Fraternity suspends UGA chapter over alleged racist, sexist posts

ATHENS, Ga. - Arianna Mbunwe took to Twitter Saturday night, posting screenshots of racist and sexist remarks that were allegedly made by members of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity about her in GroupMe chats.

"Someone who was close to that organization managed to get screenshots of what was said.", Mbunwe told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes. "They sent me what had been said. That's when I tweeted it out."                                                                   

Officials with the University of Georgia responded to the incident Monday in a written saying, "Statements of bigotry and intolerance do not have any place on campus, and we condemn them in the strongest terms."

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The UGA fraternity chapter's operations have been suspended and its members are now under investigation by National Headquarters, The University of Georgia, and the school's interfraternity council.

Mbunwe is well known on campus. She has held demonstrations and gone on social media to voice her concern over COVID-19 practices at UGA and the surrounding community. She said someone sent her the screenshots Saturday night following one of her demonstrations.

"I had seen that my Twitter had been sent and they were making comments about me, and then my stomach sort of dropped and I felt sick that all these people had all this to say about someone they had never met," Mbunwe said.  

The political science major tells FOX 5 she believes she was targeted by fraternity members after posting images which she believes shows students' blatant disregard for public health practices like social distancing during the pandemic. 

"My Twitter has been sent in group chats and talked about because I've been 'exposing' people partying during the pandemic, not caring about the Athens community in a broader sense and also having  flippant attitude about getting COVID," she said.

Lambda Chi Alpha National Headquarters released a statement Monday afternoon saying fraternity leadership and its members unequivocally condemn any acts of homophobia, misogyny and racism. They apologized "to everyone disparaged by members of the UGA chapter, particularly those who were identified by name.  We are disgusted by the senseless, reprehensible actions and messages of these men."

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