this commitment and improve the campus climate for all students, we are asking that the university give an official public response to the most recent and ongoing actions of the DKE fraternity to acknowledge that these actions do not reflect the views of the greater LSU community. We would also like the LSU Office of Diversity, Dean of Students, and Greek Life to grant a meeting with students affected by these actions to discuss the following proposals for policy changes:

• Have all banners displayed on campus, including those hung by Greek Organizations on or near Greek housing, be pre-approved by campus life.

We are also open to conversations with these offices about other ways to ameliorate the hostile environment that DKE and similar organizations have created.

Sincerely,

The Coalition of LSU Student Organizations Committed to Community

African American Cultural Center Ambassadors

Black Graduate and Professional Student Association

Black Student Union

Justice Together

Minority Women’s Movement

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Qroma

Spectrum
Women’s & Gender Studies Graduate Organization