Katelyn Rust (left) said she was jealous after her ex was seen dancing with Aleigha Mason. (Images courtesy of Twitter)
An Ohio State University student has apologized for offensive comments she made about Black women in a video some people — including members of the Undergraduate Student Government and her sorority — have condemned as racist rhetoric.
On Monday, Miami University (Ohio) freshman Aleigha Mason posted a 10-second clip of sophomore Buckeye Katelyn Rust ranting and raving over how “weird” it was that her ex-boyfriend was involved with a Black woman.
Rust, who is white, was reportedly upset that her ex was seen dancing with Mason, according to campus paper The Lantern.
“F— yourself, you’re hooking up with a Black girl, that’s weird,” Rust says while looking squarely into the camera. “That’s weird as f—. F— you.”
In the post, which Mason has since deleted from her Twitter page, the freshman wrote she couldn’t believe such racism still exists at Ohio State, adding, “[I] can’t believe the color of my skin is ‘weird.'”
Rust issued an apology Tuesday, Aug. 22, asserting she believes “racism is wrong” and doesn’t think anyone is less of a person because of their color, nationality, religion or sexual orientation.
“I have personally apologized to the young woman who posted this video and explained that my ‘weird’ reference had nothing to do with her skin color,” she said in a statement to the campus newspaper. “I was quite simply very hurt, and angry with an ex-boyfriend and jealous of her. Nothing more.”
“Again, I say in the strongest possible terms that racism is despicable and I apologize for any hurt or pain this tweet caused this young woman or anyone else,” Rust added.
Sophie Chang, Vice President of Ohio State’s Undergraduate Student Government, condemned Rust’s comments in the video.
“This type of behavior & rhetoric is unacceptable,” Chang tweeted. “@OhioState is home to so many & should not be made to feel any less due to skin color.”
Rust’s sorority, Pi Beta Phi, also caught wind of the offensive video and said the content doesn’t align with its views or values.
In a follow-up post on Twitter, Mason explained why she ultimately decided to take the video down.
“Not because I feel bad or because I’m afraid, because at the end of the day she is a human too, even though she thinks I am less than that,” she wrote. “Never let anyone judge you because of your race, Never.
“We shouldn’t act as if my tweet never existed, this happens everywhere and there is NO excuse. Let this be a lesson to all.”
